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Insulin

Question why you didn't pack enough insulin for your holiday.

Do you have travel insurance? Will your insurance cover any costs caused by you forgetting to bring sufficient insulin? It might be worth speaking to your travel agent or insurance company to see if they have a preferred approach or preferred healthcare provider.

To get insulin you will need to be seen by a doctor to get a prescription, the review bya doctor will cost money. It will probably be cheaper to be seen by a GP rather than a doctor in hospital. So find a GP and make an appointment to be seen. Then when they have written you a prescription for the insulin you need, take it to a chemist and get it filled, pay for the insulin.
 
Hi,

I would go to a Walk-in Clinic, many Walgreens or CVC pharmacy's have one in the store.

If you can't find one try any Pharmacy, and ask there for advice.
 
You may be able to get a prescription from your own GP faxed to a pharmacy where you are. You will have to go into the pharmacy and ask if that is possible.
 
lindiloo62 said:
I am on holiday in USA from England and I may be running out of insulin what will I do ?
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Depending on what State you're in you might not need a prescription for Insulin. I don;t live in the States but where I live anyone can purchase insulin at the pharmacy - Doctors will write insulin prescriptions so people's health plans partially reimburse the cost but that's about the only reason and it's not a condition of buying it. So I would check with a pharmacy first and see what they say. The rules will differ from State to State so if you're within a short distance of a nearby state you may want to explore that further. Good luck and Merry Christmas..
 
Just bear in mind that if you want 5 cartridges of Novorapid it will cost you about $500.
 
Any of the "premium" insulins like Novorapid (we call it Novolog here in the USA), Humalog, Levemir, Tresiba, etc are all going to cost around $100 per pen without insurance. You may still need a doctor's note to get them too.

My understanding is that you can go to Walmart (and perhaps other pharmacies) and ask for some of the older types of insulin like Humalin N and R. Those should be able to be purchased without a prescription and for around $40 a vial (you'll need syringes).

If at all possible, avoid going to the large Emergency Room Hospitals unless it is truly an emergency (your life is at risk). Those are the ones that are going to cost thousands of dollars. The better bet would be "Urgent Care" clinics where you can see a doctor who can write prescriptions but will usually cost only a few hundred dollars.

If it were me, I'd probably try calling a local JDRF office to see if you can get some advice, or ask the pharmacist at a CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid, etc as @britishpub mentioned.

While I don't have experience purchasing insulin off prescription or without insurance, I do live in the US and will do my best to help.

Side note: as others mentioned, it would be important to share which state you're in as the laws can vary. I live in Texas, but have a few friends/family members who are physicians and could ask them for you.
 
TorqPenderloin said:
Any of the "premium" insulins like Novorapid (we call it Novolog here in the USA), Humalog, Levemir, Tresiba, etc are all going to cost around $100 per pen without insurance. You may still need a doctor's note to get them too.

My understanding is that you can go to Walmart (and perhaps other pharmacies) and ask for some of the older types of insulin like Humalin N and R. Those should be able to be purchased without a prescription and for around $40 a vial (you'll need syringes).

If at all possible, avoid going to the large Emergency Room Hospitals unless it is truly an emergency (your life is at risk). Those are the ones that are going to cost thousands of dollars. The better bet would be "Urgent Care" clinics where you can see a doctor who can write prescriptions but will usually cost only a few hundred dollars.

If it were me, I'd probably try calling a local JDRF office to see if you can get some advice, or ask the pharmacist at a CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid, etc as @britishpub mentioned.

While I don't have experience purchasing insulin off prescription or without insurance, I do live in the US and will do my best to help.

Side note: as others mentioned, it would be important to share which state you're in as the laws can vary. I live in Texas, but have a few friends/family members who are physicians and could ask them for you.
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Thank you so much . I am in California
 
lindiloo62 said:
Thank you so much . I am in California
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California is notorious for having very unusual and laws and restrictions compared to the rest of the USA. However, some of the online resources I found state that insulin can be purchased WITHOUT a prescription, but with the disclaimer that some pharmacies (which are almost always privately owned) may have their own restrictions and require a prescription.

If I were in a similar situation and needed the lowest cost access to insulin, I'd be going to Walmart and purchasing their ReliOn insulin which I understand to be repacked Novolin or Humulin.

However, the safer bet (albeit at a much higher price) would be to find the same kinds of insulin you currently use, and try to avoid putting yourself in that situation ever again.
 
Also be aware the insulin sold at Walmart is of the older type and takes longer to metabolize and so you have to taket care in judging the dosage. Some people in the USA have ended up in an ER when not getting it right.
 
Might be better to fly back earlier than planned given medical costs in the USA. You could ask your GP in the UK to fax you your insulin passport if that's possible.
 
asparagusp said:
Might be better to fly back earlier than planned given medical costs in the USA. You could ask your GP in the UK to fax you your insulin passport if that's possible.
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Yarp. There's always a "get out of jail free card." Mine is take plenty of extra insulin & peripherals...? ;)
 
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