[Diabetes-talk] Insulin pens

[cheryl echevarria]

There are also disposable recepticles that I get from the pharmacy which is safer than just uncrewing the top of the pen, it is put out b-d and on the top of the contained are 2 holes one is to get rip of the screw top of the pen and the part that covered the needles the other hole is to stick the pen it self at a 45 degress angle and insert the needles, which has the threads that match the needle and you twist to uncrew the needle and it falls into the container without sticking yourself.

Cheryl Echevarria
Treasurer
National Federation of the Blind Greater Long Island Chapter
Member NAGDU, NYAGDU and DAN
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Mike Freeman<mailto:k7uij at panix.com> 
  To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind<mailto:diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> 
  Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 12:56 AM
  Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Insulin pens


  Diane:

  I can give you a generic answer but to be truly helpful, it might be 
  nice to know what aspects of insulin pens and pen use you are wondering 
  about.

  In general, insulin pens look like and are about the size of an 
  old-fashioned fountain pen. You take the cap half off and the exposed 
  end has threads upon which you screw an insulin pen needle assembly. You 
  then tug on this assembly a bit and the needle cap comes off, leaving 
  only a slim plastic cylinder covering the needle. You pull this off 
  exposing the needle.

  On the other end of the pen is a dial which you turn to set the dose. 
  Usually, there's one click per unit of insulin although some pens click 
  in half-units and some in two-unit steps.

  To give yourself a shot, manufacturers tell you to dial in 2 units and 
  then push the plunger (usually part of the dial apparatus) and insulin 
  will squirt into the air. This is to get rid of air in the needle. 
  However, if one is giving oneself a dose over 5 units, it is possible to 
  dispense with the air shot even though manufacturers don't recommend it 
  (yet some engineers working for manufacturers will say this also).

  You then dial up the dose, pinch up your skin, insert the needle and 
  push down the plunger just as you do with a syringe. You then put the 
  larger needle cap on, unscrew the needle, put the pen cap back on and 
  voila, it looks like a fountain pen again.

  Pens come in two flavors -- disposable and refillable. The refillable 
  pens have cartridges which you put in the pens and use until the insulin 
  in the cartridge has been used, whereupon you throw the used cartridges 
  away and insert new full ones. The exact mechanism of cartridge 
  insertion depends upon which pen you're using.

  Disposable pens are pre-filled; you use them until all the insulin is 
  gone and throw them away.

  Pens can have rapid-acting, intermediate-acting and long-acting or basal 
  insulins; exactly what insulins are available in what pens can be 
  garnered from the manufacturer. I'm pretty certain that Novo Nordisk's 
  Novolog comes in both disposable pens and cartridges for the NovoPen 
  III; one can get a Novolin 70/30 mix for the NovoPen III "Penfill" 
  cartridges also.

  Lilly has Humalog in disposable pens and Sonophie Aventis has lantus 
  available in a cartridge pen (the OptiClik) and in a disposable (the 
  SoloStar).

  In the beginning, I think many Americans were worried that insulin pens 
  might be inaccurate; in truth, they are *very* accurate and are 
  extremely convenient to use. Diabetics in Europe have been using them 
  for years; they're just now really catching on over here in the States.

  That's a general overview. I highly recommend pens. I own a Count-a-dose 
  so could use syringes if I had to but I'm quite content with pens.

  Let me know what I haven't answered.

  HTH!

  Mike

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Diane" <dianefilipe at peoplepc.com<mailto:dianefilipe at peoplepc.com>>
  To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>>
  Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 5:33 PM
  Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Insulin pens


  I know we have discussed this subject many times, but often you don't 
  pay attention until it begins to impact your life.  My Dad is looking 
  into the pens, and I was just wondering what y'all can tell me about 
  them.
  Thank you!
  Diane
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