Hey everyone. I just got myself some cool NovoPens that take the cartridge refills. Novolog PenFill cartridges are available everywhere, but it seems that Levemir is only available in 10ml vials or as disposable flexpens in the US. When I search online, it seems the Levemir PenFill cartridges are easily found in Canada, Europe and other regions of the world, but not here. Can anyone tell me if you've found Levemir PenFills in the US? It does have a US NDC Code: 0169-3305-11, but every pharmacy I've called so far tells me they cannot order it.
I'm looking for these also, did you find them? I found your question on a search. I'm switching to .5 units for my basal and my endo gave me a novo pen echo. So far I plan to syringe from my levemir flex pen into an empty novolog pen fill.
Oh well.. thanks for replying :) I'm going to syringe it into my next empty novolog pen fill. I have trouble with figuring out doses on syringes with all the lines.
You can take the regular pen and carefully cut the plastic apart. The glass cartridge inside Will fit the novopen jr. Just be sure to keep an end cap from an empty cartridge to snap onto the end so it snugs up in the pen correctly. I did this with lantus, saved the end cap from my empty novolog pen fills to put on my lantus cartridge I cut out of the disposable pens. I needed the half unit dosing I could get from the novopen Jr.
Hi 2hobbit1, can you give a detailed description or pics of how to do that? I'm afraid breaking the plastic would maybe break the glass vial. I'm also not sure what you mean by the end cap- the outer cover of the pen etc?
Haven't done it in a while since I'm on a pump at this point so bare with me.
Have you seen a a penfill refill? There is a rubber stopper on one end where the plunger in the novopen pushes against and on the other end is the rubber membrane where the needle enters the cartridge. On the end where the needle goes look at the collar that locks it in the pen. You can pop one off to keep and use with cartridges you pull out of disposable pens. You need to have one to keep the cartridge you remove from your disposable pens seated properly in the reusable pen.
Look at your disposal pen, you will see that there is a glass cartridge inside the plastic pen. You can carefully shave the plastic barrel with a serrated steak knife to remove the glass cartridge. Do this midway on the clear grid. Once you have the cartridge out, if you do not have a collar from a penfill (they will snap off) to put on it, then very carefully cut off the front end of the disposable pen and trim it so it seats properly and locks your cartridge in the novopen. You may have to experiment a bit on how much of the end you need to keep. The threads are where your needle screws onto so need it for the pen to work. Also be aware that the label is on the plastic not the glass cartridge, so if you use more than one kind insulin that you need to label the cartridge or the pen so you know what you are using. No fun injecting rapid when you think your using long acting or vis versa!
I was able to use both long acting as well as rapid insulin in the pen juniors.
I just got to the point that I needed a smaller dose, so went to pump, and then to pumping U50 insulin. Will be pumping U10 soon as my activity increases with the good weather.
Be aware that the pens will do half units but only with a base dose of at least 1 Unit.
Thanks Hobbit, This worked perfectly! I have found when I give just .5 unit for corrections with my novopen junior it seems to work though? I just have to figure out how to tell when the novopen echo dose was given, is there a time given on that? I will have to read the manual.
