Understand Your Medication
It can be helpful to understand how and why a medication works to relieve certain symptoms or prevent worsening of disease. Without knowing why it works for us, it can feel like you are putting yourself through something intense for nothing. When you know how it works, it can make you feel like you are playing an active part in your health and can take the sting out of self-injection.
Searching Online Can Lead to More Questions, Not Always Answers
The internet contains tons of wonderful information for patients, but it is important to know that not all information is correct. It can be difficult to sift through the inaccuracies to find correct information about your medication. When you do find correct information, it may confuse you more than it can help! If this happens, write your questions down so your prescriber can address them.
Look to Your Medication Manufacturer for Resources
Sometimes the manufacturer of a medication provides certain resources such as a nurse that comes to your home to train you on your injection administration. If your prescriber is not aware of any, you can also look up any support the manufacturer may offer to new patients.
Ask For Support
Self-injecting can make a person feel lonely, especially if they do not know others who do this. Involving family members or caregivers in the process can help to comfort you and provide you a second set of ears when learning how to administer an injection. It can be hard to understand all of the instructions, so a support person can learn alongside you!
Use the Smart Sharps Bin System!
While the Smart Sharps Bin itself is an awesome way to safely dispose of your sharps, it also is a great management tool to help remind you of when you should take your medications and where you should administer them. It also has a 24/7 care support team to assist you with your needs! Our wonderful group of ambassadors have shared their experiences with the Smart Sharps Bin as well as their experiences with self-injection. Check out the wonderful Lilly Stairs' piece on managing the fear of self-injection here
