# Pump insulin: vials or pen cartridges? **URL:** \ **Category:** Insulin\ **Created:** [December 1, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791 "2017-12-01T18:35:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ClaudnDaye](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/claudndaye/32/5_2.png) [@ClaudnDaye](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/ClaudnDaye)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/1 "2017-12-01T18:35:10Z")
This also brings up another question at least in my mind…we don’t even GET prescriptions for the pen insulin filled capsules anymore…are you? Or are you being forced to extract insulin from a vial into a normal syringe? ---
**Author:** ![Bradford](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/bradford/32/30_2.png) [@Bradford](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Bradford)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/2 "2017-12-01T19:56:52Z")
We actually continue to get the pen cartridges and fill our pods from those in case we want/need to use the pens. (we also figured out that we get more insulin by volume in this way, strangely). ---
**Author:** ![ClaudnDaye](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/claudndaye/32/5_2.png) [@ClaudnDaye](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/ClaudnDaye)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 7:58pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/3 "2017-12-01T19:58:04Z")
Hmmm…maybe we should consider doing this ---
**Author:** ![Bradford](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/bradford/32/30_2.png) [@Bradford](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Bradford)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/4 "2017-12-01T19:59:22Z")
Also, because his insulin needs are relatively low. We don’t need to “break the seal” on many of them and so they don’t expire as soon. ---
**Author:** ![Eric](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/eric/32/9209_2.png) [@Eric](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Eric)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/5 "2017-12-01T20:02:17Z")
Happy birthday, BTW. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bradford](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/bradford/32/30_2.png) [@Bradford](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Bradford)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/6 "2017-12-01T20:13:40Z")
Good eye! Happy Birthday @ClaudnDaye! ---
**Author:** ![Millz](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/millz/32/12204_2.png) [@Millz](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Millz)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 5:10am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/7 "2017-12-02T05:10:02Z")
Hope you had a Happy Birthday!! ---
**Author:** ![TravelingOn](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/travelingon/32/1583_2.png) [@TravelingOn](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/TravelingOn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 6:28am UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/8 "2017-12-02T06:28:28Z")
> [@Another Omnipod PDM failure](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/another-omnipod-pdm-failure/2756/9): > > We actually continue to get the pen cartridges and fill our pods from those in case we want/need to use the pens. (we also figured out that we get more insulin by volume in this way, strangely). I was just asking this the other day in another thread. Although I did it in such a convoluted manner, nobody had any idea what I was talking about. I’m glad to hear that you fill from pen cartridges. We tried to do it the other day, it worked fine once, it didn’t work very well the second time. I think we are going to continue to get the cartridges filled every month instead of switching to vials. I’m so sorry to hear you have been struggling with broken PDM’s. We were asking the trainer about this when we got the Omnipod recently, and she recommended seeing if we could get on the pod to give us a “Travel” pod as we travel so frequently. Plan on looking into it. If I hear back I’ll let everyone know. ---
**Author:** ![Michel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/michel/32/387_2.png) [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/9 "2017-12-07T21:50:38Z")
14 posts were split to a new topic: [How do you fill a pump from a pen cartridge?](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/how-do-you-fill-a-pump-from-a-pen-cartridge/2792) ---
**Author:** ![Michel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/michel/32/387_2.png) [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/23 "2017-12-07T19:31:05Z")
> [@Another Omnipod PDM failure](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/another-omnipod-pdm-failure/2756/9): > > We actually continue to get the pen cartridges and fill our pods from those in case we want/need to use the pens. (we also figured out that we get more insulin by volume in this way, strangely). Same with us 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ClaudnDaye](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/claudndaye/32/5_2.png) [@ClaudnDaye](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/ClaudnDaye)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:35pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/pump-insulin-vials-or-pen-cartridges/2791/24 "2017-12-07T19:35:57Z")
Monday is our next Endo appt. We’ll be requesting to change over to cartridges… We’ll see how it goes.