Apidra Discontinued

[harley2905]

After obtaining a new prescription ( including Apidra!)today ,I was told at the pharmacy that Apidra had been discontinued and no longer available.
I m now waiting for an appointment with the Diabetes Nurse to get a prescription for an alternative.
Any one else heard this and if so how have they found the alternative?

 

[RussG]

There's been an ongoing supply problem with Apidra. I moved over to Novorapid, which basically has the same action. There are others, but I have found Novorapid to be very easy to swap over to. I asked my pharmacist to contact my GP requesting a prescription change, but you could either get your DSN to write a change up for you or just go to your GP.

 

[phoenix]

It is a problem on the production line for pens(I think I remember seeing something about a fire) They were supposed to be getting back to normal pro
Apidra is still available in vials (or was for me last month, in France.. I use it in my pump.
looks as if it will be a while before it's fully available again.
http://www.dispensingdoctor.org/content.php?id=1851

 

[RussG]

In the UK I could only get Apidra opticlick vials for reusable pens, which don't fit the Novopen, but the opticlick pen itself is also not available. I have heard several people say that it is being discontinued though, but haven't heard anything official. Last estimate from my pharmacist was January for new supplies, but Phoenix's info says March.

 

[LoisCoxx]

I had an allergic reaction to novorapid about two years ago and i was moved onto apidra, so novorapid isn't really an option for me. this is in the uk yeah? what would you suggest i do regarding this? i suupose i'll have to ring up my DSN or speak to my pharmacist to cofirm that it isn't being produced at the moment.. :?

 

[RussG]

Hi LoisCoxx,

Yes, I'm talking about the UK, although the supply problem seems global.

I think you've answered your own question. I would imagine you'll definitely need to talk to your DSN or doctor if you need to swap insulin to something other than Novorapid. Don't leave it too late though. My pharmacy was unable to get any Apidra about three weeks ago.

I would have thought other options might be Humalin / Humalog? Don't know much about these, I'm afraid. I've only ever been on insulin analogues.

Good luck.

 

[Fallenstar]

Humalog worked pretty much like Apidra for me, though not quiet as fast. It is more like Novorapid.
You could ask about Humalog?

 

[phoenix]

I had an allergic reaction to novorapid about two years ago and i was moved onto apidra, so novorapid isn't really an option for me. this is in the uk yeah? what would you suggest i do regarding this? i suupose i'll have to ring up my DSN or speak to my pharmacist to cofirm that it isn't being produced at the moment.. :?

You could use vials/syringes until March.
The Sanofi info sheet confirms that these are still available.
http://www.psnc.org.uk/data/files/fundi ... Letter.pdf

 

[jopar]

The production glitch which effected cartridges that fitted OPTISET and SOLOSTAR prefilled pens and CLIKSTAR was due to be sorted by next month December, but has just been announced that supplies will be effected until March 1212, it's something to do with the production line!

But vials still available and no production problems with these..

But if Sanofi was going to discontinue Apidra you would be fully aware of this before it happens, Notification first to relevant bodies, in our case the department of health etc. Then about a year before production stops they will start putting warning notices on the packaging advising the patient to contact their health care provider..

This is what happened when Lilly and Lilly discontinued their 1.5ml cartridges and their child sized insulin pens...

 

[LoisCoxx]

okay, thanks for your help everyone! i'll get onto my DSN about this! as i'm on a solostar pre filled pen and i literally had no idea it was happening.. yeah, i know a couple of people on humalog, i'll just get some professional advice, thankyou though!

 

[AMBrennan]

I thought that they had reserved stock for special cases (Apidra is the only insulin approved for use with young children, allergies, etc)?

 

[Libbyloo]

Hi All,

I have recently been switched over to novo rapid from apidra and have had some initial difficulties working out the dosages (I also started Levemir at the same time) as for me novo rapid was not quite as effective. I've now got it pretty much sorted out, but still in contact with DSN to monitor.

I was informed a couple of months ago by the hospital that there were difficulties with supplies of Apidra and then they wrote to the GP to alter my prescription after I met with the DSN to go through the new regime.

I've also spoken to the pharmacist who explained that there appears to be some confusion about what's going on but he also mentioned that he had been informed that a new insulin to replace apidra would be released, but that there was little information about this.

Libbyloo

 

[Gazhay]

Pharmacist has just told me he can't fill the script for Apidra as I am not a priority case. (Not young enough, no allergies, not old enough, etc etc)

Any recommendations what to switch to? I'm assuming NovoRapid is the nearest, but is it worth switching to vials until the supply problems are over?

 

[Fallenstar]

Hi Gazhay
I've found Novorapid better than Apidra, it is working for me great. Very similar but maybe not quiet as fast but seems to last a little bit longer for me. I'm sure you won't have much problems with this insulin . I am back on the vials with it ,as apposed to the Pre filled pens with the Apidra..but the vials seem to work better. I found the Apidra pens a little unpredictable when you got under half way , and I had to do big test shots to get my small dose out of it. Not so with the Novo pens

 

[Gazhay]

Thanks for the reply.

I also have found the Apidra pens inconsistent on small doses, so maybe the NovoRapid is a good idea to try. I'm speaking to my DSN today. I also have trouble with the tail of Apidra and maybe if NovoRapid is that bit longer might help.

Thanks again

 

[smidge]

Hiya!

That's interesting what you're saying about the Apidra pens. I use a Lilly pen with the Apidra cartridges and that works very reliably. However, I use a Sanoffi-Aventis Clickstar pen with my Insuman Basal, and i'm wondering if that is reliable on small doses. Sometimes when I discharge 2 units, it dribbles out and I have to do it two or three times to get a good shot of it. I then use either 4 units (morning) or 1 unit (night) and the results have become unpredictable. I have changed the Insuman cartridge as I think it gets less predictable as the cartridge drops below half full. My next step is to try a new pen. It could, of course, be that my diabetes (LADA) is progressing, but I'm not sure at the moment.

Fallenstar - how are you getting on with the Novo pen? Which one do you use to get half units? I'm asking as I think my Apidra stocks might not make it through to March

Smidge

 

[jacks69]

our gp service has advised that the pens should be available again this month - my friend was put on the vials whilst there was a supply prob. Hopefully by time next prescription is due he should be able to get the pens again