The Role of Insulin Pens in Addressing Barriers to Insulin Therapy

The advantages of insulin pens may reduce resistance to initiating and adhering to insulin therapy. Many patients resist insulin initiation due to concerns about complexity or a general resistance to injections; many patients' concerns about insulin initiation may stem from perceptions about the pain and inconvenience of using vials and syringes for delivering insulin; however, insulin pen devices are regarded as simpler, less painful, and more discreet in comparison with vials and syringes; advances in insulin pen technology have increased their accuracy, reduced the injection force required, and display the dose, time, and date of previous insulin injections; and substantial evidence demonstrates that insulin pen devices are preferred by both patients and clinicians and have the potential to improve adherence, enhance quality of life, reduce the risk of hyperglycemia, and decrease costs. Am J Ther. 2011 Sep;18(5):392-402.