How To Get Insulin At A Cheaper Price
Insulin can be expensive. If you’re one of the 6 million Americans with diabetes relying on this main-stay treatment, you could be paying out-of-pocket costs anywhere from $120 to $400 per month, according to a 2015 New England Journal of Medicine commentary. Drugs such as Lantus (insulin glargine) and Levemir (insulin detemir) have seen significant cost increases, according to a recent trend report by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts. One reason for the high prices is the lack of generic options for insulin. So for now, you’re stuck having to search around to find affordable options. Where do you shop for more affordable insulin? For some people though, high drug costs can mean making difficult financial choices. Our national polls show people might cut back on groceries and paying bills to pay for their medications. To minimize your costs, consider these options: Prescription Assistance Programs If you don’t have health insurance or are without drug coverage, look into applying for a patient assistance program (PAP). Through the nonprofit NeedyMeds, you can find some programs that offer free or low-cost insulin as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. Those are usually based on your insurance status, income, and diagnosis. You might also qualify for a diagnosis-specific program that can help you save on syringes, pumps, and other diabetes supplies. Pharmacists are also a great resource and can help you find a PAP that meets your financial needs. Switch Drugs Another way to save is by asking your doctor whether there’s a lower-priced insulin that’s right for you. While “long-acting” is a more popular type of insulin, it's also more expensive, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it works better. “It’s mostly a marketing ploy,” says M Continue reading >>
Humalog Cost...paying Full Price
Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please,join our community todayto contribute and support the site. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. I have posted here before and have told why I am paying full price for Humalog....I think 91.75 at Sam's Wholesale Club. On line there is a Canadian Pharmacy selling it for 43.99 plus 12.00 shipping per order (could even be more than one vial). A prescription is not needed for Humalog in Canada. I use two vials a month and am thinking of ordering two. Since it could be 10-12 days before it got here packed in a cold pack (which probably is not cold after three days) I am a little concerned about it not being refrigerated during the shipping time. The lady on the phone there says it all would have to be used within 30 days. I am not always sure I would use quite the two vials according to what I eat. You can tell I am a bit nervous about this or I would not be posting here. What do you think? Any one in the states using a Canadian pharmacy to save? You should check to see if Texas has a drug price disclosure law that requires pharmacies to give the price of prescription drugs over the phone. If so get on a internet yellow pages and start calling every pharmacy in every town along I20 to Abilene and then start on I30 to Texarkana .. and if that don't give a better number start working the highways north and south. Its amazing what kind of price differences you can find, even some pharmacies within a town. I get 2 of my prescriptions from Walmart, one from the clinic and one from a local independent. Why 3 places? Because thats where each is cheapest, I took full advantage of Michigan's disclosure law and saved over $100 a month just by making some phone calls. Nita: does it absolutely have to be Continue reading >>
The Rising Price Of Insulin
Diabetes is a chronic disease that afflicts 25.8 million Americans. Insulin, one of the primary treatments for diabetes, has been around since the 1920s. Yet, somehow the drug is still priced beyond the reach of many Americans. One of our advocates recently left a comment on our Facebook page regarding this problem, which encouraged us to take a closer look at it. Medication nonadherence (patients not taking medicine as prescribed) is undeniably related to diabetes-related health complications that result in emergency room visits and lost productivity. Diabetes is an expensive and deadly disease. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. and cost the country $245 billion last year. A few big pharmaceutical firms dominate the insulin market due to lengthy patents and lack of generic competition. Insulin is a biologic drug, which means that it is made up of living organisms rather than chemical compounds. This makes it more difficult to copy, which biotech companies often use as justification for the exorbitant prices they charge for the drugs. We’ve had anecdotal evidence from a consumer of a big price hike on her Humalog insulin this year. When she was trying to find out further information about the price increase, she was told by her insurance company to expect the drug to go up 25 percent more in December. News reports indicate that the cost of Lantus, a top-selling insulin produced by Sanofi, has gone up twice already this year, first 10 and then 15 percent. In addition, Novo Nordisk has also increased the price of Levemir, another common insulin treatment, by 10 percent. What’s going on here? Overall drug spending is slightly down due to generic drug utilization being up. And generic competition isn’t too far off for many of these drugs. It looks l Continue reading >>
