Who here uses an insulin pen? Tired of having to screw the needles on and off? You might be very interested a new product from Can-Am Care called ClickFine, precision Swiss-made pen needles with patented technology that lets you click them on and off instantly.
What’s the big deal, you ask? Well, I personally switched from a Novo Nordisk Junior pen to an insulin pump about a year and a half ago, but I do remember how annoying it was, when I was hungry and ready to eat, to have to fumble with unscrewing a used needle and screwing on a new one. Of course, I was often lazy and reused them, but today’s pen needles are so wonderfully fine (and thus painless) that you really can’t reuse them more than once or twice without dealing with a bent tip, in my experience.
So these ClickFine needles look pretty neat, super-easy to snap on and off, and as the company asserts, ideal for people with “dexterity issues and vision impairments.” The new needles are also compatible with all major pen brands, even including Byetta and Lantus injection pens.
Full Disclosure on an Upbeat Note:
As of June 2008, I was invited to participate in a newly formed Advisory Board for Can-Am Care, the company that also makes Dex4 glucose products. Of the eight board members, all are medical professionals (CDE, RN, MSN, etc., etc.) with the exception of myself and Doug Burns, former Mr. Universe with Type 1 diabetes.
So what are a bodybuilder and an OC blogger doing on a manufacturer’s advisory board? Providing patient input, of course! I was delighted when Can-Am invited us, as this move speaks to our collective call-out for the pharma and device companies to listen more closely to voices from the patient community. The only way for them to really understand what patients want is to involve us in the product development and communications process, no? So the bottom line here is: if you have feedback on ClickFine or Dex4 products, contact me. I’d love to pass on your thoughts to the folks serving our community.
I use pen needles and have found it possible to reuse each one many times without their bending, causing pain, or contaminating my insulin.
I hope these click-on needles are NOT designed in such a way that they are not reusable. My cynical side suspects that is the real reason for the redesign–yet more profit off us folks with diabetes, not usefulness.
Hi Jenny,
Any and all new products are potentially product-motivated, true. But my experience with this company is better than just that.
I have never even thought of reusing one of my daughter’s pen needles and probably won’t. Doesn’t seem safe/sanitary to me. But what do I know?
I also just heard about people not changing their lancet every time. Seems like it would not be clean after use.
Do people reuse their supplies over and over? Is this safe? Wouldn’t you be worried about needless infections?
(I really would like to know.)
Interesting this has become a discussion about reusing needles. First I have to say I have the click on pen needles and you can use them more than once just like any other pen needle or syringe or lancet. Some diabetes educators recommend changing your pen needle every day because not doing so can cause leaking of the insulin from the cartridge or air bubbles in the insulin cartridge, but if you don’t find any such problem you can reuse any pen needle including the click on ones.
ADA guidelines recommend not reusing needles for a variety of reasons including: it keeps the shot from hurting (reuse dulls the coating on the needle making the shot hurt more), needles are so thin today they can bend by reusing them, and yes, reuse can cause infection, although it”s not likely unless you have open wounds, poor personal hygiene or a low resistance to infection. It’s safest for organizations and manufacturers to tell you not to reuse a needle, but most of us who’ve used needles for ages, reuse them.
riva
I forgot to add that I was very pleasantly surprised by the absolute ease of the click on needle compared to twisting a regular pen needle on. I can imagine it’s extremely useful if you do have dexterity problems and it makes life a little brighter even if you don’t.
Click on needles just seems to be more work. I prefer the disposable. But, in all honesty, haven’t tried the click ons yet. The cure is coming!!!
Thanks for the blog.
Rich Kulakowski
RE: Dex4
I sing professionally, and if I am going low while in the midst of a singing gig, the last thing I want to pop in my mouth is a chalky glucose tablet that must be chewed! I saw a product (manufacturer unknown) in the pharmacy the other day that you could SPRAY into your mouth, but the carb count was inaccurate on the container. It sounded like a good idea, though, if only the correct carb count (per X amount of sprays) had been included.
I shamelessly re-use my needles and I’m trying to get better about it. I change my lancet needle often to prevent excessively sore fingers, but I leave my pen needle on for days. Knock on wood, I’ve never had any sort of infection or infection site inflammation.
Strangely, I’ve found that the air bubble problem gets worse with needle changes (or maybe it’s because I need to prime the pen more?). Another reason I neglect my pen needle is because there is no convenient place for me to stash the used needle if I’m not at home where I can discard it.
Lastly, I feel guilty about the amount of medical waste I generate as a type 1 diabetic! My test strips alone could take up a landfill.
My doctor jokingly calls me “Mr. Clean” because I use needles for a couple/few days. I rarely change my lancet. I’ve never had any problems of any sort. I do make sure my hands are washed and clean.
I, too, feel it is a profit measure by the manufacturers to suggest changing needles after every use. If the needle isn’t shared (of course), there should be no issue with re-use…other than losing sharpness.
hello,
I am commenting on the Dex 4 glucose tabs. My daughter really likes them, and they seem to work even better than a juice box for her lows, because if I give her 2 tabs, she does not seem to rebound as high as when I give her a juice box, which she drinks the entire 4 oz. of.
I think you asked for feedback on the Dex 4 products. A Parent, named Stacey, from the Children with Diabetes web site sent them to me, along with other supplies that my insurance does not cover for the pump, like uni solve, IV3000 and IV prep. Stacey was so generous to send me a box of each, along with the Dex 4 she got at the Children with Diabetes convention in Orlando.
So I say thumbs up on the D3ex 4 tabs, she loves the taste too.
Alice Gaffey
Mom to Molly age 6, pumping minimed paradigm 522
I use a pen needle, and don’t mind screwing the top on. Being Type 2, I only have to inject twice a day, so it’s just fine. I also change the needles each time I use them, that bending thing as you mentioned (plus,half the time it hurts, so I obviously still am not proficient at it), but I don’t change the lancets to check glucose any sooner than once a month.
Hey June,
Dex4 also makes a glucose gel that tastes great and goes down easy. I use it during workouts.