Patient Acceptability of a New 3.0ml Pre-filled Insulin Pen

Abstract

SummaryThe objective of these two studies was to assess patient acceptance and feature preferences of the new Lilly 3.0 ml pre-filled pen. A total of 701 patients with diabetes mellitus, who required insulin, were treated for 4–6 weeks with the pre-filled pen. Patient acceptance and treatment preferences were assessed by a questionnaire completed at the end of the study period. Patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus from South Africa (n = 371) and Croatia (n = 330) were enrolled in the study. The mean age was51.6 years (range: 18–81), and gender was 359 males and 342 females. Prior to the study, patients in South Africa (SA) had used the Novo Actraphane® (Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) pen set, and patients in Croatia (C) had used NovoPen® 1 or 2 (Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) (38.8%), NovoPen® 3 (Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) (28.8%), B-D® Pen (Becton-Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, USA) (18.8%), needle/syringe (10.0%), oral hypoglycaemic agents (2.1%), or unknown (1.5%).The new Lilly 3.0 ml pre-filled pen features that were rated by respondents as good to excellent on a five-point rating scale included: cartridge visibility (C = 94%, SA = 83%), ease of dose correction (C = 92%, SA = 85%), dialling of the dose (C = 89%, SA = 81%), turning of the dose knob (C = 84%, SA = 82%) and attaching needles (C = 92%, SA = 78%). Most respondents (C = 78%, SA = 75%) preferred single-unit versus two-unit dosage increments. Overall, 76% of patients in Croatia and 80% in South Africa preferred the Lilly 3.0 ml pre-filled pen to their previous delivery device; 84% and 87% of patients, respectively, would recommend the pen to another patient. Also, the majority of patients in both trials rated the new Lilly 3.0 ml pre-filled pen as being more convenient and easier to use, and indicated that it represented a significant or modest improvement over their previous insulin injection method. The results of this study confirm that the new Lilly 3.0 ml pre-filled pen is widely accepted and preferred by patients using both reusable and pre-filled devices.