Why Walmart Insulins Aren’t The Answer To High Insulin Prices
A diabetes advocate contrasts the performance of generic insulins versus the more popular brands. Commentary Some people don’t understand why people with diabetes get upset at the price of insulin. They see insulin for sale at a relatively reasonable price in Walmart and don’t see the problem. What they don’t know is that these Walmart insulins just don’t perform nearly as well as the more expensive insulins, and that gap in performance can have a very negative effect on the health of people with diabetes. There are three insulins available at Walmart for the price of $25 – NPH, Regular, and 70/30 (a mix of the two). NPH was first approved by the FDA in 1950, Regular was approved in 1982, 70/30 in 1989. That means NPH has been around for 66 years, Regular for 33 years, 70/30 for 27 years. Take a moment and think about what healthcare was like in 1950. Now, I’m sure someone is saying, “Well, they must still work if they are still being sold.” And they do, but they don’t work in the same way. These insulins are not interchangeable. If a person with Type 1 diabetes were to switch from a Humalog/Lantus insulin regimen to Regular and NPH, it would drastically alter their lifestyle, making blood sugar control more irregular and raising A1C scores. The biggest issue is that whereas Lantus is steady, NPH peaks. A person using NPH must keep a very set dietary schedule, making sure to eat meals and snacks at certain times to correspond with peak times of an insulin dose. The strict schedule is difficult for everyone, but especially for children. They are unable to alter their daily schedules and must always be sure to eat at specific times. Even if they’re not hungry, they must eat to avoid low blood sugar. And if they are hungry, they often cannot have more t Continue reading >>
Lilly Insulin Prices Under Microscope
INDIANAPOLIS — Over the past 20 years, while the price of a gallon of milk climbed 23 percent and the sticker on a Dodge Caravan minivan rose 21 percent, the list price of the insulin Humalog, made by Eli Lilly and Co., shot up 1,157 percent. Other Lilly insulins saw hefty price increases, too, including Humulin, on the market since 1982. It has seen price increases totaling nearly 800 percent over the last two decades. The soaring prices at Indianapolis-based Lilly — and two other insulin makers, whose prices are climbing at similar rates — are sending sticker shock through the diabetes community. In recent months, patients have filed lawsuits and called for congressional investigations, and now they’re planning a demonstration next month in front of Lilly’s headquarters on South Delaware Street. The actions are casting a bright glare on Lilly’s oldest and perhaps most famous franchise. The company was the first to mass produce insulin in the 1920s, a move that allowed it to attract scientists and make other breakthroughs in fields from cancer to depression. Click here to purchase photos from this gallery It’s a critical time for Lilly, as it tries to increase its dominance in the $10 billion diabetes-drug market against chief rivals Sanofi of France and Novo Nordisk of Denmark. Lilly CEO David Ricks continues to point to diabetes as a key area for investment and growth, but the company’s ability to keep patients and physicians satisfied could depend on how well it addresses their concerns over prices. Already, some physicians say high insulin prices across the industry are causing financially strapped patients to ration or discontinue their medicines, which could lead to serious medical problems. “It’s an everyday thing,” said Dr. Michael Hancock Continue reading >>
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Insulin Prices Have Skyrocketed, Putting Drug Makers On The Defensive
Here’s a sticking point for diabetics: the cost of insulin more than tripled — from $231 to $736 a year per patient — between 2002 and 2013, according to a new analysis. The increase reflected rising prices for a milliliter of insulin, which climbed 197 percent from $4.34 per to $12.92 during the same period. Meanwhile, the amount of money spent by each patient on other diabetes medications fell 16 percent, to $502 from $600, according to a research letter published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Insulin is a life-saving medication,” said Dr. William Herman, a coauthor of the analysis and a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. “There are people with type 1 diabetes who will die without insulin. And while there have been incremental benefits in insulin products, prices have been rising. So there are people who can’t afford them. It’s a real problem.” The analysis also found that the cost of various widely used oral diabetes drugs either dropped in price or did not rise nearly as significantly as insulin. Metformin, for instance, which is available as a generic, fell to 31 cents in 2013 from $1.24 per tablet in 2002. And the newer class of diabetes drugs known as DPP-4 inhibitors rose 34 percent since becoming available in 2006. The researchers analyzed data from nearly 28,000 diabetes patients found in the Medical Expenditure Panel, a database on health care costs maintained by the US Department of Health and Human Services. About 1 in 4 people used insulin and two-thirds took a pill. Toward the end of the study period, a small percentage began taking new injectable medicines that are designed to complement pills. There have been previous efforts to track insulin pric Continue reading >>
Humalog Vs. Novolog: What’s The Difference?
