“A Smart Pen Changed My Patient’s Life”: Why This Provider Prescribes Smart Pens

Introducing insulin to treat type 2 diabetes can be a major deal depending on who you ask. Along with the decision to add insulin to your regimen is determining how you’ll be delivering it. Will you be using a syringe, pen, or an insulin pump? Maybe none of those options are for you and you’ll choose to use a smart pen or connected insulin pen, which can automatically log your dosages to your phone, help you calculate how much insulin you need, and more. 

Beyond Type 2 spoke to Veronica Brady, a diabetes care and education specialist, about why she’s a fan of prescribing her patients smart pens and what questions she thinks people with T2D should ask their providers about them.

BT2: Thanks for joining us, Veronica. We know there are several options to choose from when deciding on how to administer insulin, but connected insulin pens are the newest. What conversations are you having with your patients about connected insulin pens?

Those are the conversations I love having. If I’m freeing up someone from using a vile and syringe, a lot of times it’s an older patient or a patient who has trouble remembering their dosages. I tell them smart pens are real liberating devices because you don’t have to draw insulin out of a vial. 

I often think about this one patient who I started on a smart pen and you would’ve thought I bought him a brand-new car. He was always riding a blood sugar rollercoaster because he couldn’t remember if he took his insulin, so he would either take too much or not take enough. So when he started on a smart pen, the next time I saw him, he was hugging me. He said this was the best thing I could’ve done for him and wondered why no one else thought about it for him. This device truly changed this man’s life. It kept him from being in the 40s and 300s mg/dL and helped him find some stability in his care. I’m a fan of these devices. 

What are some of your favorite features of a smart pen? 

As providers, I like that we can see how someone is using their insulin. I remember a particular patient who had lows. I was able to look at her data and guide her on her dosing techniques. Another feature I love is a patient being able to track their last dose and learn how much insulin remains on board or in their system. 

What are some questions about connected insulin pens that patients should be asking their providers?

I would love for them to inquire about the cost, how many units it can hold, how it can be stored, how long does the battery last, and of course, insurance coverage. 

Can providers help their patients address the financial barriers to getting a smartpen?

We can. At my practice, we do prior authorization, so we do test claims. If we want to prescribe something, we do a test claim for it, and our pharmacist we’ll go through and make all of those adjustments and changes or check to see what the cost will be and then send us back a number. We usually do all that on the back end before we present the patient with that option. 

Whenever I’m presenting my patients with new ways to treat themselves, especially with insulin pens, I lay out all of their options and ask what they prefer. Then when I go through the prior authorizations process, I’ll mention the reasons why they need to get approved for this device. Some of those reasons could be dexterity issues, memory problems, visual acuity issues – whatever the case may be. It was rare that I’d hear a no from insurance companies when I’d say all those things. 

Do you have any final thoughts on smart pens or insulin usage, in general? 

Just for every person with type 2 diabetes to remember that starting insulin is not a punishment. This is a natural progression of the disease, but we are going to help you down this path – we’re in it together. Insulin naturally occurs in your body, so if you need to take it from another source, there’s no shame in that. It’s just a tool that makes managing diabetes easier. You can manage diabetes really well with insulin therapy. It’s an incredible feeling when my patients come around to see that, too. 

Editor’s note: Educational content related to diabetes management platforms (DMP) is made possible with support from Lilly Diabetes, an active partner of Beyond Type 2 at the time of publication. Editorial control rests solely on Beyond Type 2.