1. Be Insulin Aware Insulin Safety Cards and Patient Information Booklet update
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

2. Introduction: Focus on patient safety
Insulin is a life-saving drug
Insulin administration is an area where correct use is vital to ensure patient safety
Safety is a priority for every healthcare professional and a concern of patients
This is why the Patient Safety First Campaign was launched by the NHS Institute for Innovation & Improvement, the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) and the Health Foundation:
“Making the safety of patients everyone's highest priority1”
1. NHS, High risk meds. Available at: (Accessed June 2012)
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

3. Introduction: Focus on patient safety
The Patient Safety First Campaign also focused on reducing the risk of harm from high-risk medicines including insulin.1
Lilly is dedicated to patient safety and wants to help ensure the appropriate prescription and administration of its insulin products. This slide kit has been developed in support of the Patient Safety First Campaign.
1. NHS, High risk meds. Available at: (Accessed June 2012)
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

4. Ensuring safety throughout the patient journey
To ensure patient safety at all stages of the patient journey, Lilly introduced....
Prescribe right
Be Insulin Aware!
Dispense right
Inject right
Right insulin, right dose, right way and right time
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

5. Background to NPSA alert
“Between August 2003 and August 2009 the NPSA received 3,881 wrong dose incidents involving insulin. These included one death and one severe harm incident due to 10 times errors from use of abbreviation of the term ‘unit.”
NPSA case reports: Administration errors in the acute setting2
2 deaths related to use of IV syringe rather than insulin syringe
(Junior medical staff were unaware that 1ml of insulin measured in IV syringe did not correlate to 1 unit dose)
Patient given 0.8mls of mixed insulin instead of 8 units
Medical staff prescribed 6 units soluble insulin, 0.6mls given
Insulin infusion via syringe driver required 0.5mls insulin in 49.5mls normal saline, 5mls was drawn up and added
2. National Patient Safety Agency. Rapid Response Report NPSA/2010/RRR013: Safer administration of insulin supporting Information. Available at: June 2010.)
UKHMG00609 : April 2012

6. NPSA case reports2: Administration errors in the community setting
A patient’s husband rang to say his wife's blood glucose was 16mmol/l, and he needed to give rapid acting insulin which was supplied on discharge. The hospital had not sent any needles and syringes, so the healthcare assistant was asked to take some. She took syringes and brown needles. The wrong syringe was used and, as a result the patient was given 800 units (8mls) instead of 8 units.
2. National Patient Safety Agency. Rapid Response Report NPSA/2010/RRR013: Safer administration of insulin supporting Information. Available at: June 2010.)
UKHMG00609 : April 2012

7. NPSA case reports2: Administration errors from abbreviation of insulin units
A patient on the GP unit was prescribed 10units of long-acting analogue. At midday two qualified nurses checked the medication chart and both read it as 100 units; this dose was then administered. The patient became ill and was transferred to the acute trust where her blood sugar level was recorded as 0.5. Hypostop was administered and blood sugar levels recorded at 8.4 and then 12. Patient died in A / E department at 0400hrs. Doctor recorded that death was Left Ventricular Failure and not secondary to the overdose. Pathologist and Coroner informed by the acute trust.
Case 2
Patient fitted and had a hypoglycaemic event, became aggressive and confused, blood glucose 3.1mmol/l, patient had been given 44 units of intermediate acting insulin instead of 4u as prescribed.
2. National Patient Safety Agency. Rapid Response Report NPSA/2010/RRR013: Safer administration of insulin supporting Information. Available at: June 2010.)
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

8. NPSA alert :NPSA/2010/RRR013 included the following recommendation:2
A training programme should be put in place for all healthcare staff (including medical staff) expected to prescribe, prepare and administer insulin. An e-learning programme is available from3:
2. National Patient Safety Agency. Rapid Response Report NPSA/2010/RRR013: Safer administration of insulin supporting Information. Available at: June 2010.)
3. NHS Diabetes, Safe Use of Insulin, available at: (Accessed June 2012)
UKHMG00609: June 2012

9. Lilly’s Be Insulin Aware Campaign
The key focus of the Lilly Be Insulin Aware campaign is to check before you inject insulin:-
Right insulin: Check the name.
Right dose: Check strength and how much insulin to give. Check the numbers very carefully.
Right time: With food? At bed time?
Right way: Via syringe, pen or pump?  

10. NPSA alert: NPSA/2011/PSA003 resulted in the following recommendations5:
NHS organisations should ensure that by 31 August 2012:
Adult patients on insulin therapy receive a patient information booklet and an Insulin Passport to help provide accurate identification of their current insulin products and provide essential information across healthcare sectors.
Healthcare professionals and patients are informed how the Insulin Passport and associated patient information can be used to improve safety.
When prescriptions of insulin are prescribed, dispensed or administered, healthcare professionals cross-reference available information to confirm the correct identity of insulin products.
Systems are in place to enable hospital inpatients to self-administer insulin where feasible and safe.
4. National Patient Safety Agency. Patient Safety Alert NPSA/2011/PSA003: The adult patient’s passport to safe use of insulin available at: (Accessed June 2012)
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

