Pen needles

Pen needles are used in conjunction with injection pens to deliver injectable medications into the body.

A pen needle consists of a hollow needle which is embedded in a plastic hub and attaches to injection pens. Pen needles come in a variety of needle lengths and diameters and are used by health professionals and patients for injection of a variety of medications. They are commonly used by people with diabetes who often require multiple daily insulin injections.

Needle technology has changed over the past decades. Many years ago home use syringe needles were large, and had to be sterilized and sharpened by hand by patients themselves. Today’s pen needles are engineered and manufactured for greater comfort and ease of use with electro-polishing for needle smoothness; thin, fine point tips for ease in penetration; lubrication for less friction and more glide; plastic caps for safety; and individual wrapping for sterility. Injection pen and pen needles are an alternative drug delivery method to the traditional vial/syringe method.

Insulin and other injectable medications are commonly administered with drug delivery pens. Pens are one of the easiest and fastest-growing methods for administering insulin and other injectable medication. The medication either comes in a disposable pen or in a cartridge for use with a re-usable pen. The user generally attaches the pen needle, dials a dose of medicine, then injects the medicine under the skin. Highly popular for more than 20 years in Europe, use of injection pens and pen needles is rapidly spreading in the U.S. for diabetes care and other non-diabetes drugs.

As technology and competition advance, driving the desire for more comfortable and more effective injections, the design of the pen needle and its parts has become more and more important. Some of the newest pen needle designs proactively address ease of use, injection flow, ergonomic handling, injection depth control and accuracy, and safe use from transport to disposal.

Compared to the older vial/syringe method, pens and pen needles are designed for easier, more discreet use, greater convenience and delivery of a more accurate dose. As well, with pens and pen needles you no longer need to push the needle through the rubber vial stopper. Without this step, the tip of the needle better retains its sharpness and lubrication for a more comfortable injection.

Each pen needle is embedded in a plastic hub that can attach to the pen by means of a twist-on fitting or a click-on. Two protective caps (outer and inner caps) protect the user and the needle. The peel foil protects the sterility of the needle and holds information such as lot number, and needle length and gauge. Pen needles vary by needle length and diameter(gauge).

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