Reusable insulin pens

H

helli

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
The whole thing is so weird though @helli I’m sure disposable pens are a recent thing. I’ve never used them and have always had proper reuseable pens from the first day I had a pen.

I’d like to know the reason for the prevalence of them. I suspect it’s laziness - easier to prescribe the all-in-one insulin thing than prescribe cartridges then the right pen. I’ve also found many HCPs know little about the pens for each insulin type so revert to disposables rather than find out. In addition, I suspect the increasing numbers of Type 2s on insulin has led to these pens as the GP ‘expert’ nurses sometimes know nothing about reuseable pens at all.
 
Inka said:
The whole thing is so weird though @helli I’m sure disposable pens are a recent thing. I’ve never used them and have always had proper reuseable pens from the first day I had a pen.
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Twenty years ago, when I was first started on insulin, I was given a choice of single use or reusable pens.
It seemed like a non-brainer at the time even though I wasn't sure what was an insulin pen. I wondered if anyone intentionally took the single use pen option.

I have wondered whether single use pens have a place when insulin is a temporary thing for someone with type 2 or someone with Type 1 trying out a new insulin.
 
I was prescribed and shown how to use reusable ones from the start, at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford 17 years ago, I didn’t know disposable ones existed til I joined the forum.
It was probably a bit wasteful in terms of my Lantus permanent pens to start with, because I was first given one for basal that only went up in 2s, because I was assumed to be Type 2 at the time and was expected to need a large dose. I then had to be given one that measured in single units, and eventually had to request a half unit one (though i think I was going to buy one as I was between clinic appointments and my surgery nurse didn’t have a clue, but I rang up the manufacturer to see if I could find out the details for her, and managed to blag a free one over the phone. I think it was a Junior star, and the surgery nurse thought it was only for children). At least by the time I swapped to Levemir and needed different pens again, I’d had a few years use out of them.
 
helli said:
Twenty years ago, when I was first started on insulin, I was given a choice of single use or reusable pens.
It seemed like a non-brainer at the time even though I wasn't sure what was an insulin pen. I wondered if anyone intentionally took the single use pen option.

I have wondered whether single use pens have a place when insulin is a temporary thing for someone with type 2 or someone with Type 1 trying out a new insulin.
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I wasn't given a choice when diagnosed 30 years ago - mind you pens were "fairly" new then (the needles weren't even available on prescription. When I switched to basal/bolus a few years later the insulins did come in disposable pens. I was horrified then at the potential waste and by the amount of space they took up in my then modest-sized fridge! Got the prescription changed pronto.

When I switched from Lantus to Levemir about 3 years ago, it initially came in disposables, which did actually make sense in case the change didn't work out, but I couldn't wait to get those 5 pens finished so I could move on to the lovely, sturdy Novopen Echo 6!

At the other end of the scale, around 18 months ago I switched from Humalog to Novorapid. This time I made sure the prescription would be for reusable pens/cartridges. Boots duly informed me that the prescription was ready and off I went to collect 2 pens and....ONE cartridge! The Dr writing the script apparently didn't realise the difference between 1 cartridge and a pack thereof. Soon rectified, but it did make me smile!
 
I was started on disposables for NovoRapid and Levemir and it wasn't until I enquired about half units (probably as a result of advice from this forum) that I got the wonderful NovoPen Echos, several months after starting on insulin.
 
I was given reusable pens from the start for both basal and bolus.
Makes so much sense with regard to waste and made packing for holidays easier.
 
It's been 30+ years since re-usable pens with cartridges became available - I discovered my porcine (Welcome Foundation) Ultralente didn't seem very reliable around when I had my hysterectomy (privately since we were both insured via our employers at that time), so when I mentioned that to the surgeon who had her NHS practice at the same hospital I usually attended since I literally lived along the road and round the corner she said she'd have a word with Paul for him to sort out. Paul (ie the NHS diabetes consultant) arrived at my bedside to discuss a few days later and said would sort it out once I was home again. He did, or rather his DSN did, having spoken to my GP and obtained the necessary prescription for insulin cartridges and the pens & needles and whilst she was on, got me a repeat scrip for test strips and lancets to ensure I had everything I'd need - then turned up at my front door with a carrier bag the day after I got home! That was either 1994 or 96.

