How to store Insulin?
How to store Insulin?
How to store Insulin?
Storing insulin is the thing we should take care of. Patients should check the expiry date of the insulin at first. The vials should be stored in refrigerator. Insulin is a stable medicine and will usually maintain its potency till its expiry date.
Check that the temperature inside the refrigerator. Never freeze insulin. If a vial gets accidentally frozen, throw it away. The vial that is currently in use can be kept at room temperature ( in the coolest possible place) for up to six weeks ( or four weeks for Penfill cartridges). Avoid exposing the vials to direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.
Long exposure to direct sunlight will gradually degrade insulin and give it a yellow brown colour. Do not use the insulin if this has occurred.
Don't keep insulin in places that tend to become very hot, like the glove compartment of the car or on top of TV set. Cloudy insulin can form clumps when not properly stored or when subjected to hours of shaking. They should also be discarded.
There are special syringes to inject insulin. They are either made of glass or plastic. Glass syringes are cheap but have certain disadvantage - it is difficult to keep them clean; they can easily break and are also liable to waste insulin as some amount remains in the hub of the syringe and the needle even when the plunger is fully pressed. This loss has been estimated at about 4 to 5 units per injection.
Plastic disposable syringes with attached needles do not waste any insulin. But those plastic syringes that have detachable needles have the same problems as glass syringes.
Lately patients have started using other methods to inject insulin, that Insulin Pens that are very effective. You can have most modern equipment's now in the market.
In fact most diabetes now prefer to use an injection pen. These devices are simple and easy to use incorporating all that is required in a small discreet device shaped like a pen. They are almost painless and deliver the "dialed" dose very accurately. So easy to use are these devices that even young patients can use them. But it would be better to check with the physician before choosing the device.
How to store Insulin?
Storing insulin is the thing we should take care of. Patients should check the expiry date of the insulin at first. The vials should be stored in refrigerator. Insulin is a stable medicine and will usually maintain its potency till its expiry date.
Check that the temperature inside the refrigerator. Never freeze insulin. If a vial gets accidentally frozen, throw it away. The vial that is currently in use can be kept at room temperature ( in the coolest possible place) for up to six weeks ( or four weeks for Penfill cartridges). Avoid exposing the vials to direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.
Long exposure to direct sunlight will gradually degrade insulin and give it a yellow brown colour. Do not use the insulin if this has occurred.
Don't keep insulin in places that tend to become very hot, like the glove compartment of the car or on top of TV set. Cloudy insulin can form clumps when not properly stored or when subjected to hours of shaking. They should also be discarded.
There are special syringes to inject insulin. They are either made of glass or plastic. Glass syringes are cheap but have certain disadvantage - it is difficult to keep them clean; they can easily break and are also liable to waste insulin as some amount remains in the hub of the syringe and the needle even when the plunger is fully pressed. This loss has been estimated at about 4 to 5 units per injection.
Plastic disposable syringes with attached needles do not waste any insulin. But those plastic syringes that have detachable needles have the same problems as glass syringes.
Lately patients have started using other methods to inject insulin, that Insulin Pens that are very effective. You can have most modern equipment's now in the market.
In fact most diabetes now prefer to use an injection pen. These devices are simple and easy to use incorporating all that is required in a small discreet device shaped like a pen. They are almost painless and deliver the "dialed" dose very accurately. So easy to use are these devices that even young patients can use them. But it would be better to check with the physician before choosing the device.
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