The two leaders in the fast acting insulin market, Humalog and Novolog, are the most common types of fast acting insulin used by those with diabetes today. Fast Acting, mealtime insulin is a type of insulin that is injected before or right after eating. When you eat your blood glucose begins to rise. Fast acting insulin, Humalog and Novolog work to help manage these rises or spikes to keep your blood glucose levels more within range and balanced. When you use a fast acting insulin like Humalog or Novolog, you typically will continue to take a long acting insulin to help manage your levels between your meals and throughout the night. The question is though, is there really a difference between the two? Endocrinologists and other medical professionals don’t seem to really think there is, stating the two are virtually interchangeable. But that’s not really the full story. Humalog (Insulin Lispro) Insulin Lispro (Humalog) has been on the market since 1996, when it was first introduced by Eli Lily. Humalog is the first insulin analogue that was used clinically. Insulin Lispro received its name due to its structure. The difference between it and regular insulin was the switch between the lysine B28 (an amino acid) and proline B29. The formula consists of a hexametric solution available in vials and pen form. After a subcutaneous injection, the formula converts into a monomeric formula which allows it to have a fast absorption in the body. The one noted negative factor of Humalog is its short term control of glucose levels. Additionally, if it is injected and mealtime happens to be delayed, a hypoglycemic episode may occur. For Humalog to be most effective it is to be injected 15 minutes prior to the start of a meal. I recommend reading the following articles: Humalog is a Continue reading >>
Lilly Announces Program To Provide Insulin At Discounted Prices
Changes in insurance benefit design have increased the cost of insulin for some people. While discounts and rebates paid by manufacturers make insulin affordable for most people, they don't directly help the uninsured or people in the deductible phase of their high-deductible plans. And while some high-deductible plans exempt insulin from the deductible phase, others require people to pay most or all of the retail price until the deductible is met - meaning these people don't fully benefit from rebates when they visit the pharmacy. By using the Blink Health platforms, people who pay full price for most Lilly insulins may save 40 percent. This discount program will be the first time branded medicines will be discounted via the Blink Health platform, which has previously only been used for generic prescription drugs. "We understand the burden people face when paying full price for insulin," said Mike Mason, vice president, Lilly Diabetes. "This platform will effectively allow Lilly to lower our insulin retail prices for users of this platform while not affecting the reimbursement system for other people living with diabetes." Lilly has met with multiple leaders in the diabetes community, including leading advocacy groups and people with diabetes, about the price of insulin for several months. Lilly and Express Scripts started working on options for people who pay full retail price earlier this fall. Enrique Conterno, president of Lilly Diabetes, said today's announcement will hopefully drive additional change within the health care system for people who use insulin. "The health care system is incredibly complex, and we hope this program is a first step that will drive more thinking and innovative solutions for people with diabetes," Conterno said. "A more extensive soluti Continue reading >>
Insulin Is Too Expensive For Many Of My Patients. It Doesn't Have To Be.
