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Supplies checklist

What to have ready, what is must-have and what is nice-to-have.

The checklist

Print this page or tick it off on your phone. This is for someone researching a vial-based protocol.

ItemWhy
☐Bacteriostatic water
Must have
Mixes the powder. It has a preservative, so a vial can be used several times.
☐Insulin syringes
Must have
Measure small amounts. See sizes below.
☐Alcohol swabs
Must have
Clean the vial top and your skin.
☐Sharps container
Must have
Safe place for used needles. A hard plastic bottle works.
☐Labels and a marker
Must have
Write the mixing date on each vial.
☐Fridge thermometer
Nice to have
A good fridge stays at 2 to 8 °C.
☐Cooler bag and ice packs
Nice to have
For deliveries and brownouts.
☐Notebook or phone log
Nice to have
Dates, amounts, sites, how you felt.

Insulin syringes explained

Insulin syringes are marked in units. On a U-100 syringe, 100 units = 1 mL. So 10 units = 0.1 mL.

Barrel sizeHoldsBest for
0.3 mL30 unitsVery small amounts. Marks are far apart, so easier to read.
0.5 mL50 unitsSmall to medium amounts.
1 mL100 unitsLarger amounts.

A smaller barrel is thinner. Thin barrels put more marks across the same length. That makes a small amount easier to measure.

Check that the syringe says U-100. Our mixing calculator assumes 100 units per mL.

Needle gauge and length

  • Gauge (G): a higher number means a thinner needle. Insulin syringes are often 29G to 31G.
  • Length: short needles are about 6 to 8 mm. Longer ones are 12.7 mm (half an inch).
  • Short, thin needles usually hurt less. They are made for subcutaneous shots.
  • One new syringe for each use. Never share or reuse.

Storage and delivery items

Keep the thermometer in the middle of the fridge, not near the door. A cooler bag with frozen ice packs helps when a delivery runs late or power is out. See the full storage guide.

Where to find them in the Philippines

Most of this list is sold at ordinary pharmacies and medical supply stores. Big pharmacy chains, such as Mercury Drug and Watsons, and neighborhood drugstores often carry syringes, swabs and thermometers.

  • Ask the pharmacist for “U-100 insulin syringes”.
  • Medical supply stores may also sell sharps containers.
  • Supermarkets and hardware stores sell cooler bags and ice packs.
  • Stock can differ by branch. Ask what they have.

We do not list sellers of peptides, brands or prices.

Before you buy

Check expiry dates and sealed packaging on everything. Educational only. Not medical advice.