Trivial notes on Novopen 6

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Bruce Stephens

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Just picked them up today (haven't used it yet, I'll wait until my current disposable pen is nearer to empty). It's heavier than a disposable pen (about 51g vs 21g). Comes with a quite nice container (big enough for a couple of pens and/or a few needles).

One warning in the manual (which had already occurred to me, though too late for my discussion with the practice pharmacist on Monday) is that they advise you to have a spare pen just in case it fails. So I don't need 2 pens: I need 3. (I guess, or should I ask for 2 spare pens?)

(I also note that they don't seem to manufacture anything other than Novopen 5 & 6 and the Novopen Echo (and Echo Plus). I think I'd have preferred a dumb (cheap) mechanical one for the spare, but by the looks of it I can't have one.)
 
Recently I started using the Echo pen with my Levimir, I could not get a back up pen from my GP, they just said no. My Echo stopped working properly and I now use a dumb old Novopen 3.
Similar situation for my humalog which I use with a Luxura HD pen. I have no back up pen for humalog, as my GP will not issue one. I keep a box of syringes that I can use in an emergency.

I prefer to have backup pens, (one for each), but it's my consultant who prescribes them for me. I have not seen or heard from my consultant in 3 years.

Ebay has helped.
 
Benny G said:
Recently I started using the Echo pen with my Levimir, I could not get a back up pen from my GP, they just said no.
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Yes, that's possible. Before I asked to be switched over I had a look online and it looks like these are only about £50 each so I can afford one. (I was thinking of an Echo or Echo Plus so it could be a different colour to both of the Novopen 6s.)

On the other hand for this I didn't talk to my GP, I talked to the practice pharmacist who might be persuaded by the advice in the manual that I should definitely have a spare one.
 
I always had the same pen as a spare as my primary one. The reason for this is that my spare is really my next one. Once a pen fails, it is not going to be repaired.
Whether you have one or two spares depends whether you can use the same pen for your basal and bolus insulin. I used Sanofi basal and Novo bolus which used different pens so I always had a spare for both. If I was using two Novo insulins, fir example, I think I would be happy to just have the one spare.
I didn't carry my spare around with me all the time but always had it with me when I was away overnight. This was a bit of a pain but I guess you would take a spare single use pen so it's not a lot of difference.
Maybe because I had reusable pens from the start, the weight difference to me meant that the single use ones are flimsy. I guess it's a meter of perception.
My pen cases never lasted. I am all for making the most of space and the case took up extra space. (I take my meter out of its case too.) The only pen cases I ever used was a Frio wallet when away somewhere hot. And you can't use Frio with another case.

I am sure your NovoPen will take a bit of getting used to (the release mechanism was something I found stiffer/more robust than with single use ones) but I hope you will be happy with your change.
 
helli said:
I didn't carry my spare around with me all the time but always had it with me when I was away overnight.
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That was my intent, yes. (During the day I only take one disposable pen, after all. (Unless it's nearly empty, of course.))
helli said:
I always had the same pen as a spare as my primary one. The reason for this is that my spare is really my next one.
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True, but in that case I really would want two (one of each colour). I'll try and get another phone appt with the pharmacist and talk it over. I think I'll suggest one Echo Plus (unless she says no straight away), because maybe I'd prefer that anyway (in which case I'll know what to ask for in ~4 years).
 
You got me thinking about the need for spare pens. My Echo failed so I switched back to Novopen 3, and I have a second Novopen 3 which acts as the spare.
For my humalog I've just been on Amazon and ordered an older Autopen classic as a back up. As I said previously I have syringes, but they are not ideal, and are best saved for emergency use.
 
Benny G said:
You got me thinking about the need for spare pens. My Echo failed so I switched back to Novopen 3, and I have a second Novopen 3 which acts as the spare.
For my humalog I've just been on Amazon and ordered an older Autopen classic as a back up. As I said previously I have syringes, but they are not ideal, and are best saved for emergency use.
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I have the NovoEcho pens for both Levermir and NovoRapid, one blue and one red. I have a 3rd 'spare' blue pen, which came with my 1st change from disposable to reusable; my DSN had stated I had to have a spare - which I think is a bare minimum. I chose to not have a 4th pen, accepting if I had a failure I could manage, but insisting I should have different colours for basal and bolus.

I love the heavier reusable pen; it feels solid and robust; I appreciate the memory cap and 1/2 units are now routine - commensurate with the greatly improved 'visibility' thanks to Libre. If my GP were to have refused my spare, I would have challenged that; I need what I need for my daily safety.
 
Benny G said:
You got me thinking about the need for spare pens. My Echo failed so I switched back to Novopen 3, and I have a second Novopen 3 which acts as the spare.
For my humalog I've just been on Amazon and ordered an older Autopen classic as a back up. As I said previously I have syringes, but they are not ideal, and are best saved for emergency use.
Click to expand...
Something non-smart (like the Novopen 3) would be ideal for the spare. I don't like asking for another of these smart pens because the odds are none of them are going to fail, so I'll likely end up with all of them continuing to be fine until their batteries run out at about the same time (though I guess the one I don't use might last longer).

Though come to think of it that would be fine: they don't stop working just because the battery runs out, they just stop remembering (which is fine for a emergency spare).
 
You mention buying pens, as well as getting them from pharmacy, can you not just ring the company? My Sanofi juniorstar pen is getting a bit old and worn out so I just emailed the company and asked for a new one, yesterday they asked me to confirm what colour I wanted and it will arrive today. Free of charge, I might as well save the NHS the cost.
 
