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Consumer Guide to Diabetes Products
Insulin pens
New Zealand has access to insulin products from three suppliers, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Sanofi Aventis.
Insulin in presented in both 10 ml vials (and administered using syringes), or in 3 ml cartridges used with manufacturer specific “Pens”. Levemir is presented in a disposable pen.
Pens are not a prescription item but are generally available at no cost from the suppliers through Diabetes Societies, Diabetes clinics.
| Manufacturer / Insulin | Matching Pen | Description | Presentation | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novo Nordisk (NovoRapid® Penfill®, Actrapid® Penfill®, Protaphane ® Penfill®, PenMix® Penfill® ) |
Steel barrelled with steel cap and plastic Penfill® cartridge holder. Available in silver and blue Delivers doses from 1 to 60 units, in increments of 1 unit. Designed to be used with Penfill® 3 mL insulin cartridges and certified insulin pen needles |
Supplied in a case with space for an additional NovoPen® 4, an extra Penfill® cartridge and extra insulin needles Coloured varieties are presented in psychedelic coloured soft pouch with Velcro closure. Pouch can also hold second pen, spare needles and cartridge in Velcro closing |
Pull out dose button from ‘ lock position’ Turn the dose selector to select the correct dose. Correct in incorrectly dialled dose by dialling back. Press the push button completely in to deliver dose. An audible click reassures dose delivery. |
|
| Novo Nordisk (NovoRapid® Penfill®, Actrapid® Penfill®, Protaphane ® Penfill®, PenMix® Penfill®) | NovoPen® 3 Demi |
Steel barrelled with steel cap and plastic Penfill® cartridge holder. Allows for fine-tuning of insulin therapy with half-unit dose increments from 1 to 35 units. Designed to be used with Penfill® 3 mL insulin cartridges and certified insulin pen needles |
Supplied in a firm plastic case that holds 3 pen needles and an extra Penfill® cartridge |
Required dose is “dialled” and then delivered by pushing the dose button. Dose correction requires pulling the mechanical section and the Penfill® holder whilst holding them apart and pressing the push button back to zero against a hard surface. |
| Novo Nordisk(Levemir)< | Levemir FlexPen® |
Levemir FlexPen® is a prefilled disposable plastic syringe comprising a pen injector and a 3ml cartridge | ||
| Eli Lilly(Humulin R, Humulin NPH) | Humapen Ergo |
Plastic barrelled pen with plastic cap.Available in a variety of colours |
Pens are presented in a plastic snap top case that will hold three needles and a spare insulin cartridge. Cases and pens are colour coded to enable easy differentiation between insulin types. |
Required dose is “dialled” and delivered by pushing plunger in. Correction of incorrectly dialled dose is effected by winding the dial back. |
| Sanofi Aventis(Lantus) | Lantus OptiPen Pro  |
Lantus OptiPen Pro is a pen which takes replaceable cartridges of 300 units (3ml) each. Lantus OptiSet pens are pre-filled disposable pens. You may dial up doses in increments of 2 units up to a maximum of 40 units as a single dose. The pens do not require shaking or mixing before use. |
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