11. NPSA Resources:
A patient information booklet and insulin passport4.
A shorter version of the booklet is available and can be printed from the NPSA and Leicestershire Diabetes websites5
4. National Patient Safety Agency. Patient Safety Alert NPSA/2011/PSA003: The adult patient’s passport to safer use of insulin available at: (Accessed June 2012)
5. . NHS Diabetes, The Safe Use of Insulin and You, available at: (Accessed June 2012)
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

12. NPSA: Patient information booklet and insulin passport
Reproduced with permission from NHS Commissioning Board Special Health Authority
NPSA Patient information booklet4
Shorter version of the
patient information booklet5
NPSA generic insulin passport 4
(Folds to credit card size)
4.NHS, The adult patient’s passport to safer use of insulin, available at: (Accessed June 2012)
5. NHS Diabetes, The Safe Use of Insulin and You, available at: (Accessed June 2012)
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

13. Pharmaceutical company resources
Insulin Safety cards are available for Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi Aventis insulins, which have been agreed by the NPSA as suitable alternatives to the passport6.
The original Lilly insulin safety cards have been updated.
However, organisations should record on their risk registers if these are being used instead of the NPSA tools
It is the responsibility of the prescriber to give out the passport/insulin safety card and the patient information booklet. This includes when initiating insulin and giving repeat prescriptions6
6. NHS, Implementation of the Insulin Passport, available at: / (Accessed June 2012)
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

14. Updated Humalog® (insulin lispro) family safety cards – now meet NPSA insulin passport requirements
Humalog Humalog Mix Humalog Mix25
KwikPen
KwikPen
KwikPen
Cartridge
Cartridge
Vial (New)
Cartridge
Vial (New)
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

15. Updated Humulin® (human insulin) family safety cards – now meet NPSA insulin passport requirements
Humulin M Humulin S Humulin I
KwikPen
KwikPen
Cartridge
(New)
Cartridge
Cartridge
Vial (New)
Vial
(New)
Vial (New)
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

16. Guidance for use of the patient information booklet
Give to the patient and encourage patients to read it.
Explain that several insulins have similar names and this leaflet highlights that mistakes can be made in the prescribing, dispensing and administration of their insulin
If working in GP practice, record the appropriate Read code in the patient’s notes:
Insulin alert patient information booklet given 8CE01
Professional judgement not to engage patient with insulin alert requirements 8IF.
Insulin alert patient information booklet information discussed 671F0
Bring to patient’s attention the Patient Information Leaflet included with their insulin
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

17. Guidance for use of company insulin safety card
Select the appropriate insulin safety card for the correct insulin AND device
Give to the patient and ask them to carry at all times and use it to check they have the correct insulin when receiving a prescription, when insulin is dispensed, or in situations when insulin is being given to them by another person
Advise the patient to destroy any old cards they have
Record that the card has been given. Read codes are:
Insulin passport given 8CE02
Insulin passport completed 8BAi.
Informed dissent not to carry insulin passport 8BAj.
If correct insulin safety card not available:
Give the NPSA generic insulin passport and complete the details for the insulin(s) and device prescribed
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

18. The ‘Be Insulin Aware’ campaign – Patient resources
The Lilly insulin safety cards are available:-
As stand that includes the ten most frequently
prescribed Lilly insulin presentations or
As boxes of individual Lilly insulin presentations.
In an Emergency Cards
For patients who have diabetes and take insulin.
These are credit-card sized.
Contain emergency advice for patients who are
suffering from a hypo.
There is also space for emergency contact details.
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

19. The ‘Be Insulin Aware’ campaign – Patient resources
Patient Self Management Plan and Diary
Available for Humalog, Humalog Mix25, Humalog Mix50,
Humulin I and Humulin M3
For use in a specified regimen (i.e. b.d., tds)
Colour coded patient diary includes
a photograph of the insulin the patient has been prescribed and
safety information regarding this insulin
Top tips for a healthy lifestyle, sick day rules, HbA1c – what is it,
plus much more.
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

20. The ‘Be Insulin Aware’ campaign Healthcare professional resources
Insulins Safety Range Chart, includes:
Insulin Type
Insulin Profile
Insulin Packaging and colour coding
Insulin Letter Template:
Designed to be downloaded (from
and printed on NHS
headed paper to provide information about our
Humalog family of insulins and highlight the
importance of insulin safety.
Can be sent to appropriate individuals, eg. local pharmacists or hospital inpatient staff.
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

21. Further Information Resources and Patient Leaflets
A selection of further patient leaflets and information resources, many now available in 6 different languages:
For more information and to download a wide range of free materials, visit or contact Lilly’s Customer Care on (01256)
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

22. Summary: Be Insulin Aware When prescribing, dispensing and injecting insulin
Prescribers (specialists, GPs)
Dispensers (pharmacists)
Advice for the patient prior to injection
Be familiar with the insulin you prescribe
Ensure the patient knows what has been prescribed and how to take it correctly
Ensure others can easily identify what has been prescribed
Ensure you understand what has been prescribed
Ensure hospital personnel receive what has been prescribed and understand how to administer it correctly
Ensure the patient receives what has been prescribed and understands how to take it correctly
Ensure your patients know what they have been prescribed
Ensure your patients check that they receive what they have been prescribed
Ensure your patients know how to inject what they have been prescribed in the right way
UKHMG00609 : June 2012

23. Appendix