Insulin Pens

An insulin syringe is what most people think of when they think of a "needle.” It’s a single-dose needle that has pre-mixed insulin medication, or you mix it yourself before using it.

An insulin injection pen is a pre-mixed insulin solution that contains several doses. Before using, set your dosage amount and screw on a needle tip.

The size of diabetic pens varies; the most common are 4mm and 8mm, but they also come in 5mm, 6mm, 10mm, and 12mm sizes. The needle length (size) is smaller because a person's fat layer is the target, not their muscle layer.

Learn more here: Needle Length Guide: 6mm, 8mm, and 12.7mm Insulin Syringes.

The gauges for insulin pen needles range from 27 to 33. The higher the gauge, the thinner the needle. The thickness of the gauge you need will be determined by the dosage amount and frequency of units you must take.

Learn more here: Understanding Insulin Needle Gauges: 27G vs. 28G vs. 29G vs. 30G vs. 31G.

No. When you use a pen, you’ll also need a way to monitor your blood sugar. The reason you must monitor blood sugar levels after an insulin shot is the risk of your sugar levels dropping to dangerous levels. The most common method to monitor your blood sugar level pre- and post-insulin is with diabetes testing kits.

You may need more than an insulin pen and testing kit to properly manage your diabetes. Talk to a health care professional for guidelines on the diabetic supplies you need.