Sometimes your insulin pen stops working

Check the following

1. Is the cartridge cracked or leaking? Look at the glass and if you think it might be damaged, change the cartridge.
2. Is there a problem with the pen needle? Attach a new pen needle and check for insulin flow. 
3. Is your cartridge empty? If the pen will not dial, or only dial a few units, the cartridge might be nearly empty. As a safety step, the pen will not dial more than the number of units it can deliver. If the rubber plunger is low on the cartridge, change the cartridge, attach a new needle and check for insulin flow by pushing out 2 units of insulin. 
4. If your pen is still not delivering insulin and you do not have a spare one, you will need to give an insulin injection using your penfill cartridge and an insulin syringe. Insulin syringes can be accessed at NDSS pharmacies. This page shows you how to give an injection using a syringe device. This video is displayed at the very end of this page. It demonstrates how to mix two insulins however, you will just need to draw up the single insulin that you use in the pen that is not working.

To replace your pen

Some NDSS pharmacies have replacement pens (there should be no cost for getting a replacement pen) but it would be easiest to contact the insulin pen company directly (see contact details below). For The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) patients, your diabetes educator may have spare pen devices and a replacement can be collected. Contact the diabetes office to confirm a pen is available and for directions regarding where to collect it. We are unable to post pens. 

Novonordisk  (eg NovoRapid, Ryzodeg, Levemir) NovoPen 6, NovoPen Echo pens

Sanofi (Optisulin/glargine) - JuniorStart or AllStar pens  contact customer service - 1800 640 791

Lilly HumaPen (Humalog)

Page updated November 2024