When you live with insulin-dependent diabetes, you know that insulin is a lifeline and that it is extremely important to have access to this life-saving and life-saving medication 24/7.
But you may run out. For example, if you’re traveling and don’t pack enough, if you’re not spoiled during the hot weather, your last bottle of insulin, your prescription, will expire and you won’t be able to reach your doctor.
This is a scary reality for many people taking insulin. A recent Yale study reported that more than one in four people distribute insulin at the cost alone in the US.
In this article, we’ll give you an overview of what you should do if you’re in a situation where you’re in a lack of insulin.
Please seek help immediately
Deficiency insulin is a matter of life and death. If you are unable to fully consume insulin, the safest thing to do is to seek medical attention from the emergency clinic or visit your local emergency room.
Your doctor doesn’t know your exact treatment plan, but a medical professional can help you get immediate insulin in the form of IV (this is especially important when blood sugar is rising rapidly, which increases your risk of diabetic ketosidosis).
Once it is stable, we will proceed with installing a longer-term solution.
Call your pharmacy
The insulin prescription expires. People forget to update them. We are only humans. People in the US need fresh prescriptions every year, even when they live with chronic illnesses. This includes people with diabetes.
If you have a prescription for insulin over a year ago, it can no longer be satisfied, and the standard operating procedure is to book with an endocrinologist for blood tests, an endocrinologist for tests, and a fresh prescription.
If this is not an option, as long as you call the pharmacy during normal business hours, you should probably call your doctor and call the pharmacy that is likely to be able to seamlessly update your script.
Pharmacists are unable to reach the doctor, but Ohio, Florida, Arkansas, Arizona, Wisconsin, Idaho, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Utah, or west Virginia live in edage sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead sead If the pharmacist is able to receive emergency permits from an expired prescription and distribute the drug for up to 30 days (usually once a year).
Emphasise the urgency of the situation to pharmacists and mention the law when trying to access this benefit.
Tell your friends and family
Whatever you do, don’t protect yourself from your suffering. Let your friends and family know that you’ve exhausted so that you can think through the solution together.
Perhaps someone can lend you money and buy insulin at the counter. I have a friend who lives with insulin-dependent diabetes and doesn’t spare vials or pens.
Using social media for your needs also helps with diabetes online community (found on Twitter under the hashtag #insulin4all). Crowds and ideas will help you get insulin as soon as possible.
Use resolution insulin as a last resort
It’s not ideal (and this can be dangerous), but if you can’t crowdsource, contact your doctor, or get emergency medical procedures, Walmart sells human insulin for $25 per vial without prescription and insurance.
This insulin was developed in the 1970s and 1980s and is called Novolin Relion Insulin (NPH, and a 70-30 mixture of the two), which can be used in pinch so that it can be used in pinch to avoid diabetic ketosidosis (DKA).
Regular insulin is an older alternative to rapid insulin like Novolog and Humanlog. NPH insulin is an older alternative to long-acting insulins like Lantus and Tresiba.
However, these insulins work differently from more modern anagrinesulins, and food and carbohydrate counts need to be carefully calibrated to insulin (instead of other methods), and many people struggle when transitioning to this form of insulin.
One example of the difference is that NPH insulin is usually taken every 12 hours.
Due to these differences, it is important to closely monitor your blood sugar levels during use.
As part of your emergency plan, it is best to create a game plan for these types of insulin with your doctor before it is needed. Talk to your doctor to learn more.
How to protect your insulin deficiency
While this scenario is not 100% preventable, there are several strategies you can implement to prevent this situation from happening to you. These include:
- Always pack the amount of insulin you need for travel and vacations
- Instead of refilling your prescription every 30 days, use a mail order pharmacy that allows you to supply 90 days of insulin at once
- If you drop the medicine on a hard surface, invest in an insulin vial protector to prevent grinding
- If you are in a pinch, make an emergency plan with your doctor about how to use Walmart insulin
- If you need to know exactly where your nearest emergency care and hospital is (both at home and holiday destinations) and immediately help
- Keep your insulin prescription up to date
- Check if you live in a state with Kevin laws and other patient protections
- If you need to pay your vials at your own expense, save the emergency fund for insulin money
- Cool insulin while traveling to prevent spoilage
- If you’ve ever been involved in this situation, develop a support system for friends, family and fellow diabetics who can help you
The lack of insulin is a horrible, life-threatening situation where no one deserves to find himself. Implementing these strategies will help you now and prevent you from finding yourself in this situation in the future.
