Buying Insulin In China

Insulin Prices, Availability And Affordability: A Cross-sectional Survey Of Pharmacies In Hubei Province, China

Insulin prices, availability and affordability: a cross-sectional survey of pharmacies in Hubei Province, China 1 Chaojie Liu ,2 Margaret Ewen ,3 Zinan Zhang ,1 and Guoqin Liu 4 1School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical School, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan, Hubei Province China 1School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical School, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan, Hubei Province China 1School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical School, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan, Hubei Province China 1School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical School, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.13 Hangkong Rd, Wuhan, Hubei Province China 2China Health Program, La Trobe University, Plenty Road & Kingsbury Drive, Melbourne, VIC 3086 Australia 3Health Action International, Overtoom 60-2hg, Amsterdam, 1054 HK The Netherlands 4School of Management, Zunyi Medical University, No.201 Dalian Road, Zunyi, Guizhou Province China Received 2017 Feb 10; Accepted 2017 Aug 16. Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. Poor access to affordable insulin results in serious and needless complications and premature deaths for those with diabetes who need this essential medici Continue reading >>

You Can Buy Insulin Without A Prescription, But Should You?

As anyone with diabetes can tell you, managing the disease with insulin usually means regular checkups at the doctor's office to fine-tune the dosage, monitor blood-sugar levels and check for complications. But here's a little known fact: Some forms of insulin can be bought without a prescription. Carmen Smith did that for six years when she didn't have health insurance and didn't have a primary care doctor. She bought her insulin without a prescription at Wal-Mart. "It's not like we go in our trench coat and a top hat, saying, 'Uh I need the insulin,' " says Smith, who lives in Cleveland. "The clerks usually don't know it's a big secret. They'll just go, 'Do we sell over-the-counter insulin?' " Once the pharmacist says yes, the clerk just goes to get it, Smith says. "And you purchase it and go about your business." But it's still a pretty uncommon purchase. Smith didn't learn from a doctor that she could buy insulin that way. In fact, many doctors don't know it's possible. When she no longer had insurance to help pay for doctors' appointments or medicine, Smith happened to ask at Wal-Mart if she could get vials of the medicine without a prescription. To figure out the dose, she just used the same amount a doctor had given her years before. It was a way to survive, she says, but no way to live. It was horrible when she didn't get the size of the dose or the timing quite right. "It's a quick high and then, it's a down," Smith says. "The down part is, you feel icky. You feel lifeless. You feel pain. And the cramps are so intense — till you can't walk, you can't sit, you can't stand." Smith says her guesswork put her in the emergency room a handful of times over the years. The availability of insulin over the counter presents a real conundrum. As Smith's experience shows Continue reading >>

Tips For Traveling To China With Diabetes

China is a very large country, and as you roam around it you’ll encounter different cultures, different landscapes, and different people. But in all of China’s many regions, you can travel with diabetes confidently: with preparation and a smart attitude, nothing bad will happen to you and your blood sugar in China. In this guide to travel in China with diabetes, get useful info about food and insulin doses in China, as well as information about keeping medication safe and communicating in Chinese about diabetes and your needs, plus advice for moving around China and getting the most out of your trip while taking proper care of your diabetes. Preparing for China with diabetes When going to China it’s best to do a little preparation up front, before you go, to make the trip as smooth as possible. As far as diabetes goes, this means taking care of your supplies. For a relatively short trip to China (a few weeks or less) it’s likely you can just carry everything you need with you. A good rule of thumb to follow is the “double” rule: calculate how much insulin, blood sugar testing supplies, needles, and other medical things you’ll need for the time you plan on spending in China, and then buy double that amount. Split everything up into the bags you’re taking – if you’re traveling with a big suitcase and a smaller day pack, for example, put some of each supply in the big bag and some in your small bag. It is very unlikely that anything will happen to either bag or to your diabetes supplies, but this is a “just in case” type of preparation: you’ll always have a fallback. Even more important, perhaps, is that it gives you peace of mind. Many diabetics are afraid of what might happen to them if they were to explore China with diabetes, and they dream up Continue reading >>

Why Is Big Pharma So Interested In China? Just Look At These Scary Diabetes Numbers

