Glargine Insulin Pen Packaging
Standard insulin glargine pens are packaged in boxes of 5 pens, with each pen containing 300 units (3 mL of U-100 insulin). 1
Standard Packaging Configuration
- Box quantity: 5 prefilled pens per box 1
- Pen capacity: 300 units per pen 2, 3
- Total units per box: 1,500 units (5 pens × 300 units)
Concentrated Formulations
For U-300 glargine (Toujeo®), the packaging differs:
- U-300 glargine is supplied in prefilled devices packaged in boxes of 3 or 5 pens 4
- Each U-300 pen contains 450 units (1.5 mL of U-300 insulin, equivalent to 450 units of U-100 insulin) 5, 6
Clinical Context
The standard 5-pen box configuration applies to:
- U-100 glargine vials and prefilled pens 1
- U-100 glargine biosimilar/follow-on products (such as Basaglar) 1, 7
This packaging is consistent across the American Diabetes Association guidelines, which note that pricing calculations are based on these standard box quantities when determining monthly medication costs. 1
Important Distinction
U-300 glargine (Toujeo®) is NOT bioequivalent to U-100 glargine (Lantus®), and switching between formulations requires dose adjustment and reinforced blood glucose monitoring. 5 The U-300 formulation typically requires slightly higher daily insulin doses compared to U-100 formulations. 6, 8