A safety information notice has been released regarding potenially defective cartridges used for insulin treatment by patients with diabetes.
Related Article: Community pharmacies can provide HPV vaccination from 2026
Novo Nordisk found that insulin cartridge holders used in a small number of NovoPen, Echo and NovoPen 5 batches may crack or break if exposed to certain chemicals, including some cleaning products.
The pharmaceutical company has urged people with diabetes using a the epipens from one of the affected batches to replace the cartridge holder as some could be damaged.
The list of affected batches for NovoPen/Echo and NovoPen 5 can be viewed online.
Related Article: Starmer touts pharmacy-led weight loss jab drive in 10-year plan speech
The batch numbers are printed as a serial number on the side of the epipens.
Pharmacists should tell patients that if their NovoPen is from one of the affected batches that they should contact the company to receive a replacement.
If patients have an epipen with a batch number which is not mentioned in the list then the company said 'there is no reason for concern and you can be confident that the device will work as intended'.
Related Article: Almost half of adults support free weight loss jabs through pharmacy, shows poll
Keep your clinical knowledge up to date with The Pharmacist
Extend your learning and record your learning outcomes
Have your say
Please add your comment in the box below. You can include links, but HTML is not permitted. Please note that comments are not moderated before publication and the views expressed are those of the user and do not reflect the views of The Pharmacist. Remember that submission of comments is governed by our Terms and Conditions. You can also read our full guidelines on article comments here – but please be aware that you are legally liable for any libellous or offensive comments that you make. If you have a complaint about a comment or are concerned that a comment breaches our terms and conditions, please use the ‘Report this comment’ function to alert our web team.