How much insulin do you get

joe159 said:

Just got my repeat prescription 100 needles 2 packs of testing strips and 5 pens, now I use apen every 3 days so 15 days worth, putting a prescription in every 15 days seems crazy instead of a month at a time.

Question is how much stock do other have.
Joe

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Hi Joe, I use Novorapid 3 times a day so one pen lasts me about 6 days. I get 5 pens at a time - my GP would prescribe more if I needed it but storing it in the fridge is a pain when you only have a small fridge. I only get 100 needles a time and 2 packs of testing strips, the same as you.

Jackie

When I set up repeat prescriptions with my GP, I let him know what a month's supply of each medication consists of, and that's what I get.

We're not supposed to be prescribed any more than that in the UK because it promotes waste, apparently. Nonetheless I was getting more than I ever needed of insulin simply because it comes in boxes of 5, and I used one pen every two weeks.

I had to let him know that he wasn't giving me enough test strips to last me a month (he put 50 on the first prescription!) but after I wrote him a note, I got 300 no problem.

insulin i get one box at a time lantus and novorapid, i only used to get one box of strips at a time but after writing to my gp now get three boxes(150 strips)

diet fizzy x

How much insulin is prescribed depends on your usage and the pack size. Some people are obviously getting pre-loaded pens and some the much cheaper cartridges for the refillable ones. I'm not an insulin user, but my T1 husband is and he gets cartridges. He gets a month's supply. I get a month's supply of tablets.When I needed extra as I was going away on holiday, the receptionist , that I askeed for a repeat, checked her computer and said that I must be overusing. It was OK once I explained that I need it for a trip. Now I just let my pharmacy collect what I need. My GP health Centre is 4 miles away and the pharmacy half a mile, so I drop in when I'm passing, put in a request and pick up a few days later.

hanadr said:

How much insulin is prescribed depends on your usage and the pack size. Some people are obviously getting pre-loaded pens and some the much cheaper cartridges for the refillable ones. I'm not an insulin user, but my T1 husband is and he gets cartridges. He gets a month's supply. I get a month's supply of tablets.When I needed extra as I was going away on holiday, the receptionist , that I askeed for a repeat, checked her computer and said that I must be overusing. It was OK once I explained that I need it for a trip. Now I just let my pharmacy collect what I need. My GP health Centre is 4 miles away and the pharmacy half a mile, so I drop in when I'm passing, put in a request and pick up a few days later.

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This tight control is getting to be a pain. I always request my next prescription when I have a couple of weeks supply left, that gives them a week to get the script back to the pharmacy and extra time if they've run out of anything.

Mother has a whole bunch of stuff which runs out at different times so I always used to put her prescriptions in early for the same reason.

Suddenly we were finding things missing when we collected. Mother couldn't remember whether or not she'd ordered stuff so would then put in a reorder.

Turned out the clerks at the practice were instructed to hold back prescriptions until they were "due" and if they were ordered too early or if the patients were thought to be "over-ordering" to cancel the repeats altogether. So the pharmacy was getting the prescriptions to pick one item at a time over several days instead of the whole batch at once.

Now mother was "only" running out of things like blood pressure pills and diuretics but I've heard of this happening elsewhere where insulin dependent diabetics were DENIED their insulin because they were "using too much" honestly the mind boggles.

Things are a little different here in Ontario. I have a standing prescription at the pharmacy for refills (usually about 10 times) and when I run low I just get another refill. I have no problem in getting whatever prescriptions I may need. Althou gh sometimes I question why I need yet another pill! This morning it was for NovoRapid for a box of 5 cartridges which will last me, maybe 4 months. I don't use a lot, yet. I also use Lantus. The NovoRapid and strips are covered under Trillium Health Plan (Ontario government) as I couldn't afford private health coverage when I retired. The Lantus is not! I mean it is just as necessary as the NovoRapid, but isn't that the way with the suits. At least my endo has given me complimentary samples for the Lantus. Lancets and pen needles are not covered but the Canadian Diabetes Association has a scheme where you can get back up to 70% up to a certain dollar amount to cover them per year. Which dosesn't make a lot of sense either because you need to take the insulin somehow, don't you. I shudder sometimes when I see the problems encountered by the members on this board or what I read i n the Papers (yes we do get them, usually by dogsled, out here in the colonies) HAHA. All the best, Carol

5 pens!?

Are you guys using something other than a novopen3 !? My Novopens are rock solid i'd never get through that many!

how do you order your prescriptions online? I wonder if i could do that.

At the moment i have to put in the repeat prescription for test strips as soon as i up the prescription slip.. only started doing this recently to save me going up twice in 2 weeks, this way i know there will be a prescription for strips waiting for me when i need them.

i get 5 cartridges or lantus and 5 of novorapid if I order them, i only use about 20 units of insulin a day so each cartridge lasts me about a month. i don't order insulin very frequently. i order test strips each month and get 200 at a time. I get 100 needles in a box and order every couple of months or so when i'm getting low.

I would ask your GP to put 10 pens per prescription so that you can order less frequently. it makes sense for them too it's less work for them.

To StuBoy. Maybe some people are using the pre-filled pens which are disposable. I can't see the point in them really. How difficult is it to change a cartridge. And how wasteful. All the best, Carol

I am surprised, but if there is a problem I would contact my Diabetic Support Clinic who would then write to your GP and resolve the matter.