easypod® 2
making your Saizen®
treatment quick and easy
The easypod 2 is an auto-injector which makes taking your Saizen treatment quick and easy. Click the links below to watch videos about using your easypod device. There are handy PDF downloads which might also help as well as frequently asked questions below.
If you have any questions about your treatment, please contact your doctor or nurse.
Once you choose a video below, please click on the screen to watch.
Backing up your device is important. It allows your care team to view the injection history stored in your easypod device and make adjustments to optimise your treatment. Backing up your easypod regularly (every time you change the cartridge) also ensures your injection history and settings are not lost should your device become faulty or get damaged.
In case you need ancillaries, such as needles and batteries, you should follow the instructions provided by your homecare provider. Please visit the ancillary website to order additional resources.
Your clinical team will decide and notify you if you need a change in the dose of your treatment. Please follow their instruction or contact them if you have any queries.
If the needle is stuck and you cannot remove it, you could take pliers to remove the needle and throw it away immediately in the sharps bin.
Handle the device, the pliers and the needle with great care in order not to get a needle stick injury.
You can find more information in the section ‘Warnings and Cautions’ within the Instructions for Use (IFU) of your device.
You can also contact Merck Medical Information who will advise on what to do.
If the needle from the previous injection has remained in the device, you should get a warning that the needle is still attached when the device switches on. You must remove both the needle and the cartridge before your next injection, as there may be a risk of contamination as the needle remained attached for 48 hours.
Check the Instruction for Use (IFU) of your device or contact Merck medical Information if you are unsure about what to do.
easypod® has a self-checking mechanism to ensure mechanical problems will not lead to dosing errors. If you have dropped easypod and it still turns on, you must check the device and the cartridge to make sure there are no signs of cracks or damage (check the section ‘Removing a cartridge before it’s empty’ within your device Instructions for Use (IFU)).
In the event of a mechanical problem, easypod will shut down automatically or may display the ‘Device failure’ message. In this case, contact your healthcare professional or Merck Medical Information for a replacement easypod.
If you remove a cartridge before it is empty, and then you reinsert this into the device again, the device will not be able to alert you when it has reached its 28 day expiry. Therefore, it is important to note down the date you started the cartridge. Once this cartridge has reached 28 days it will have expired, and you MUST discard this, even if there is some medication remaining.
If your device displays a ‘Device Failure’ warning message, do not use it since this may indicate a hardware or software failure. Contact your Merck medical nurse or clinical team for a replacement.
If you are inserting a new cartridge, you can follow the procedure below:
There are three scenarios when inserting a new cartridge:
1. The cartridge has been accepted and the device will display the ‘Insert new needle’ message.
2. The cartridge label has been damaged and the device will display the ‘Remove and check cartridge’ message.
3. The cartridge is not the correct one and the device will display the ‘Wrong cartridge’ warning.
If you are planning to travel, you can use your easypod® travel bag to keep the device temperature cool on a long journey. Please visit the ancillary website to order one, if you do not have a travel bag.
When travelling by plane you will need to keep your device in your hand luggage.
If you have your Saizen® delivered via homecare, on request, they will supply you with a travel letter that will support the carrying of your medication through customs.
Alternatively your GP can provide you with a similar letter if you use your local pharmacy to dispense your medication.
Please make sure that you have read information on storage conditions that you can find on this website.
When storing a Saizen® cartridge, always keep your easypod® in its box in the fridge, not the freezer (stored between 2-8°C/36-46°F). Place in the fridge door in an upright position, with the arrow in the box pointing upwards. Before storing, the needle should always be detached.
Saizen cartridges can also be stored out of the fridge for up to 7 days. This room temperature storage does come with some conditions:
Your device will perform best using 4 AAA lithium batteries. Replacements can be ordered via your usual ancillary ordering route, click here to visit the ancillary website to order replacements. Only Lithium batteries should be used as they have a high capacity and will not run out unexpectedly. Rechargeable or alkaline batteries cannot be used.
easypod® connect is a web application for monitoring adherence and outcomes for patients using the easypod injector to administer Saizen®.
easypod connect collects the data from your device in a cloud as soon as you back up your device on the transmitter. Your data is instantly transferred to a cloud server that can be accessed by your MySupport nurse or clinical team.
It is important to back up your device regularly, after each cartridge change. This stores your device data and settings in the easypod® connect cloud server, allowing the information to be retrieved if your device is dropped or becomes faulty. Although more importantly, this information is available for your care team, allowing them to make adjustments to treatment ensuring this is always optimal.
View videos on transmitting your data near the top of this page, or download our ‘how to transmit your data’ guide.
If you cannot find an answer to your questions, please contact Merck Medical Information.