BD Pen Needle FAQ

Q: Which pens can be used with a BD Pen Needle?

A: BD pen needles can be used with all diabetes pens sold in the US and are tested in accordance with ISO standards for compatibility.

Q: Can BD Pen Needles be used on Novo Nordisk insulin delivery devices?

Yes.  BD pen needles can be used with all diabetes pens sold in the US and are tested in accordance with ISO standards for compatibility.

Q: Which BD pen needle sizes are available?

BD currently offers 4mm x 32G, 5mm x 31G, 8mm x 31G and 12.7mmx 29G pen needles.  However, it is important to note that the latest clinical evidence and injection guidelines advocate shorter needles. The latest injection technique recommendations published in Diabetes and Metabolism (2010) mentions the following.

“Shorter needles are safer and are often better tolerated…Initial therapies should begin with shorter needles. Shorter needles reduce the risk of injecting into the muscle. 4, 5 and 6mm needles may be used by any adult patient including obese ones.”

Therefore, BD recommends that pen needle patients upgrade to the BD Ultra-Fine™ Nano Pen Needle 4mm x 32G.  Patients prefer the BD Nano! Click here  to learn more.

Q: Where can I buy BD Ultra-Fine™  Pen Needles?
 
A: All of our products are available at national retailers. Ask your pharmacist today. If a particular item isn't available it can be ordered by the Pharmacist.

Q: What is the cost for the BD Pen Needles?
 
A: The cost for BD Ultra-Fine™ Pen Needles is set at the retail level and varies from store to store.

Q: Are BD Pen Needles reimbursed by health insurance companies?
 
A: BD pen needles are covered by virtually all insurance plans at the preferred copay. Look up the coverage for your plan >

Q: How do I properly dispose of BD pen needles?

A: In many cases, local communities establish disposal rules. So first, check with your town or trash removal company about safe disposal of used pen needles and lancets. A good place to call may be your local health department. The following are some guidelines that may be helpful:

• Never throw loose pen needles or lancets into the trash. If you are disposing your own pen needle, clip the needle with a needle-clipping device such as the BD Safe-Clip™ Needle Clipper, which can be ordered through your pharmacy.                                     
• Never handle someone else's pen needle unless a healthcare professional trains you in proper injection technique and disposal. If you inject someone else or dispose of their pen needle, use extreme caution to avoid needlesticks which can transmit serious, even grave infections.
• Never recap or destroy a needle that has been used by someone else. Immediately after the injection, place the used pen needle in a safe container as described below. 
• Put the used pen needle into a BD Home Sharps Container or check with your local sanitation or health department regarding rules about proper disposal of used pen needles and sharps containers.  Keep this container away from children. When the container is full, seal the lid securely and dispose of properly. 
• Never dispose of used pen needles or other medical waste in recyclable trash.
• Sharps Disposal Guidelines by State
   

Q: What is BD PentaPoint^TM Comfort and what are the benefits of it?

A: BD Pen Needles with PentaPoint^TM Comfort is BD’s newest pen needle innovation that has a patented 5-bevel needle tip.  While other brands only provide 3 bevels, BD PentaPoint^TM Comfort delivers 5 bevels that create a flatter, thinner surface that is designed to penetrate the skin with significantly greater ease and enable a smoother and gentler injection.
 

Q: Why did BD decide to introduce BD Pen Needles with PentaPoint^TM Comfort?

A: BD is always looking for ways to better address its customer’s unmet needs.  Since minimizing pain during injection is an area of great concern for patients, BD developed BD PentaPoint^TM Comfort to provide a less painful and comfortable injection experience.  In a clinical trial, the 5-bevel needle tip was perceived as less painful and was preferred by patients following home use with their usual injections. 

Q: What are the bevels on pen needles?

A: Bevels are angled edges at needle tip that create a sharp point and facilitate penetration into the skin. By increasing the number of bevels, a pen needle can more easily enter into the skin and thereby increase comfort as well as reduce pain for patients. Standard pen needles have only three bevels. BD pen needles with PentaPoint^TM Comfort technology are the first and only pen needles with five bevels for a more comfortable injection experience.

Q: Is BD PentaPoint^TM Comfort on pen needles and syringes?

A: Currently BD PentaPoint^TM Comfort is only available on BD pen needles and not BD syringes. 

Q: What size pen needles will have BD Pen Needles with PentaPoint^TM Comfort?

A: BD will offer BD PentaPoint^TM Comfort only on 31G and 32G pen needles in 4mm, 5mm and 8mm lengths.

Q: How does the penetration of BD PentaPoint^TM Comfort compare to other pen needles and how does this improve the patient injection experience?  

A: BD pen needles with BD PentaPoint^TM Comfort require 23% less force to be inserted due to the additional 2 bevels that the 5 bevel technology has.  Because of the reduction in penetration force, the pen needle is designed to be able to enter the body more easily and smoothly and is therefore a more comfortable and less painful injection experience.

Humulin R and Humalog are registered trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company.
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