How to Use Insulin Pen Step by Step

Anyone can pop a pill in their mouth; it would be difficult to do it wrong even if you tried. But if an injection is what is needed to administer your medication, then that is a whole different level of involvement and the potential for something to go wrong. Injectable diabetes medications are a lot more common nowadays, and if it’s a good time for you to start on one, they’ll likely stress how important it is to learn how to inject with an insulin pen right. So here we will go into detail about how to use insulin pen.

They are all different, and the right way to administer insulin injections will vary from pen to pen. But there are some functional similarities in how they work between them, and that’s what we’ll share with you here in this entry. But of course, it’s important to say that you should always take your injected medication following the guidelines shown in your prescription and never stray from that.

Insulin pens are becoming popular because they are simple, accurate, and convenient. There is a soaring demand for them because they are often a better choice for type 2 diabetics, with the way you only need to give yourself the medication once a week. So here is a general guide for how to use insulin pen step by step.

How to use insulin pen

Let’s start at the start and say that for an insulin injection, read the full instructions for use and important safety information each time you get a new pen. Be sure that you know where and how to inject and what is your correct dosage. Your healthcare provider should show you how to use the insulin pen before you use it for the first time. You’ll quickly familiarize yourself with how to use an insulin pen, so let’s begin with what you’ll need to do in preparation.

Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them thoroughly.

Read the label of the pen and make sure the contents are the medication you’ve been prescribed.

Check and ensure the medicine in the pen is clear and colorless. If not, you should not proceed further and take the medication back to the pharmacy to ask about it.

Attach a new needle. This is usually done by tearing off the paper tab and pushing and turning the needle until tight. Pull off the outer and inner needle caps, and then once done, discard the inner needle cap and save the outer cap to dispose of the needle after you have finished your insulin injection.

It is often necessary to flow-check an insulin pen. To check the flow, turn the dose counter until the dose counter shows the flow check symbol. Press and hold the dose button until the dose counter shows zero, and a drop should appear at the tip of the needle. Usually, this is only done once with each new pen.

You will now dial the pen to that correct dose. If you make a mistake in selecting the dose, it can be corrected by turning the dose selector forward or backward to correct the dose. This is an essential part of how to use insulin pen.

Wipe your skin with an alcohol pad on where you plan to inject the medication and let it dry.

Insert the needle into your skin. Press and hold down the dose button. Once the dose counter reaches 0, many of these pens will request that you keep the needle under the skin and slowly count to 5 or 6 before pulling it away.

Remove the needle from the skin while keeping your thumb on the injection button. If blood appears at the injection site, dab it with a cotton ball. Do not rub the site.

After your injection, carefully cover the needle with the outer cap saved earlier and remove the needle. Dispose of it responsibly in a sharps container. Put the pen cap back on the pen; this is also an essential part of how to use insulin pen.

Where to inject

Most insulin will be injected under the skin of the abdomen, upper arm, thigh, or buttocks.

An insulin injection will never go into a muscle or a vein.

Ensure you do not use the same site each time you inject the pen. If you still want to use the same site for the injection, make sure that you use a different spot on that site.

Additional Considerations

Make sure that you keep the following things in mind about how to use an insulin pen:

Insulin pens must often be stored in refrigerators and within specific temperatures. This is something that will always be indicated in your prescription.

There are usually expiry dates for insulin once it has been opened, and this is also something you need to be entirely clear about.

Do not share or reuse your needle for safety with how to use insulin pen.

It is wise to keep an extra pen and needles in case of damage or loss.

If you miss an insulin dose, there is usually a very specific protocol about whether you should take a make-up dose, when you should take that dose, or if you should just resume at the next scheduled interval.

If you have additional questions, always contact your health care provider.

Insulin should never be mixed with diabetes control injections if the person is using both types of medications, and that is the case sometimes for people with Type 2 diabetes. Give both as separate injections, and the injections should be spaced from each other throughout the day if given in the same 24-hour period.

These are the basics for how to use insulin pen. There is no permanent cure for type 2 diabetes, but managing your weight, eating the prescribed diet, exercising, and taking your medication at the right time are a few things to know if you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.