Disposable pen needles are sold separately from the pens and typically require a prescription. You attach them by screwing or snapping the needle onto the pen.
Insulin pen needles are intended for single use only but it is known that a significant proportion of people with diabetes do re-use needles.
To prevent or lessen pain discomfort while using an insulin pen, regardless of needle size, you can:1
Let insulin come to room temperature. Cold insulin can sting—remove it from the fridge 15 minutes before injecting.
Allow the alcohol to dry. If you use alcohol to clean and prepare your injection site, allow it to dry before injecting your insulin.
Try not to tense up. Before injecting, take deep abdominal breaths and mentally work to relax the muscles at the site where you'll be injecting.
Don't jabs. Rather, aim for quick, direct penetration. Inject at a 90-degree angle to your skin and do not change the direction of the needle once you are in the injection site.
Rotate injection sites. Move the injection site by one inch with each dose to prevent soreness, irritation, or formation of a painful lump.
Press, don't rub. If an injection hurts painful, apply pressure to the site for a few seconds, but do not rub it: This could increase insulin absorption and put you at risk of hypoglycemia.
