A comparison of the handling and accuracy of syringe and vial versus prefilled insulin pen (FlexPen).

Background: To determine the preferable method for self-injecting insulin, we compared the handling, safety, and dose accuracy of a conventional disposable syringe and vial with FlexPen (Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark), a prefilled pen.

Methods: Insulin therapy-naive healthcare professionals (HCPs) (n = 30), unfamiliar with insulin delivery, injected 10 U of insulin into a sponge pad using either a syringe and vial or the FlexPen, both with 30-gauge 8-mm needles, on day 1. The following day, they used the alternative method.

Dosing accuracy of two insulin pre-filled pens.

Objective: This study was designed to determine the dose accuracy of two commonly available insulin pre-filled pens for use in diabetes - FlexPen (Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) (FP) and SoloStar (Sanofi-Aventis, Paris, France) (SS).

Research Design And Methods: Dosing accuracy was tested at 5 U, 10 U and 30 U doses - three previously unused pens of both pre-filled pens were used for each dose. At the 5 U dose each pen was tested 42 times, at the 10 U dose each pen was tested 25 times and at the 30 U dose each pen was tested 9 times.