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Types of Insulin Pens

There are different ways for a Type 1 diabetic to get her needed insulin. There are insulin pumps, syringe, vials and insulin pens. While there are varying brands of insulin pens, according to BD Diabetes there are two main groups: reusable insulin pens and disposable insulin pens.

  1. Instructions

    • All insulin pens have a short needle that is very fine, much shorter and thinner than a normal insulin syringe needle. According to Life Clinic, to use an insulin pen the dial is used to click to the amount of insulin you want to inject. When the correct amount of units for the shot has been dialed in, the pen's plunger is pressed to slowly release the insulin into the body.

    Reusable Insulin Pens

    • Reusable pens are those that are shells that are "loaded" with insulin cartridges. These cartridges can hold various amounts of insulin, usually 150 to 300 units in the United States. These cartridges are sold separately and can contain several days' worth of insulin per cartridge. These pen shells only have to be replaced every couple of years with proper usage.

    Disposable Insulin Pens

    • Disposable pens are those that are prefilled with insulin. In America, they usually hold 300 units of insulin in five-count packs. When the pen is used up completely, they are thrown away and another one is opened. These are good for convenience and therefore are more expensive than the reusable pens. Generally, all types of insulin are sold in disposable pens.

    Advantages

    • There are some advantages with using the insulin pen. They are convenient and easy to carry. There is no hassle of filling a syringe and keeping up with several "parts" to the process. They are also easier to get precise units when the diabetic has late-stage diabetic vision difficulties.

    Disadvantages

    • There are also some disadvantages to using the insulin pen over the syringe and vial method of insulin delivery. They are more expensive and a few units of insulin that are stuck in the pen are wasted. There are some types of insulin that do not come in pen form. Also, there are limited pre-mixed combination pens. If a diabetic is on a different combination of insulin, she will need more than one shot.

    Brand Differences

    • Insulin pens will vary in appearance and the way they work by brand and model type. There are pens that use units by 2s, by individual unit and by half units. There are some that vary the style of the pen, the ease of use, the largest dose that can be dialed and how much the pen holds.

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