Insulin pens expiry date

[zireael]

Hello!
I’ve got a question regarding the expiry date on the insulin pens. The pens I was given have a sticker from the hospital with an expiry date different to one on the actual pen. Which date should I look at? The one on the sticker says 10/5/18 but I don’t think I’m gonna use up all the insulin until then and it seems like such a waste!

 

[Deleted member 308541]

If I was in your place I would go with the hospital use by date.

As I said that's me...

 

[zireael]

That’s what I thought too, it’s just wasting so much medication as I’ve still got 2 levemir pens left that are being kept in the fridge and I only need about 28-32 units overall a day (16-20 of levemir) at the moment.

 

[Seacrow]

I'd go by the hospital date too. The manufacturer use by date was undoubtedly accurate when it left them, but how the hospital has treated it (storage etc.) can effect how long it is viable for.

Some charities will take 'unwanted' insulin and use it to keep children alive where their families cannot afford to buy insulin (e.g. rural areas in India). Just a thought.

 

[DCUKMod]

Hello!
I’ve got a question regarding the expiry date on the insulin pens. The pens I was given have a sticker from the hospital with an expiry date different to one on the actual pen. Which date should I look at? The one on the sticker says 10/5/18 but I don’t think I’m gonna use up all the insulin until then and it seems like such a waste!

View attachment 26282

That seems bonkers, as the expiry date quoted by the hospital is only about a month from the dispensing date. On that basis, I wonder of the hospital's dating protocols expect you won't refrigerate it, and start it immediately.

If you have more that one such pen, I'd ask at a pharmacy.

I won't give an opinion what I would do. As a non-insulin user, I could be more gung-ho that if my life depended on it working.