An analysis of patient acceptance and safety of a prefilled insulin injection device.

This article summarizes and interprets the findings of Carter and colleagues in this issue of Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, a study of the real world use of a prefilled insulin pen device. In this observational study, people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes rated their experience with the SoloSTAR pen device after 6-10 weeks of use. Data on patient satisfaction, product technical complaints, and adverse effects were reported. Randomized, controlled trials are needed that compare the various pen devices and the vial/syringe in terms of accuracy of dosing, adherence to therapy, and ease of use (including patient perception of injection force required) to assess whether a particular method of insulin delivery or pen delivery device provides a clinical advantage over another.