Humulin I as basal and H S as bolus, which was OK for a couple of years but after a few years because of enforced changes in my life, wasn't, which is when I managed to get changed to Lantus & Novorapid (at which point I asked what ratio of N to carbs at mealtimes, hospital DSN changing me told me that if she ever heard of me referring to counting carbs again I'd have her to answer to - but that's an entirely different story!)

So the first re-usable pens I had was when I lived in Kidderminster (where the hospital now is a shadow of its former self so have a heart attack or anything serious and it's Worcester hosp) and the latter since I've had my healthcare from Coventry hospital which is massive in comparison both in its own size and the number of patients it covers PLUS - is a TEACHING hospital - Uni Warwick and Uni Coventry medical schools! But - all the consultants and other staff do now sing from the same hymnsheet as us!
 
Was using disposable pens for basal before moving to pump, they are called Solostar.

Around same time bought pack of disposable syringes to draw up insulin from vial in case of emergency, they are still in drawer upstairs so probably well out date by now.
 
helli said:
Twenty years ago, when I was first started on insulin, I was given a choice of single use or reusable pens.
It seemed like a non-brainer at the time even though I wasn't sure what was an insulin pen. I wondered if anyone intentionally took the single use pen option.

I have wondered whether single use pens have a place when insulin is a temporary thing for someone with type 2 or someone with Type 1 trying out a new insulin.
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I don’t remember exactly when I was given my first pen, but it was a bit less than 30 years ago. There was no discussion or choice. I was just given a reuseable lovely silver Novopen.

I swear that it’s laziness or ignorance of the pen types a lot of the time. Once I swapped to a different insulin and I had to find out what pen I needed myself. Your temporary insulin thing makes sense too, but I think most of the people using disposable pens don’t fit into that category, like that Type 1 in the article.
 
Wish sanofi would bring out a new pen then I could use a reusable one for my lantus as well as my apidra :( want a memory function introduced by them too
 
I was initially given disposable ones but quite quickly changed onto the Novopen Echo Plus and Novopen 6 which are much better - especially like the Echo Plus as you can do 1/2 units which is very useful if you are considering changing your carb ratios for meals
 
Lucyr said:
Wish sanofi would bring out a new pen then I could use a reusable one for my lantus as well as my apidra :( want a memory function introduced by them too
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I have reusable had pens for Lantus for 20 years but they have no memory function.
 
helli said:
I have reusable had pens for Lantus for 20 years but they have no memory function.
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I can only use the juniorstar pen but that only goes to 30u and I take more Lantus than that
 
I take about 20 units of basal but I split it between each buttock and jab half into each as I feel I get more even absorption and my feeling is that injecting larger doses into a single injection site can't be good for the tissue. I might be wrong about that but splitting doses might be something to consider if a reusable pen is ruled out because it would ne limiting you to a smaller dose.
 
rebrascora said:
I take about 20 units of basal but I split it between each buttock and jab half into each as I feel I get more even absorption and my feeling is that injecting larger doses into a single injection site can't be good for the tissue. I might be wrong about that but splitting doses might be something to consider if a reusable pen is ruled out because it would ne limiting you to a smaller dose.
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On a juniorstar pen if you dial 30u it’s a massive distance to press the plunger which is physically too difficult to coordinate for me
 
Lucyr said:
I can only use the juniorstar pen but that only goes to 30u and I take more Lantus than that
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Have you thought about splitting your dose into 30 unit "chunks"?
And is there a reason why you cannot use the AllStar Pro pen? The JuniorStar goes up in 0.5units whereas the AllStar Pro goes up in whole units so you can dial up twice as much insulin. And, if you want to dial up 30 units at a time, the plunger only goes up half as far.
In my non-medically trained mind, i am surprised you are offered a half unit pen when you have larger doses.
 
helli said:
And is there a reason why you cannot use the AllStar Pro pen?
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Yes, I have a coordination disorder and only one functional arm, when I unscrew the needle on the all star pen it unscrews the entire cartridge holder. The juniorstar pen is more solidly built and doesn’t have this problem.
 
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