A warning issued to diabetics in Britain about a fault in insulin pens which could cause them to deliver insufficient insulin does not affect Irish diabetics.
The British Medical Devices Agency issued an alert about a problem with the HumaPen Ergo insulin injection pen which could result in them failing to deliver the correct dose of insulin.
Recent research carried out on behalf of the manufacturers Eli Lilly has shown that of around 15,000 people with diabetes in Britain who use the HumaPen Ergo, an estimated 13% of users, may not have replaced the old design of pen with the new one.
Eli Lilly in Dublin reassured ireland.comthat this is not an issue for Irish diabetics as there is a much smaller patient base who have all been alerted to the fault.
The problem with the cartridges is usually evident when the pen is primed before use which means people are usually aware that they may not have received the right amount of insulin.
To date there have been no reports of serious adverse events although some people have experienced loss of blood sugar control.
People with diabetes who use the HumaPen Ergo are advised to check their pens. If the pen has a clear insulin cartridge holder, they do not need to do anything.
If the cartridge holder is blue, they should contact Eli Lilly's customer response centre on 0044 800 085 3847 to obtain a replacement clear insulin cartridge holder.
They can also ask for advice from their GP, diabetes clinic or local pharmacy.
PA