When you’re on insulin pump therapy, you need to know everything about your insulin pump so it works safely and properly. You need to know:

• how it works
• how to maintain it and keep it working
• how to program it
• what to do with the information it gives you

Remember that an insulin pump doesn’t work all by itself. You make it work. When you’re on insulin pump therapy, here are some of the tasks you’ll need to do regularly:

• Fill the reservoir with insulin every 2 to 3 days or as you need to.
• Change the cannula every 2 to 3 days or sooner.
• Check your blood glucose and input the numbers into the insulin pump.
• Count carbohydrate and input it into the insulin pump.
• Make decisions about bolus meal insulin and correction insulin doses.
• Tell the insulin pump to give bolus meal insulin and correction insulin by pressing buttons.
• Make decisions about when to inject insulin with a syringe or pen so diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) doesn’t happen.
• Test your blood glucose often and adjust basal rates as you need to.
• Program new basal rates and sometimes temporary basal rates into the insulin pump.
• Know what to do when the insulin pump sounds an alarm.
• Check how your insulin pump is working to solve a high or low blood glucose that you can’t explain.​