I managed to blag an Echo from the manufacturer, ages ago, after my nurse said she couldn’t find it on the computer, so couldn’t prescribe it for me. I can’t remember what argument I used now, maybe that my surgery couldn’t find it on the list, but Novo sent me a free one. Worth a try! I don’t know if they sent me old stock, but the battery didn’t last as long as my current one has. Bit by the time it ran down, the surgery had got their act together and managed to prescribe a replacement, and I've kept the 'dead' one as a spare ever since.
 
I have a spare Echo in case one of my pens fail and that has happened . When I was in Year 5 I went to do my meds and the bit that holds the cartridge had come unlocked from the bottom half of the pen and I didn’t have the spare with me at school. I still have about 2 or 3 spare JuniorStar pens from when I switched from Lantus to Tresiba
 
Robin said:
I don’t know if they sent me old stock, but the battery didn’t last as long as my current one has.
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The ones I have have the date on the box. But anyway, a pen without a working battery is fine for a backup. (For me, anyway: I'm not dependent on this memory feature and certainly not on the connected feature (since I have no apps that work with it, until LibreLink does).)
 
Am I very unusual in having my pens on my repeat prescription? Theoretically I can order a new one whenever I like though I suspect eyebrows would be raised if I did it too often! Anyway it’s unlikely as both Novopen 6 and Luxura HD are good and robust and likely to last me a while yet.
 
I got stuck once so I make sure I have anew one in the draw, when mine breaks I then use new one and then order new one at next doctors apointment, I think they last about 3 years in my pockets so no rush to order the spare. I have a novopen 5 on the go now and a novo pen 3 for evening jab, the memory thing don't think ever worked on this one but I only get a new when it has mechanically bust! Currently it has gone from blue to a two tone colour of silver and blue!!
 
Lucyr said:
You mention buying pens, as well as getting them from pharmacy, can you not just ring the company?
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Yes, I can try that too. But in terms of paying for things, I'm remembering that it wasn't that long ago since I was paying £50 a fortnight for Libre sensors, so £50 for something that'll likely last for a decade or more (since I'm probably not going to need to use it) doesn't seem that horrible.
 
JJay said:
Am I very unusual in having my pens on my repeat prescription? Theoretically I can order a new one whenever I like though I suspect eyebrows would be raised if I did it too often! Anyway it’s unlikely as both Novopen 6 and Luxura HD are good and robust and likely to last me a while yet.
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My NovoEcho pens were on repeat prescription, but have recently dropped off the repeat list - because I haven't requested these in the last 12 months. This is in line with the Practice policy, which I strongly suspect is wider Bucks policy and that in turn is being driven by relatively recent NHS policy for all repeat scripts to be reviewed and trimmed!

This actually makes sense; I know just within my indirect family that people just demand everything on the repeat list and stash the unwanted surplus in a cupboard!! That said the lack of user friendliness for our NHS app leaves me sometimes feeling the "ask for everything" strategy is simple and less stressful.
 
I had things drop off my prescription because I did not order them for 12 months but this is an invalid assumption for Type 1 diabetes, especially when using a pump.
My Glucogen was removed because I have never used it and it lasts a couple of years and I always have one; I have pen cartridges in case my pump fails which also last longer than a year but are very important to stay on my script.
 
helli said:
I had things drop off my prescription because I did not order them for 12 months but this is an invalid assumption for Type 1 diabetes, especially when using a pump.
My Glucogen was removed because I have never used it and it lasts a couple of years and I always have one; I have pen cartridges in case my pump fails which also last longer than a year but are very important to stay on my script.
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Good point, thanks. I've got a face to face coming up with the Practice nurse for toe tickling etc and I'll see if we can agree what needs to stay on the script, regardless of whether I request repeats in the next 12 months.
 
Benny G said:
You got me thinking about the need for spare pens. My Echo failed so I switched back to Novopen 3, and I have a second Novopen 3 which acts as the spare.
For my humalog I've just been on Amazon and ordered an older Autopen classic as a back up. As I said previously I have syringes, but they are not ideal, and are best saved for emergency use.
Click to expand...
The Autopen Classic just arrived through the post, I tested it and have now packed it away with my other spares. Looking at the back up pens, Novopen 3 for Levemir, and Autopen Classic for Humalog, I am suddenly aware that I used these pens in reverse for the best part of a decade; Novopen 3 for Novorapid, and Autopen 24 for Lantus.
10 years of classical conditioning: Could this cause issues?
Every time I pick up my Novopen I have to remind myself it's basal not bolus, and Autopen has only ever meant basal.
Time will tell.

Choose your back up pens appropriately 😉
 
I tried contacting Novo Nordisk but they (politely) said no. So (since I can afford it, and want a spare quickly) I just bought a Novopen Echo Plus online.

I've seen some suggestions that the Echo Plus has some easier procedure for fitting cartridges, but I don't think that's the case. It seems to me the Echo Plus and the 6 are the same, except that the Echo Plus allows half units but limits a single injection to 30 units whereas the.6 is only whole units and allows up to 60 units. And (importantly for me) they come in different colours (so I can have a spare that's not the same colour as either of the ones I'm using).

They still haven't updated LibreLink to scan the pens (so the Connected nature of them is still no use to me) but Abbott did reply on twitter saying they expected to release an updated LibreLink this year doing this. (Just a few years after the support was "soon" in press releases.)
 
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