MTW NHS Trust West Kent CCG

Drug Status Key

  • Preferred
  • Second Line
  • Third Line
  • Specialist Initiation
  • Hospital Only
  • Not Approved for Formulary

Insulins

NHS Improvement Patient Safety Alert

 November 2016: Risk of severe harm and death due to withdrawing insulin from pen devices. A patient safety alert has been issued to warn NHS providers of the risk of severe harm and death if an insulin needle and syringe is used to administer insulin withdrawn directly from a pen device or replacement cartridge.

Drug Safety Update

September 2020: Insulins (all types): risk of cutaneous amyloidosis at injection site

April 2018: Risk of mix-ups between insulin Fiasp (fast-acting insulin aspart) and Tresiba (basal insulin degludec)

April 2015: High strength, fixed combination and biosimilar insulin products: minimising the risk of medication error

NICE guidance

NG17 Type 1 diabetes in adults : diagnosis and management, updated August 2022

NG28 Type 2 diabetes in adults: diagnosis and management, updated June 2022

NG3 Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period, updated December 2020

Local guidance

Please click here for available local diabetes & insulin prescribing guidance

It is recommended that when prescribing insulins the word "unit" is not abbreviated.