This hasnt been a great year to be a foreign drug maker in China, as a developing government anti-bribery crackdown has resulted in arrests and the prospect of monster fines . But assuming they can weather this storm, China is a pharmaceutical firms dream market, with an aging, increasingly affluent population that is falling prey to the chronic illnesses of the developed world. A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that about 11.6% of adults in mainland China suffer from diabetes based on a 2010 survey, for a total of 114 millionthats up by 22 million from 2007, and means nearly one of out every three global diabetes sufferers is Chinese. Researchers said that diabetes in China follows a different path than in developed countries like the United States, where sufferers tend to be overweight. In China, the body mass index of the average diabetic is 23.7, compared with 28.7 in America. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. Poor nutrition in utero and in early life combined with overnutrition in later life may contribute to the accelerated epidemic of diabetes, the study authors wrote . Asians may also be more genetically prone to diabetes than Westerners because of the way their bodies process insulin. Those millions of Chinese diabetics already add up to a massive market for global pharmaceutical firms, including Sanofi, Merck, and Novo Nordisk, who make the top three best-selling diabetes drugs. All three firms have been enmeshed in Chinas anti-bribery crackdown: Investigators seized documents from Sanofi in August, the same month they visited a Novo Nordisk production facility . And according to a report by the New York Times , Merck and Sanofi, along with Novartis and Roche, all employed the same travel agency that allegedl Continue reading >>

Travel Guide For People With Diabetes

Josiane Paiement, 2005 Winner of the Educational Production Contest StÃ©phane Chouinard, Pharmacist Coordination : Ã‰lyse Dion Design graphic and illustrations : Laurent Lavaill Diabetes QuÃ©bec 8550, Pie-IX blvd. Suite 300 MontrÃ©al (QuÃ©bec) H1Z 4G2 Phone: 514.259.3422 Toll Free: 1.800.361.3504 www.diabete.qc.ca Josiane Paiement, Type 1 diabetic 2005 Winner of the Educational Production Contest StÃ©phane Chouinard, Pharmacist Travel Guide for People with Diabetes Table of Contents What to do before you leave 7 What you should bring on your trip 12 At the airport 16 During your trip 17 Tips about insulin 21 Commercial brand names of insulin around the world 23 Tips for people taking diabetes pills 25 Diabetes pills 26 Meals 27 Exercise prior to boarding and during your flight 29 If you drive 30 Some useful phrases 31 Our goal is to provide you with the practical knowledge you need to confidently leave home and explore the world, despite certain restrictions imposed by your diabetes. This travel guide covers what you need to do before and during your trip to ensure that it is as enjoyable as possible. Before planning a trip, you need to be absolutely sure that you are healthy enough to go and your diabetes is very well controlled because travel can affect your blood sugar control. Be sure to consult your doctor before you plan your trip. Once you and your doctor have determined that you are healthy enough to travel, use this travel guide to organize your trip and avoid potential problems. 6 Gather information Learn as much as possible about the countries you intend to visit by consulting the following websites: World Health Organization www.who.int This website is an excellent resource for learning about the health and disease situation in the countries you Continue reading >>

Diabetic In China? Here Are Some Tips To Make Your Life Easier!

Type 2 diabetes is a blood sugar disease that occurs when your body is either unable to produce enough insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces, causing an overabundance of sugar in the bloodstream. And it’s this high level of sugar that slowly damages the ability of your pancreas to produce insulin. Somewhat ironically, the pancreas’s response is to overcompensate, and produce even more insulin, resulting in levels in the body that are far too high all the time. The effects can be devastating: heart disease, deteriorating vision, issues with wound healing, nerve damage (that can lead to amputations) and even death. Type 2 in China In recent years, type 2 diabetes has become a major health crisis in China: according to a 2013 study, almost 12 percent of the Chinese population is afflicted with the disease, while another 50 percent show symptoms of pre diabetes. This is, in part, the result of societal shifts - the consumption of more and more fatty, Western style fast foods; the adoption of a more sedentary lifestyle with the shift from rural to urban living. And add to that the fact that the Chinese consume the most white rice in the world - a grain virtually void of nutrition, which simply turns to sugar in the body. A global problem While China has the largest diabetes population, the problem is global, make no mistake. A 2013 report by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) suggested that 387 million people live with diabetes; the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 90 percent suffer from type 2. But what can be done? The good news is that the condition is livable so longer as a sensible diet is adopted. And while, in the past, diabetic diets used to be very restrictive, with a little creativity and forethought, type 2 diabetics don� Continue reading >>

Life With Diabetes In China (hiding No More!)

