running out of insulin

[cmw328i]

Hello all,

I'm newly on a basal-bolus regimen here...

i've been doing rather well until the past few weeks, dealing with an ongoing dental infection and as many of you know, infection means much more insulin is needed... i'm surely going to run short of my novorapid before my monthly renewal is due. My DSN said my pharmacy should be able to provide insulin to tide me over until my renewal.. As i've only been on this treatment a short time and suddenly finding i need more due to infection (which i get often, if theres something going around, i get it)... so my question is have any of you dealt with running short before your prescription renews and how have you dealt with it? I have 2 pens of novorapid left. I'm thinking what I need is an extra pack of pens full stop to deal with my inevitable "i caught this and that" that would leave me short when otherwise it would be fine... any advice?

 

[Indiana91]

Do you not have a repeat prescription? That's what I have, I just ring my pharmacy and order it.
Your gp will be able to write you a prescription to get some more if the pharmacy won't give you any. I've just had this problem with some other medication. Just ask then for a prescription and take it to the pharmacy simples!

Hope you feel better soon

Indiana x


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[novorapidboi26]

you should just get another prescription as and when you need it.......

i simply email my surgery, the doctor writes it up and its then delivered to my chosen pharmacy....obviously not everyone will get this kind of service but you will get your insulin any time regardless of when the last prescription was...

 

[cmw328i]

i have a repeat prescription, but i can only order it every 28 days (or 7 days before) and i think i'm going to run out before i can renew it

 

[Crimsonclient]

You need to ring gp for a script they should do it tomorrow


Type 2 diagnosed 24/01/2013.
Novomix 30, Victoza, metformin 2000mg sr (but not taking them as they play havoc with my insides,

 

[novorapidboi26]

why every 28 days........?

i need my stuff every couple of weeks.....

we all need different doses and as you say, illness changes things as well as many other factors.....

 

[cmw328i]

i suppose its because i'm new to it, so asking for more when i'm supposed to be on like 60 units a day and turning out more like 100 because of infections... but i cant help that i catch every little bug going around. I HAVE emailed the GP about it and gotten no reply. I dunno how most do it, but i use the systemonline thing to renew my scripts and then it goes automatically to my pharmacy. but i was told i should be able to simply ask the pharmacist and get more without having a renewal script?

 

[totsy]

I would phone gp surgery,
if that happens with anyone at our surgery if u ring and speak to someone about prescriptions they will sort you out a prescription

 

[Glen]

also try to keep a few weeks supply of insulin in stock. you never know you might lose or damage it.

 

[noblehead]

Ask your gp for a prescription, the pharmacy will not dispense insulin without one.

 

[Beachbag]

@cmw328i
but i was told i should be able to simply ask the pharmacist and get more without having a renewal script?

Sorry, but you were misinformed there. Pharmacists can't dispense insulin without a script. Ring your surgery and ask for more. I too am on basal/bolus monthly script, but that doesn't mean I can't have more should I need it. ...am sure it'll be the same for you. If your BGs are really high maybe reduce carbs a bit more? Hope you get well again soon

 

[AlexMBrennan]

You need to talk to your GP/surgery to get your prescription changed because a fixed amount of insulin each month is nonsense.

The pharmacy/repeat prescription route mentioned is a service where the pharmacy obtains a presciption from your GP for you (saving you from having to request the presciption, pick it up, deliver it to the pharmacy and then pick up your stuff the next day)... but if the prescriptions are restricted then I can't see the pharmacist calling on your behalf making much of a different.

In an emergency you can get a presciption for insulin from A&E but since you'll probably end up waiting for hours I would try to avoid that.

If your BGs are really high maybe reduce carbs a bit more?

Contrary to the massive "a carb is a carb" oversimplification the body is a bit more complicated than that, and in this case the relevant hormone is cortison which "is released in response to stress and a low level of blood glucocorticoids. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis" [WP]. In case you want to try this yourself, cortisone has much the same effect - inducing hyperglycemia regardless of whether you low carb or not.

 

[fkarno]

What could be simpler than to phone your medical practice, speak to the practice manager and tell him or her that when you email, you expect a reply in short order or you will report them to the local Health Board. That will concentrate their mind and you can then explain that you are running low on insulin, and can you please have an immediate prescription for an additional one month's supply?
I would be very worried indeed if my stock ever went below 3 months!

 

[tomvonc]

I ran out of test strips at 5pm on a Friday once. Called my surgery and they said we'll have a script ready for you in half an hour. I'm the same as fkarno. I now keep 3 months of everything, and my GP seems fine with that.
On a similar note, I went out without any needles, quite a few miles from home. I stopped at a few pharmacies and asked for a needle, or at a pinch 50u syringe would have done (I know a chemist would be reluctant to open a whole box of needles) 3 chemists said I couldn't get needles without a prescription. Despite me politely telling them that this was ******** as I could buy them on Amazon. They still refused. The forth reluctantly gave me ONE 8mm needle (A Masonary nail compared to my usual 4mm ultra fines). Perhaps I should have just said I was a Junkie. Here in Edinburgh, most chemists give out needle to addicts)

 

[Omnipod]

theres no limit on insulin. You just order as you need it. If you need 10 pens a month, just tell your GP. Everybody has different insulin requirements and only you will be able to say how much you need.
I usually get 10 boxes of test strips and 5 x 10ml Vials of insulin per script and whenever i get to my final box, I just ring my pharmacy.

 

[cmw328i]

thanks for your help everyone!

 

[tomvonc]

@cmw328i
but i was told i should be able to simply ask the pharmacist and get more without having a renewal script?

Sorry, but you were misinformed there. Pharmacists can't dispense insulin without a script. Ring your surgery and ask for more. I too am on basal/bolus monthly script, but that doesn't mean I can't have more should I need it. ...am sure it'll be the same for you. If your BGs are really high maybe reduce carbs a bit more? Hope you get well again soon

At their discretion, a Pharmacy can issue an emergency prescription (Usually 3 days worth), I have down this once when I ran out of another (non diabetes related) medication. Or if you call NHS24, they can usually fax a script to a pharmacy of your choice.

 

[Daibell]

Yes, the pharmacy must have a prescription but there is no absolute rule about 28 days. For insulin you just ask the surgery for more if you need it. My script doesn't list the Rapid usage shots so I can ask for more at any time. My Basal has 10 units listed but again the surgery will do a script if I'm being sensible. BTW what I've been doing for years is to reduce the 28 days to 26 or 27 for a while to build-up a small stock. I'm not silly about it but it helps everyone if you are on long-term medication. The surgery never complains about the slightly early request.