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Refillable Insulin Pens

A

Abo2000

Member
Messages
22
Hi all,
A bit of a random one:
Basically there’s always an issue with my GP and the prescription they send out to the pharmacy. Anyways today as a bit of a (unexpected I guess) surprise, instead of the regular Lantus pre-filled pens, my GP had prescribed a refillable Lantus Cartridge.
To cut a long story short, how do I obtain a refillable pen, I feel they may be quite useful and not as much of a waste?
Thank you!
 
You need to get your doctor to prescribe you them (some get them on repeat in case they ever need replacements, mine isn't on repeat but I have spares and if needed I can get another prescribed by my doctors)

Note: I'm now on a pump so unlikely to need any anytime soon but that's only since the end of July
 

Hi,

Phone your surgery, explain the situation.. The current reusable model of pen for Lantus is a Sanofi AllStar pro.
Always have at least one spare on any reusable pen that is used..
 
I've just ordered a new Novo pen using the surgery System Online system which allows you to enter additional med requests beyond the standard ones.
 
Had exactly this issue a fortnight ago. Was non plussed when I picked up prescription as was the receptionist when I rang surgery on getting home. They are all fab at my surgery and within 24 hours I had a Novopen to put the cartridges into. They would also have given me an emergency prefilled pen if I had needed it. Which I didn’t. I agree @Abo2000 far more economical. I already had one for my Fiasp and now have a separate one for my Tresiba. Both with half unit options which has been invaluable.
 
I have the refillable pens on my repeat prescription as well as the cartridges. When I got set up with the refillable ones via the hospital clinic last year, after my DAFNE course, I got given two spares, one for each insulin, and told to always have a spare just in case. Then, I sat the GP down and made sure the new version of the repeat prescription was correct...

I have finally finished the last of the pre-filled pens which I'd been slowly using up over the year and they just feel so flimsy in comparison. To say nothing of the plastic waste which I was really hating. Also, I've had a couple of moments of not being totally sure I've had the right dose with the pre-filled.

Plus, cartridges take up much less space in the fridge!
 
Last edited:
Hi,

I really got to admit guys. I've never heard of the disposable until I joined the forum?

The early reusables when I started MDI looked colour wise like "Windows 95" desktop PC cases? & were pretty flimsy.
The cap kept comming off, of it's own pocketed free will...
 
I have only used reusable pens, since they became available in the '80s. Novo make the best reusable pens as they show how long ago the last shot was taken. Couldn't do without that. The latest Lantus pen is a big improvement on the previous one, but still no time recording. The next reusable insulin pen generation will have bluetooth connectivity, like modern blood glucose meters. Collecting and analysing dosage/blood glucose data with a smartphone will become easy for pen users too.
 

Wow, I didn't even know that you could get pens that do that. My local pharmacies hand out new refillable pens like sweets whenever an old pen dies (or I lose it), but neither my pen for humalog or lantus records when or how much the last dose was.

I have some old disposable syringes that I have as backup for when a pen fails - it's easy enough to draw up insulin from a cartridge until I get a new pen from the pharmacy....
 
Does the Novopen echo suit Lantus? It’s a while since I used Lantus but back then it had its own pen: different manufacturer.
 
Fairygodmother said:
Does the Novopen echo suit Lantus? It’s a while since I used Lantus but back then it had its own pen: different manufacturer.
Click to expand...
No, they have changed the cartridge diameter, so a Lantus cartridge can't be used on a Novo pen. The new Lantus Allstar pen is an improvement on the old one, but still no memory feature. The next generation of reusable pens will have bluetooth connectivity, so that will change.
 
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