Mary Shi is a young woman in China with a mission to change her country's attitude and support for people living with diabetes. She was diagnosed with type 1 herself in July 2003, while busy preparing for the entry exam for undergraduate studies. She has since become one of the International Diabetes Federation Young Leaders, and now studies Media and Communications at Peking University and teaches Chinese to students. But it's her advocacy that's her passion. She's involved with the UK-based diabetes exercise group Team Blood Glucose. And her latest project is translating Gary Scheiner's book "Think Like a Pancreas" into Chinese! Today, we encourage you to read her story, and maybe say "Gong Xi Fa Cai!" (Happy Chinese New Year! - pronounced "Gung Hay Fat Choy") to Mary. A Guest Post by Mary Shi I'm Mary, from Shanghai, China. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 18 years old. Ten years ago here, there were still few physicians who were aware that diabetes was a disease not entirely exclusive to the middle-aged and elderly. For many in China facing the same situation, death is unfortunately a common outcome for those who ignore the symptoms for fear of stigma or from receiving inadequate treatment. Complaining of frequent exhaustion, an insatiable hunger and thirst, and dropping weight to a concerning low level, my family and friends credited my recent ailments to pressure from my university entrance exams. After a whole year of struggle, I eventually went to the hospital and my blood sugar test results came back at 30.6 mmol/L (551 mg/dl) — the most ridiculous thing is, I drank Coca-cola and ate ice cream before going to the test. The medical staff were bewildered at my condition. The nurses came to me and asked, "You are so young, why do you have diabetes?" My fa Continue reading >>

Hong Kong Pharmacies

Is it possible to buy insulin in Hong Kong pharmacies? We live in China (Tianjin) and are finding it difficult to find certain medications. Is Hong Kong better for finding Western pharmaceuticals and also sundries (shaving cream, razors, etc). We will be there for shopping trip next month. I think insulin can only be bought with doctors prescription... other than that it is easy to find most over the counter medication like panadol / imodium and the likes.... of course sundries are easily available. You can go to personal care stores like Manning's or Watson's (some of those shops are registered pharmacies where you can get the prescribed medications) Most of the pharmaceuticals and sundries will be popular Western brands. And you'll probably be spoiled for choice. Hong Kong has a wide range of pharmaceutical products available, but it has pretty strict licensing controls that require prescriptions for many meds. (Many meds that are available over-the-counter in the USA, for example, require prescriptions in HK.) There is also a significant price factor to consider. Because of the (protectionist) import licensing rules, some meds which are easily available (e.g. acetaminophen) can be imported only under the licensed brand name (e.g. Panadol) and not as generics. As a result many OTC meds are considerably more expensive in HK than in countries where more generic medicines are allowed. Vitamin supplements are ridiculously expensive (which is true in just about all of Asia AFAIK.)( Sundries like razors and shaving cream are also much more expensive in HK than, for example, in the USA. But they are easily available. I wouldn't agree that consumers in HK are "spoiled for choice;" shops in HK are small (blame the high rents) and the range of products and brands available in Continue reading >>

China Insulin Market, 2014 - 2018

NILESH KINDARLE Digital / Internet Marketing Professional Chinas insulin market scale approximately registered CNY 11 billion in 2013, of which CNY 7.5 billion achieved in second-generation insulin market and CNY 3.5 billion generated in third-generation insulin market. Now third-generation insulin market grows faster than second-generation insulin. And second-generation insulin market will accelerate growing space because it is just listed into new essential drug catalogue. Currently there are only two companies owning full series of insulin products globally, Tonghua Dongbao is one of the two. As for global insulin market at present, only three companies, including Tonghua Dongbao, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, produce second-generation insulin in quantity. Under oligopolistic competition in the global market, it is difficult to tell which companies products are better, but Tonghua Dongbao enjoys the lowest overall production cost. Compared with expensive insulin produced by transnational giants, governments can reduce expenditure of health insurance if buying Dongbaos insulin, so Tonghua Dongbao will become a powerful contender when competing for more market shares with transnational giants in the developing countries. Four domestic companies obtained production approval of second-generation insulin, namely United Laboratories, Donghua Tongbao, Wanbang and Shenzhen Kexing Biotech. The latter two received production approval in 2003, but their products did not sell in market due to bad quality. Currently Wanbangs animal insulin injections enjoy the largest sales volume in China. Third-generation insulin in foreign market covers rapid-acting insulin (insulin aspart and insulin lispro) and long-acting insulin (insulin glargine and insulin detemir). Recombinant insulin li Continue reading >>

