Insulin Pen

An insulin pen is frequently referred to as a “pen” by diabetics. This is a delivery system for insulin that looks very similar to an ink pen and is filled with an insulin cartridge. The insulin pen uses disposable needles, too.

Insulin Pen Popularity

In the United States, the insulin pen has not caught on quite as well as the insulin vial and syringe delivery method. However, in the rest of the world the insulin pen is the most popular way to delivery insulin to the blood stream. The largest insulin pen manufacturers are Disetronic, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Aventis, and Owen Mumford.

Insulin Pen Facts

Some insulin pen cartridges are replaceable while other insulin pens use disposable cartridges. The insulin pen needle is usually very thin and short to make insulin delivery as painless as possible. Also, the insulin pen usually has different settings to allow for various needles sizes depending on the diabetic’s need.

Insulin Pen Cartridges

Insulin pen cartridges are available in a variety of sizes. The most common size is 3.0ml although 1.5ml size insulin pen cartridges are also available. Pharmaceutical companies produce the insulin pen insulin cartridges that are used.

Insulin Pen Cartridges

Some insulin pen cartridges are pre-filled with insulin. These insulin pen cartridges are used until the insulin is gone and then disposed of. Aventis, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk are the biggest manufacturers of pre-filled insulin pen cartridges. The insulin used in the prefilled insulin pen cartridges depends on the manufacturer. Many diabetics with Type 2 diabetes use the insulin pen with premixed insulin.

Insulin Pen Dosing

Insulin pen dosing is easier than one might imagine. When the cartridge is loaded the diabetic simply screws a needle onto the insulin pen, primes the pen, and then chooses the correct insulin dose on the insulin pen. Then, the needle is injected into the skin and the button is pressed for the insulin to be delivered. The insulin pen is very popular with diabetic children and makes administering insulin while on the go significantly easier. The one consideration that is really important with the insulin pen is the removal of the needle after each injection. This will ensure no air enters the insulin and that no insulin is able to leak out of the insulin pen cartridge.