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Diabetes Bites Newsletter

INPen

Why we recommend the InPen for fast acting insulin

As people using pumps it is easy to forget our days on Multiple Daily Injection (MDI) therapy. Some people diagnosed as children may never even have had the experience of managing their blood sugar without a pump. Pumps offer a ton of benefits, not the least of which is the bolus calculator with Insulin on board (IOB) tracking.

But what happens when we suddenly have that tool taken away?!

Some of us would become crippled by our lack of knowledge and experience. This is why it is important for even the highest techie to be familiar with good old fashioned pen and paper bolus calculations and insulin on board tracking. These are skills we teach here at IDS whether you’re on a pump or not! But there is also a great tool!

We always recommend having long acting insulin and the ability to inject insulin on hand as emergency backup for pump use, but you can take it a step farther. The InPen by Companion Medical is a bluetooth connected pen for fast acting insulin that we recommend to just about anyone on MDI. It links to an app on your phone to track doses, calculate insulin on board, calculate boluses and even make corrective recommendations! And insurance will cover two InPens per year, even for people on pumps! This means if we have to switch to MDI, or choose to (White water rafting on a pump can be a new and different kind of thrilling! and bikinis in Cancun don’t leave a lot of places to hide your Omnipod) you still have all the smarts of a standard pump at your disposal.

You can find more information and get started ordering your InPen here: https://www.companionmedical.com/get-inpen

Inpen is covered by most insurers and requires a prescription. currently available in the US  only on iphone and Android devices.

**Users would need to get their insulin in cartridge form. For emergency back-up use you can ask your prescriber to write you a one time “PRN”  prescription for fast acting insulin in cartridges. This may require a prior authorization for coverage form some insurance companies (They will baulk at covering the same fast acting insulin twice in one coverage period).