Patient acceptability of a new 3.0 ml pre-filled insulin pen

The objective of these two studies was to assess patient acceptance and fea ture preferences of the new Lilly 3.0 ml pre-filled pen. A total of 701 pat ients with diabetes mellitus, who required insulin, were treated for 4-6 we eks with the pre-filled pen. Patient acceptance and treatment preferences w ere assessed by a questionnaire completed at the end of the study period. P atients with type I or type 2 diabetes mellitus from South Africa (n = 371) and Croatia (n = 330) were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 51.6 ye ars (range: 18-81), and gender was 359 males and 342 females. Prior to the study, patients in South Africa (SA) had used the Novo Actraphane(R) (Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) pen set, and patients in Croatia (C) had used NovoPen(R) I or 2 (Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd. Denmark) (38.8%), NovoPen(R) 3 (Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) (28.8%), B-D(R) Pen (Becton-Dickinson, F ranklin Lakes, New Jersey, USA) (18.8%), needle/syringe (10.0%), oral hypog lycaemic agents (2.1%), or unknown (1.5%). The new Lilly 3.0 ml pre-filled pen features that were rated by respondents as good to excellent on a five-point rating scale included: cartridge visi bility (C = 94%, SA = 83%), ease of dose correction (C = 92%, SA = 85%), di alling of the dose (C = 89%, SA = 81%), turning of the dose knob (C = 84%, SA = 82%) and attaching needles (C = 92%, SA = 78%). Most respondents (C = 78%, SA = 75%) preferred single-unit versus two-unit dosage increments. Ove rall, 76% of patients in Croatia and 80% in South Africa preferred the Lill y 3.0 mi pre;filled pen to their previous delivery device; 84% and 87% of p atients, respectively, would recommend the pen to another patient. Also, th e majority of patients in both trials rated the new Lilly 3.0 ml pre-filled pen as being move convenient and easier to use, and indicated that it repr esented a significant or modest improvement over their previous insulin inj ection method. The results oft his study confirm that the Mew Lilly 3.0 mi pre-filled pen is widely accepted and preferred by patients using both reus able and pre-filled devices.