Investigationof Injector Usabilityfollowinga Switchfrom NovoPen300 to FlexPen

Summary. The present study examined whetherquality of life (QOL) in type 2 diabetic patients isimproved by switching from NovoPen 300O(cartridgeinjector) to FlexPenO(FLX) (prefilled injector). A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted for105 outpatients with type 2 diabetes in our hospitalat approximately one month after switching froma cartridge injector to FLX. Before this study, allpatients had used a cartridge injector for more thanthree months or as many. Combining "very good" and"good" responses, almost all items were assessed tobe favorable by more than 60% of patients regardingthe usability of FLX in comparison with a cartridgeinjector. In particular, 79% and 73% of patientsfavorably assessed "ease of reading unit numbers"and "ease of adjusting dosage", respectively. Inaddition, 80.6% of patients answered that theybecame accustomed to using FLX "very quickly"after switching. On the contrary, 38% of patientsnegatively assessed "ease of pushing the injectionbutton", and some disadvantages were identified.Overall, switching from a cartridge injector toFLX was smoothly achieved with some degree ofimprovement in patient QOL.Key words-prefilled preparation, cartridge-type iusulinpreparation, type-2 diabetes.INTRODUCTIONPen-type insulin-cartridge injectors were introducedto Japan in 1988. Since then, quality of life (QOL) indiabetic patients has been markedly improved. Withmost injectors, however, cartridges must be exchanged.To overcome this disadvantage, prefilled injectors havebeen introduced in recent years. While the manufacturerhas reported that prefilled injectors offer numerousadvantages over existing injectors, few studies appearto have investigated their utility from the perspective ofpatients.The present study conducted an injector usability surveyof diabetic patients following a switch from the NovoPen300 cartridge injector (cartridge injector) to the FlexPenprefilled injector (FLX).