Buying Insulin In Beijing

I learned after going to several pharmacies that insulin is available through hospital pharmacies. I went to International SOS and learned that the type I need will cost three times the amount I paid in the U.S. I know this clinic has a reputation for quality, but also for being expensive. I wnder if anyone knows of a place that might carry a wide variety of medicine for less expense. Thank you for any informaton. I think all hospitals and many pharmacies should have it. Chinese people get diabetes, too, you know. Try the ones near where foreigners live, they usually keep a medical dictionary on hand. or look it up on the internet and take the info to them. The hospitals will have someone that speaks English, and every doctor has a thick book with the English translation of medicines. I don't know where you are in Beijing, but there is a good hospital in Haidian. Perhaps, even the university campus' can help. (they are a lot cheaper than hospitals.) Go to the website of the manufacturer look for the website of their Chines affiliate and call them. Major insulin companies like Lily, NovoNordisk etc. have offices in China. They will advise you where you can get your insulin. I did some searching in Chinese and they also advised going to the hospitals to be sure of getting genuine stuff. Go to Chinese hospitals (ask around for tried-and-tested) and they will be cheaper than the Western-oriented ones. Chinese characters for insulin is , if you want the liquid injected kind then it's . I'd be very sure that you're given the correct insulin. Its not one of those nedicines where any old one will do!! OP - I understand that it costs 3 times as much but I suspect that what that you are using is NOT readily available in China and is probably manufactured in the US and brought to Continue reading >>

Diabetic Wanting To Work In China

Since 2003, Chinese-forums.com has been helping people learn Chinese faster and get to China sooner. Our members can recommend beginner textbooks, help you out with obscure classical vocabulary, and tell you where to get the best street food in Xi'an. And we're friendly about it too. Have a look at what's going on , or search for something specific. We hope you'll join us. I want to work in China long-term but I have Type 1 Diabetes (fully insulin dependent). This condition requires constant medication and is costly. I reckon about 2000 per year. In the UK all medication for T1 diabetics is free but of course in China the situation is much different. I just wondered if anyone can give me some info about this? Do some company's support expats with this condition? Chinese/home government government subsidies? Site Sponsors: Pleco for iPhone / Android iPhone & Android Chinese dictionary: camera & hand- writing input, flashcards, audio. Study Chinese in Kunming 1-1 classes, qualified teachers and unique teaching methods in the Spring City. Learn Chinese Characters Learn 2289 Chinese Characters in 90 Days with a Unique Flash Card System. Hacking Chinese Tips and strategies for how to learn Chinese more efficiently Popup Chinese Translator Understand Chinese inside any Windows application, website or PDF. Chinese Grammar Wiki All Chinese grammar, organised by level, all in one place. What kind of work are you thinking of doing? I used to work - teaching English in a university in a provincial capital - alongside someone with type 1 diabetes. He'd been working in China for several years, and is still there, and expects to be there many more years. I can't tell you how he handled his insulin supplies, but do remember from another diabetic friend visiting China that she thought Continue reading >>

Chinese Buyers Interested In J&j Diabetes Devices Business

Chinese buyers interested in J&J diabetes devices business Chinese buyers are circling to buy Johnson & Johnsons diabetes care business, as the US conglomerate looks to exit the market. Several Chinese firms are said to be interested in buying J&Js diabetes businesses including LifeScan, insulin pump business Animas, and insulin pen business Calibra. Citing five people in the know, Reuters reported the interest, which reflects the huge anticipated growth in diabetes care in China over the coming decades. The World Health Organization estimates that almost one in three of the worlds diabetes patients lives in China. There are more than 110 million people with the disease in China at the moment, and this figure is set to rise to more than 150 million in 2040, according to the International Diabetes Federations World Diabetes Atlas. Reuters said that among the potential bidders is a consortium being formed by Shezhen-listed Sinocare, which develops and manufactures blood sugar monitoring systems. China Jianyin Investment, a unit of sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp, is also involved and the group has hired an advisor, according to two sources. J&J told Reuters in a statement that an evaluation of strategic options for LifeScan and Calibra is ongoing, and that the company has no announcement to make at this stage. Goldman Sachs is reportedly working on the sale, although the bank has declined to comment, and Sinocare has yet to confirm the information. The move may suit J&J, which has seen revenues at its diabetes unit fall in recent years. In October, Animas said it intends shut down its business and discontinue sale of its Animas Vibe and OneTouchPing insulin pumps, transferring around 90,000 patients over to rival systems from Medtronic. Medtronic was first to Continue reading >>

Buying Insulin In China Is So Easy!

