Amount of insulin in syringe driver

@ElyDave ........when you finish using up the pumpcarts, think a bit more at using the other device for fillling cartridges sobthat a vial can be used and the exact amount that you need can be drawn up.

Analogue insulins cost an awful lot of money to prescribe so by being a tiny bit resourceful, there will be more money in the pot to fund a pump for another diabetic. I keep my pump in my bra so it gets fairly warm but there have been times when Ive gone past 6 days and the insulin hasnt deteriated. You are new at pumping at the moment, but as time goes on you will learn to be more confident with what you use. If evrryone who wanted a pump had to pay privately for the consumables to run it, then for most, pumping would die a death or only the very wealthy would be able to afford.

Direct from the leaflet in the package

During use or when carried as a spare: NovoRapid® PumpCart® in use is not to be kept in the refrigerator. NovoRapid® PumpCart® carried as a spare can be kept for up to 2 weeks below 30°C. Thereafter it can be used in the Accu-Chek® Insight insulin pump for up to 7 days below 37°C. Keep NovoRapid® PumpCart® in the blister until use to protect it from damage. Always protect the cartridge from light during use.

I understand the potential wastefulness, but as a what if, I would not have a leg to stand on if I refilled a penfil cartridge or pump cart with two-week old insulin to be kept as a "just in case".

Oen of the reasons I swapped from the cellnovo to the insight was because the cellnovo had a 300unit reservoir that had to be discarded every 3 days and needed to be replaced with another one filled to the brim again.

Pumping is the right thing for me to be doing on a clinical basis and to imply I'm being deliberately wasteful is misleading

ElyDave said:

Is there any point behind that fatuous remark? Most of what you write here has some value, this is a waste of your time and mine

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As you have stated in one of your post the instructions say you can use the insulin for 7 in the pump then use it for 7 day's. At one point I used the same cartridge for 14 days without a problem.
I wasn't being fatuous at all just trying to get you not to waste so much insulin. Does your pump not come with the option of self filling cartridges? If so use them so you can keep waste to a minimum.
Perhaps sit down and work out how much insulin you waste a year on the cost of 1000u IE 1 vial of insulin. No idea how much your insulin costs.

ElyDave said:

Oen of the reasons I swapped from the cellnovo to the insight was because the cellnovo had a 300unit reservoir that had to be discarded every 3 days and needed to be replaced with another one filled to the brim again.

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That must be the only pump that you have to fill to the brim then because all others you can put as little in as you need.
Very young children would need a fraction of the insulin adults use so no way would a parent fill any cartridge to the brim.
Have just looked at the insight and you can have a cartridge to fill yourself instead of the lazy way and expensive prefilled cartridge. Thus you can save the NHS oodles of money that way

CarbsRok said:

That must be the only pump that you have to fill to the brim then because all others you can put as little in as you need.

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You can't put in as little as want with the Omnipod pump, you have to put in a minimum of 85 units.

Cartidges prior to the Insight pump (that are now 160ml prefilled ones) I used to load the 315ml ones and use for 6-8 days. Tubes as well.

Its a pain in bum that now sets, cannulas and tubes run out of sync.
Today I did cartridge and tube, tomorrow set. Battery will be Sunday.

Insight pump users can now get the stainless steel rapid d cannulas. So these are much better for me. Got told today that flexible cannulas tend to block and kink in thin people... So thankfully will get my new steel ones tomorrow. Then syncing will also be easier as the plastic sets kept giving me erratic levels when I worked.

Rather than listening to DSN's etc I would personally speak to manufacturer or look up the details in the pump book. You should not need to change insulin or tubes more than once every 6 days. To me you are just throwing away nhs money.

Yes the insight does come with the option of self fill cartridges....

ElyDave said:

I'm on novorapid pump carts (160U) and change the cannula every three days, full change every 6 days, and I'm throwing away about 90U each time as it is.

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So I take it you are using the prefilled cartridges..why not load up your own? The pump comes with a video on how to do it.

I too cannot bear wasting any nhs money... So in your case U would certainly be loading up the self filled ones....

donnellysdogs said:

So I take it you are using the prefilled cartridges..why not load up your own? The pump comes with a video on how to do it.

I too cannot bear wasting any nhs money... So in your case U would certainly be loading up the self filled ones....

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Can you part fill them? I thought they needed full filling as well?

I'd certainly be happy to do that at home, but when I'm doing a set chaneg away from homem which in my case is pretty often, it's much easier to carry cartridges rather than syringes and needles.

I have an order due so I can ask about it. The other thing that's a real waste is the infusion sets. I'm changing cannula only every other time but the sets all have cannula plus tubing plus pump end cap. I'd really like to get half and half cannula only vs full set.

ElyDave said:

I'd certainly be happy to do that at home, but when I'm doing a set chaneg away from homem which in my case is pretty often, it's much easier to carry cartridges rather than syringes and needles.

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The simple solution is to prefill the cartridge from home and put the little cap provided on it and keep safe with your other stuff needed during the day whilst out., thus it's ready to go.
No idea what type of tubing/cannula comes with your pump but other pumps with tubing you just disconnect at the cannula and replace that and then reconnect after cannula replaced.

ElyDave said:

Can you part fill them? I thought they needed full filling as well?

I'd certainly be happy to do that at home, but when I'm doing a set chaneg away from homem which in my case is pretty often, it's much easier to carry cartridges rather than syringes and needles.

I have an order due so I can ask about it. The other thing that's a real waste is the infusion sets. I'm changing cannula only every other time but the sets all have cannula plus tubing plus pump end cap. I'd really like to get half and half cannula only vs full set.

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Good point.... Worth talking about with accuchek as this pump is set to find the piston and is not done manually like the old combo.

May well be that you can only put a set amount in the self fill cartridge...

They only used to say to have insulin in plastic cartridges for 6 days because of the interaction with the plastic.

Now that the prefilled cartridges are glass I think as with cartridges in pens that the insulin would be usable for up to 30 days.

The tubes would still be needed to change every 6 days.

I don't think the self filling cartridges will be liadable with any lesser amount of insulin but may be wrong.

Think it would be worthwhile checking out with manudacturer of insulin or checking the instructions in the packing what it says about length of time in a pump. Cannot see why it should be still 6 days with glass and not the plastic.

My pump takes normal 3ml pen cartridges which are made of glass. I've always changed them when they run out - so usually every 12 days. This fits in nicely with my cannula/sets which I change every 2 or 3 days ( I use two different types of set depending where they are on my body). Cannula change every 2/3 days then set 2/3 days after that, etc.

I've never had a problem with my insulin failing or degrading. I think this is probably due to the glass, like donnellysdogs has said above.