I’m going to show you how to pull insulin out of Omnipod. Why? Because insulin is expensive.
Like reeeeeeally expensive.
And sometimes you load that pod up with 200 fresh units and it rips off because you walked a little too close to a doorway. Now you have to trash that pod with all that fresh insulin inside? NO! SAVE 👏 THAT 👏 INSULIN 👏
Here’s How to Pull Insulin Out of Omnipod
What you’ll need:
- The pod you want to pull insulin from
- A new pod
Like the picture above says, “Where you fill it is where you pull it.”
The hole where the insulin goes in, is going to be the same hole where you pull the insulin out.
Action Steps:
- Get your NEW pod package and take out the needle syringe
- Flip over your OLD pod, that you want to pull insulin from, and stick the need syringe in the hole and draw the insulin out.
- If the syringe isn’t filling up try tilting the pod to the right so that the insulin pools to the bottom right corner. (see picture below)
Want to see it done in action? Of course you do! Check out this video of me emptying my pod reservoir.
Video: How To Pull Insulin Out of Omnipod
Okay, but what if it’s not “fresh” insulin?
What if it’s three day old insulin. Insulin that’s been against your 98.6°F degree body for three days.
Is that still okay to use? Has the insulin potency and quality been degraded?
I’m not going to answer that for you for legal reasons, BUT I will say that I personally do it all the time.
I will also say that the temperature of the skin on your arm (or belly or legs or wherever you put your pump), and through a couple cm of pump plastic, is not 98.6°F. 1. Just rest a thermometer on your arm and see what reading it gets… it’s not going to be 98.6°F.
But, even if it were to warm up significantly from our body heat, Insulin is proving to be more heat resilient that we once thought.
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Thank you.
You’re welcome 🙂
Rachel,
My daughter is about to start using the Omnipod Dash. She’s 10 and does not use very much insulin. The min fill is 85 units. My biggest concern was wasting what was not used. . Thanks so much for posting this up. You rock.
Cheers,
Ramon
She is going to LOVE omnipod! Glad I could help!!
Thank you!! I just did not like throwing so much insulin away!!
Mel
You’re welcome, Mel! Throwing away one of the most expensive liquids in the world is no bueno! Happy to help!
Thanks!!! Totally going to try this I am pitching so much insulin!!!
do it girl! Save that life juice!
This is one of the most helpful posts and videos I’ve seen. Thank you so much for this useful information! I was able to use the insulin I had just put into my pod before I changed the batteries in my PDM. I forgot that it would deactivate that pod resulting in the possible loss of all of that precious insulin! I appreciate you!
Thank you! and you’re welcome! Also, I would reach out to Omnipod…if your PDM deactivates your pod when you change the batteries that means the PDM is failing and Omnipod will replace your it for free <3
THANKS FOR THIS! I HAVE YET TO HAVE A POD NOT GET KNOCKED LOOSE! VERY DISAPPOINTED I CAN’T USE THESE AS DESIGNED. SO MUCH FOR 2020!
That is super aggravating! I hope Omnipod can get it all sorted out for you. 2020 needs to leave.
This is a life saver! Thank you for sharing! Quick question, once you have removed it from the old pod, do you add it to the new pod right away or do you add more of the new insulin to the syringe first?
You’re welcome! I’m glad it was helpful! I’ve always removed insulin from the old pod then filled up the rest of the syringe with new insulin – then I put it in the new pod.
I had to do this tonight cause the adhesive stuck together on my pod and it became useless, it was a full pod. This article saved at least 150 units of insulin from being wasted. THANKS!
That’s happened to me before too! Glad this helped!!
I can’t thank you enough for sharing! I was foolishly throwing away pods after just one day of use. My son is so active and they get knocked out. No more wasted insulin! Thank you!
Can a pod be reactivated? I had a pod deactivate as soon as I filled it, it was in the middle of priming and the perpetual siren of doom sounded. Omnipod sent me a replacement but due to cost encumbrances I can’t get a full set from the pharmacy til after the 1st. I can manage a string for a few days but I’d rather not. Can the pod be salvaged?
Unfortunately not, at least not that I’m aware of. If you can get your endo to say that a pod lasts you 2 days, instead of 3, then insurance will allow you to fill more. That way you always have some for back up!
Hey there so I just started on the pod.. and really love it although was sick about throwing away insulin. I was going to figure out a way to get it out and glad to have found these helpful instructions! We need to save every drop!
Thanks
You’re welcome
Thank you so much, I’m only using 50 units out of the 100. My dr told me I couldn’t salvage the insulin cause it ‘expires’ after 3 days.. so not true.
oye! so much wasted insulin!
Hi! How do you then put that insulin in the new pod? Do you put it back in the vial and then extract the amount you need from the vial for the new pod? That is the method I’ve been doing, but I think its messing up my vial and causing an overload of pressure because a bunch keeps squirting out when I take out the syringe.
with the salvaged insulin in the syringe, i will draw insulin from my insulin vial until i get the desired amount. then i put it in the new pod.
why did i never think about this before?! Thank you!!
[…] and if you missed this weeks earlier post, How to Pull Insulin Out of an Omnipod, then check it out […]
I am so grateful you posted this!!! My 10 year old daughter started on the omipod in dec 2023 and we love it but I was sick throwing away pods with insulin left. Thank you thank you – you are an angel in disguise. I’m trying this tonight when we swap out. She has 39 units still left!
You’re welcome!! Save that insulin!!
Thank you. I’m a newer user and had 4 pod errors in a row (even while on phone with tech support). That was 600 units of insulin. Back to the pen until this gets resolved, but at least I got my insulin back.
WOw!! Glad you were able to save all that in$ulin friend!
i still have 40U left do u jus pull it from that pod and put the needle in the new vial of insulin and pull the rest out of it or how do u do that mine will hold 200ml thks im a new user and never had to draw out of the old pod
Okay so my brother miscalculated when his dexcom was coming off so now we would have wasted two days worth of insulin he’s only used this Omni pod patch for one full day and couple hrs and I was scared to take it out since they technically say not to since it’s classified as old but the wasting of it was just ticking off our brain so we took the plunge and will see how it goes thank you for the help