An insulin pump is a small device that delivers insulin through a tiny flexible cannula/plastic needle under your skin. It’s programmed to deliver insulin at different rates during the day (almost like a portable mini IV drip that they have in hospitals), with larger doses given by the wearer for meals. The pump is worn all the time but can be disconnected easily for showers, sports, or whenever necessary.

On this webpage, you will find links to how insulin pumps work, what insulin pumps are available in Ireland and how to start the process of getting an insulin pump. See the buttons just below this text for all links.

Each device comes with different features and different software packages that you will have to upload your information to before you attend your clinic, and it is important to find one that works for you.

All three insulin pumps available in Ireland are hybrid closed-loop systems (since June 2023). This means that they have integrated continuous glucose monitor/CGM and work with a computer algorithm built into the pump to adjust insulin to automatically keep glucose levels in range.

 The right device, at the right time, for the right person

It is also worth remembering that an insulin pump does not work for everyone! It has to be the right device for the right person at the right time. Always remember that everybody's diabetes is different, and what works for you may not work for someone else!

And that not everyone is using one, especially in Ireland, where approximately 10% of the type 1 diabetes population use insulin pumps due to the lack of capacity of diabetes clinics to provide them (Gajewska, 2020).

References: Gajewska, K.A., Bennett, K., Biesma, R., and Sreenan, S. (2020) ‘Low uptake of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy in people with type 1 diabetes in Ireland: a retrospective cross-sectional study’, BMC endocrine disorders, 20(1), 92–92, available: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-020-00573-w.