Insulin passport? What's your opinion?

[Neicy0412]

I have been summoned to my doctors to collect my "insulin passport" it is a fold up credit card sized sheet that I am to list my medication, next of kin etc. what do you think? This is provided by our already cash strapped NHS, I already carry a card, with my condition and next of kin contact details, my exemption card for free prescriptions, which lists my name and NHS number and I also wear a meditag pendant when out and about. Is an "insulin passport" a worthy contender for funds? Or should it be up to the individual to carry some kind of medical ID?

[phoenix]

It's a result of some horrendous mix ups in the use of insulin. Wrong insulin used (think of all the similar names) wrong dosages , even wrong units (ccs rather than insulin units). Some of the mistakes have caused serious harm and even death.
The NHS has put into place an E learning course for professionals and also adopted the use of the insulin passport
http://www.diabetes.nhs.uk/safe_use_of_ ... ng_course/

The adult patient’s passport to safer use of insulin

The aim of this Alert is to improve patient safety by empowering patients as they take an active role in their treatment with insulin.
This will be achieved with a patient information booklet and a patient-held record (the Insulin Passport) which documents the patient’s current insulin products and enables a safety check for prescribing, dispensing and administration. The Insulin Passport will complement existing systems for ensuring key information is accessed across healthcare sectors.

NHS organisations should ensure that by 31 August 2012:

1. Adult patients on insulin therapy receive a patient information booklet and an Insulin Passport to help provide accurate identification of their current insulin products and provide essential information across healthcare sectors.
2. Healthcare professionals and patients are informed how the Insulin Passport and associated patient information can be used to improve safety.
3. When prescriptions of insulin are prescribed, dispensed or administered, healthcare professionals cross-reference available information to confirm the correct identity of insulin products.
4. Systems are in place to enable hospital inpatients to self-administer insulin where feasible and safe

Whether people will always carry it and healthcare professionals always check it though is the big question.

[noblehead]

Is an "insulin passport" a worthy contender for funds? Or should it be up to the individual to carry some kind of medical ID?

Not been offered one yet, however anything that safeguards our health in times of emergency can only be viewed as a good thing.

[anna29]

Hi all.
I see it as a positive step forward - for insulin users ...
It is giving us some control "back" to our own diabetes self management, insulin therapy and routines...
It is positive in recognising we do have rights, needs, dignity to implement our own choice of where, how, when, what with
when it comes to it - its clearly more empowerment to us as individuals with this being put into place!
And no longer of risk of being stuck in a system that did only serve to disempower insulin users...
Anna.

[hanadr]

If the "passport" is the little card which has the details of your insulin on, they are provided by the drug houses free of charge.
I did some checking for the local "Think Glucose" panel as to whether the emergency services would find them useful, but they won't even look for them.
Hana

[phoenix]

If the "passport" is the little card which has the details of your insulin on, they are provided by the drug houses free of charge.
It's a credit sized card to be issued by the NHS (though it's not mandatory)
You can see it and the booklet here
http://www.doncaster.nhs.uk/your-health ... -passport/
I did some checking for the local "Think Glucose" panel as to whether the emergency services would find them useful, but they won't even look for them.
They should be aware about it
The London Ambulance service has it highlighted in their June Bulletin
http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/healt ... nes-1.aspx
Hana

[anna29]

This is great info 'pheonix' many thanks ...
I have saved it for further help and will be requesting one of these from my GP/DSN...
Put into practice the changes for the better as an insulin user myself...
Anna.

[tcp999pub]

Thanks for the heads up