<p>Products designed for administration of insulin are intended to facilitate the use of insulin, to minimize diabetes-related psychological strain and to relieve the burden on people with diabetes (PwD). After all, diabetes therapy, especially insulin therapy in everyday life, means self-management by the PwD. This important aspect was taken into account for the first time when disposable syringes became available in 1954, eliminating the need for time-consuming, independent sterilization by the user. Other important steps included the development of insulin pens, prefilled pens and modern smart insulin pens. Development of ever thinner cannulas with sharp edges, which reduced the barrier to self-harm, was also of great importance. On the other hand, insulin pumps were developed for insulin administration in order to realize insulin therapy as close as possible to the physiological insulin requirement. Development of automated insulin delivery (AID) systems, in particular the approach to fully automatically controlled insulin application, not only takes into account the best possible insulin therapy adapted to the organism, but also the pursuit of the best possible quality of life despite insulin-dependent diabetes. This presentation of the various possibilities of insulin administration addresses the relationship between past developments and their effects on insulin therapy and therapy management.</p>