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Nov 27, 20182 min read

Junior pens- not just for kiddos


All of you pen using pin cushions out there; did you know that there are both Humalog and Novolog pens that provide 0.5 unit dosing!?


This is especially useful for all type 1’s who are insulin sensitive or “brittle”.


Why? Because it allows for more specificity! One of the great benefits of pumping insulin is the ability to be specific about dosages (as specific as 0.1 unit). Most rapid acting pens are prescribed as disposable pens dosed in 1-unit increments. This requires the user to round up or down on their dosages.


Why does this matter?


Say for instance, Jane’s carb factor is 1 unit for every 15 grams of carbs and her correction factor is 1 unit for every 50mg/dl >150mg/dl. If at every meal Jane eats 30 grams of carbs (or some number evenly divided by 15) and her BG is 200mg/dl (or some factor of 50) then there is no issue. She can give herself 3 units and have a perfect post-prandial reading. But we all know that kind of predictability in type 1 diabetes is rare.


What if Jane eats 23 grams of carbs? Should Jane give herself 2 units and run herself a little high or 3 units and risk a low? This is a guessing game that many pen users play daily. With 0.5-unit increments, Jane can give herself 1.5 units of insulin and have much more predictable post-meal readings.


Both Humalog and Novolog’s 0.5-unit pens are reusable with replaceable cartridges. More recently, Humalog has released a Junior pen (also pictured above). It’s not just for kids! This pen is disposable!


Don’t settle for 1-unit incremental dosing! Talk to your clinician about a prescription for one of these and eliminate some of the unpredictability of post-meal BGs!




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