What is an Insulin Pen?

An insulin pen is a type of delivery system for administering insulin doses that diabetes patients can use as an alternative to a syringe. Most often coming in the shape of a pen, insulin pens use short and thin needles that usually guard against any air flowing through.

Significance

• Insulin pens have made dispensing insulin simple for diabetes patients at home or on the go, and can generally provide a more accurate dosage than a syringe.

Types

• Insulin pens can come prefilled with insulin cartridges, to be thrown away after the medication is gone, or with replaceable cartridges so the pen can be reused. Both types have disposable needles.

Benefits

• Insulin pens are easy to use and produce less pain, requiring the needle to be put in place and the button pressed to distribute the insulin. Pens also have dosing dials, which are easy to read for children and those who might not be able to see numbers on a syringe so clearly.

Considerations

• Some insulin pens have been made with a memory to store the information regarding a patient's last doses (date, time and dosage amount).

Disadvantages

• Two insulins cannot be mixed in the same pen, and dosing amounts might be restricted. If a patient requires varying insulins and a different dosage amount, they must be cautious of doubling their injections.