Prepare your Toolkit
If you didn’t fill your boxes before, check each box of your toolkit using the guide below based on if your doctor prescribed a pen or syringe.
Here is an overview of your toolkit - don’t start just yet!
Prep and Cleanup
Yellow Box
1. Alcohol Wipes
To clean rubber stopper on insulin bottle or pen. You may also clean skin if dirty, but wait to dry before you inject insulin.
2. Practice Skin
Practice sticking yourself and injecting insulin.
3. Sharps Container
Holds used needles, syringes, and lancets.
Checking Blood Glucose
Red Box
1. Glucose Meter
Measures blood glucose (sugar).
2. Test Strips
Test strips are put into glucose meter before blood is applied.
3. Lancing Device
Holds lancet and sticks finger.
4. Lancets (Needles)
Sticks finger to check glucose.
Insulin Pen Injection
Green Box
1. Insulin Pen
A single-use pen that contains insulin. Or a reusable pen that takes insulin cartridges.
2. Pen Needle
Attached to all insulin pens.
Syringe Injection
Blue Box
1. Insulin Syringes
Used with insulin bottle to draw up insulin.
2. Insulin Bottle (Vial)
Holds insulin to draw up with the syringe (prescribed by your doctor).