Do I have to inject myself with beta interferon and glatiramer acetate?
These drugs do need to be injected, but most people, even many who were afraid of needles, find that they soon get used to it. None of the drugs are injected into a vein. Instead, they are injected just under the skin or into the muscle. The drugs are available with ‘auto-inject’ – a system which means you don’t need to see the needle going in, and where the action of injecting comes down to the click of the ‘pen’ holding the syringe. A new device has recently been launched for one of the beta interferons, Rebif. Known as ‘RebiSmart’, this new injecting device has pre-filled syringe cartridges which only need loading once a week. The device allows for changing needles and injecting without having to see the needle itself, and also keeps a record of when the injections happen. If you are prescribed beta interferon or glatiramer acetate, a nurse will go through good injection technique with you. Most people find they are able to do the injections themselves, which gives them independence
