How should insulin be mixed and why?
The vial of insulin needs to be mixed to ensure an even dispersion of the insulin suspension. This should be done by gently shaking or rolling the vial between your hands. If the insulin is not well mixed, you are not getting the correct dose of insulin. Incomplete mixing will accumulate over time making the remaining solution in the vial more strong or more weak. Vigorous shaking should not be done. It is not so much that shaking the insulin damages the insulin as much as it produces froth or minute bubbles, many of which you can’t even see. Then say you pull up 10 units in the syringe–you don’t really have 10 units because you have these minute air bubbles too instead of just insulin. You may also have as result of this froth, an uneven balance of insulin particles to solution and therefore have an even bigger error due to more or less potent insulin in the syringe, which will also effect the potency of what is left in the vial.
