Change text size 
Print
ShareIs an Insulin Pen Right for You?
People who have either type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes have the option of using an insulin pen rather than traditional insulin vials and syringes. Discover the type of insulin pen that best fits your needs, then learn how to use it and how to store it.
Insulin Pens
For decades, taking insulin required a syringe and a vial. That changed about 20 years ago when the first insulin pen hit the market. Insulin pens, which look like oversize ink pens, contain a few hundred units of one type of insulin or a fixed combination of insulins in a disposable or reusable device. It's a convenient, accurate and discreet way to use insulin.
The ability to quickly and easily deliver a dose of insulin is the biggest advantage of using an insulin pen. Also, if you lack dexterity in your fingers, an insulin pen may be easier for you to use than a vial and syringe. "When a person's health plan will cover them, I try to prescribe insulin in pens," says cardiologist Steven Nash, M.D., of Manlius, New York. "I think they're much easier to use than syringes."
Insulin pens are also great for traveling because they're small and can be stored at room temperature. "I love how easy my insulin pen has made my life," says Marsha LaClair, 41, of Austin, Texas, who has type 1 diabetes. "I travel frequently, and now packing to manage my diabetes is a breeze."