D.D. Family T1 since 1977 - using Novolog in an Animas pump. I needed more insulin, and was concerned that getting it China would be difficult. Getting a prescription would be an ordeal. So I found a translator (a Chinese English teacher) and we went straight to a big pharmacy in the hope that it was available OTC. They pulled out the book, and I soon found Aspart and Glargine. They had both in the fridge and sold me all I wanted without asking any questions. In spite of the language barrier, it was my quickest and easiest insulin purchase, ever. The price was interesting. Novorapid is 77 Yuan (12 US dollars) for a 3ml penfill cartridge. Lantus is 236 Yuan (37 US dollars) for 3ml disposable pen. I don't think there is a government subsidy on this. D.D. Family diabetic since 1997, on insulin 2000 A bit cheaper than here. My son Peter kept as a souvenir a prescription written in Chinese characters. D.D. Family Getting much harder to control Man that would be great to get it here in the USA that easy and that cheap. Moderator T2 since Oct 08, from insulin to no meds =) The price is similar to Malaysian prices i think (after convertion)... might be a wee bit cheaper here... and we can get it otc too... probably just some questions but apparently you don't even need prescription for it HbA1c: Oct 08 - 9.2% | Dec 08 - 5.5% | Feb 09 - 4.4% | June,Sep,Dec 09,Mar 10 - 5.2% | June, Aug 10 - 5% | Nov 10 - 5.3% | Dec 10 - 5.1% | Feb 11 - 5.2% | May 11 - 5.3% | Aug 11 - 4.6% | Dec 11 - 5% | March 12 - 5.1% | June 12 - 5.0% | Sept 12 - 4.9% | Dec 12 - 5.2% | March 13 - 4.8% | May 13 - 5.0% | Oct, Dec 13 - 5.2% | Mar 14 - 5.0% D.D. Family T1 since July 2010 Pumping since July 2011 Wow! And I was surprised you can get R at Walmart in the States. (Also OTC, right?) I get U-100 Humulin Continue reading >>

Black Market Insulin: What You Need To Know

Millions of consumers are battling rising drug prices. But for diabetics who rely on daily medication, supplies and monitoring equipment, the problem can be particularly acute. Just last month two major insulin manufacturers, Eli Lily (LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NVO), each raised their insulin prices by 8 percent. On Thursday, Nevada Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a law that would require pharmaceutical companies to disclose how they set insulin prices. Meanwhile, Washington watchers are expecting President Donald Trump to soon issue at least one executive order aimed at lowering drug prices. Many health care experts worry that rising prices will exacerbate the already dramatic trend of buying insulin and other diabetes drugs on the so-called black or gray market. Adult diabetics and the parents of children suffering from juvenile diabetes who have trouble affording treatment are increasingly turning to the dozens of Facebook (FB) pages and other internet sites that act as a vital marketplace for people looking to trade, swap, buy and sell medicine, equipment and supplies. "I cannot afford my insulin anymore. I have Lantus pens to trade for Novolog or Humalog vials/pens. Any help is appreciated!" reads one post on the website of digital diabetes support firm Helparound. A handful of people answered, some willing to trade, others offering advice on ways to afford the insulin the writer needs. These networks often include trades based on insurance coverage. Some people may have insurance that covers one type of insulin, but their policy doesn't cover the brand that works best for them. They offer to swap a supply of the drug their insurance covers with people who may have coverage for the brand they're looking for. "We hear about people going to alternative sources all Continue reading >>

Availability And Price Of Diabetic Medication In China.

Availability and price of diabetic medication in China. I am looking to possibly move to China as an English teacher and have several possible jobs in that area, but I'm also type 1 diabetic and dependent on insulin and it's quite hard to find the availability and pricing of various diabetic medication such as insulin, needles, testing strips that sort of thing. So I was wondering if anyone could give me any information in this area or where I should look for it, if it's possibly I'd like specific information for Jingbo, Hangzhou, Shenzhen or Chengdu, though any general information would help. While living in Hangzhou, I sought help with my issues with getting my medications. My employer (university) had a representative who helped me find an international hospital there which made it easier to give the doctors my list of prescriptions. My suggestion to you is to, first, bring a supply with you that will last 3 - 6 months. Pharmacies here in the US will give you a 90 day supply IF your doctor and insurance allow. Next, Have your physician write down the pharmaceutical name of the drug, the quantity you are prescribed and the dosage amount you should take daily and how often you should take it daily. Lastly, IF POSSIBLE, get the names of the medicines translated from English to Mandarin. The rep at my school was able to help me with this. Please note that the hospitals in China are far different that I expected from those here in the US. The international hospitals are more suitable for western cultures but are more expensive that the local hospitals. There is separate a Que or line for everything, and the natives are quite curious and invasive about your treatment. There IS NO PRIVACY!!! I wish you well and have fun while there! Thanks for the information! Nothing is c Continue reading >>