For last week’s practice question, we quizzed participants on how many pens are needed per month. 48% of respondents chose the best answer. We want to clarify and share this important information, so you can pass it on to people living with diabetes and your colleagues, plus prepare for exam success!
Before we start though, if you don’t want any spoilers and haven’t tried the question yet, you can answer it by clicking here.
JR needs to inject 70 units of degludec (Tresiba) a day and says he keeps running out of this basal insulin. The diabetes healthcare professional suggests changing the insulin concentration from U-100 to U-200, so his supplies last longer.
How many degludec U-200 insulin pens would JR need a month based on his current insulin dose? (You can check out our Insulin Dosing and Storage Sheet for more info)
- A. 7 pens
- B. 4 pens
- C. 3.5 pens
- D. 5 pens
Getting to the Best Answer
If you are thinking about taking the certification exam, this practice test question will set you up for success. Test writers anticipate possible answers based on the details in the question. They will wave those “juicy answers” right under your nose. Your job is to weed through the particulars, pluck out the most important elements and choose the BEST answer.
Answer A is incorrect. 13.58% chose this answer: “7 Pens.”
Seven pens would be approximately the number needed if the pens contained only 300 units each. Tresiba U-200 contains 600 units per 3-mL pen, so fewer pens are required than with a U-100 formulation.
Answer B is correct. 47.80% of you chose this answer, “4 Pens.” Great job! This is the correct answer.
JR requires approximately 2,100 units per month. Each U-200 pen contains 600 units, so 2,100 ÷ 600 = 3.5 pens. Since a partial pen cannot meet the full monthly requirement, JR would need 4 pens. Calculation: JR uses 70 units/day × 30 days = 2,100 units/month. Each Tresiba U-200 pen contains 600 units (3 mL × 200 units/mL). Therefore, 2,100 ÷ 600 = 3.5 pens, which must be rounded up to 4 pens per month.
Answer C is incorrect. 28.04% of respondents chose this: “3.5 Pens”
Mathematically, JR will use the equivalent of 3.5 pens during a 30-day period. However, pens are dispensed as whole pens, not partial pens. Therefore, the quantity must be rounded up to 4 pens to ensure JR has enough insulin for the entire month. Three U-200 pens provide only 1,800 units (600 × 3) and since we can’t add in a half a pen, this approach wouldn’t work.
Finally, Answer D is incorrect. 10.58% chose this answer, “5 Pens”
Five pens would provide 3,000 units (600 units x 5) substantially more than JR’s calculated 30-day requirement of 2,100 units. Four pens provide 2,400 units and are sufficient for the month.
Clinical Pearl: The advantage of U-200 degludec is that the same insulin dose is delivered in a smaller volume, and each pen contains more total units. Please use our Insulin Dosing and Storage Sheet as a helpful resource for insulin calculations and the latest information. Our FREE Cheat sheets are also available on our CDCES Coach App for Easy Reference.
We hope you appreciate this week’s rationale! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our Test You Knowledge Tuesday and participate in this fun learning activity!
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