At age 15, I developed an unquenchable thirst and frequent urination, and lost 20 pounds. I had developed Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that destroyed my body's ability to produce insulin. Without insulin, I would have eventually developed a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, which is lethal without (and even sometimes with) treatment. Years later, I'm a practicing endocrinologist. I could never have imagined back when I first started taking insulin that one day I would have so many patients who could not afford the medication because of skyrocketing prices. When the drug was discovered in 1921, the original patent was sold to the University of Toronto for $1 so that no one else could patent it and "secure a profitable monopoly." Numerous improvements later, insulin is produced by a three-company oligopoly. When the first of the newer insulin "analogs," Humalog, hit the market in 1996, it sold for $21 a vial. Today, vials of analog insulins, including Humalog, sell for about $300. Patients with Type 1 diabetes typically require two or three vials of insulin per month, but patients who are more resistant to insulin, such as those with Type 2 diabetes, may require six or more. A recent paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that insulin nearly tripled in cost from 2002 to 2013. A lawsuit filed in January accuses insulin companies of price collusion for allegedly raising prices repeatedly and in lockstep to match their competitors. Prices have gotten so bad that the American Diabetes Association recently launched an online petition at MakeInsulinAffordable.org, which has been signed by more than 248,000 people. Because insulin is so expensive, some people take less than their prescribed dose, causing higher blood sugars, which may lead Continue reading >>
Why Treating Diabetes Keeps Getting More Expensive
Laura Marston is one of the 1.25 million Americans who suffer from Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder in which a person's pancreas can't make insulin. She hoards vials of the life-saving medicine in her refrigerator to protect herself from the drug's rising prices. (Jorge Ribas/The Washington Post) At first, the researchers who discovered insulin agonized about whether to patent the drug at all. It was 1921, and the team of biochemists and physicians based in Toronto was troubled by the idea of profiting from a medicine that had such widespread human value, one that could transform diabetes from a death sentence into a manageable disease. Ultimately, they decided to file for a patent — and promptly sold it to the University of Toronto for $3, or $1 for each person listed. It was the best way, they believed, to ensure that no company would have a monopoly and patients would have affordable access to a safe, effective drug. “Above all, these were discoverers who were trying to do a great humanitarian thing,” said historian Michael Bliss, “and they hoped their discovery was a kind of gift to humanity.” But the drug also has become a gift to the pharmaceutical industry. A version of insulin that carried a list price of $17 a vial in 1997 is priced at $138 today. Another that launched two decades ago with a sticker price of $21 a vial has been increased to $255. [This 90-year-old fight over insulin royalties reveals just how much has changed in medicine] Seventy-five years after the original insulin patent expired — a point at which drug prices usually decline — three companies have made incremental improvements to insulin that generate new patents and profits, creating a family of modern insulins worth billions of dollars. The history of insulin captures Continue reading >>
Paying For Humalog Out Of Pocket
I'd really like to get a prescription for humalog from my endo in mid June. I know she'd give it to me, so I could correct DP and liver dumps more quickly. Right now I am using R and it's so slow correcting them. I buy R for $24.50 a vial right now. I can't afford the full price of humalog out of pocket and my Medicare Part D insurance has a huge deductible (several months at ful price). Is there any way to get the humalog out of pocket with a reasonable discount? What do you think of blinkhealth.com (or the like)? I am reading they can get you like 40% off Humalog, don't know if this is true. But a 3ml vial of humalog for like $50 a month would be affordabl eto me. As humalog is more concentrated than Novalin N. I just need about 10 units a dya of humalog to correct for liver dumps and DP. D.D. Family T1 since 1985, MM Pump 2013, CGM 2015 Humalog is not more concentrated than Novolin N. Both are U-100 insulins. Thanks. I'll have to re-read Bernstein's book, if I recall, he said it was.. but I might of misread. Maybe it was Levemir or another one. Moderator T2 insulin resistant Using Basal/Bolus Therapy Levemir is a basal insulin and is a longer acting insulin; not generally used to correct high random numbers. You should check with your doctor and pharmacy for assistance programs from some of the manufacturers of insulin. You would be looking for a bolus (quick acting) insulin. How high do you range during a day and have you adjusted your food intake to reduce carbohydrate consumption? Yes I know Levemir and Lantus are basal insulins. Yes I have adjusted my carb consumption down to a reasonable amount for my weight and health issues. (I eat 66 total grams of carbs a day .. about 41 net carbs). I already have the basal insulin dialed in and I use NPH for that -- 20 uni Continue reading >>
Buy Humalog (insulin Lispro) Vials 10 Ml 100iu/ml Online
Humalog (Insulin Lispro) Vials 10 mL 100 IU/mL QTY TYPE PRICE PRICE PER UNIT 1 10ML 100IU/ML VIAL $71.63 $71.63 2 10ML 100IU/ML VIAL $111.80 $55.90 3 10ML 100IU/ML VIAL $151.98 $50.66 4 10ML 100IU/ML VIAL $192.16 $48.04 5 10ML 100IU/ML VIAL $237.35 $47.47 6 10ML 100IU/ML VIAL $279.12 $46.52 7 10ML 100IU/ML VIAL $321.44 $45.92 8 10ML 100IU/ML VIAL $362.88 $45.36 9 10ML 100IU/ML VIAL $403.38 $44.82 10 10ML 100IU/ML VIAL $444.20 $44.42 VIEW ALL INSULIN PRODUCTSPLACE A NEW INSULIN ORDER What is Humalog Insulin Lispro? Humalog is the brand name of a variety of insulin analog products that includes insulin lispro, which is a rapid-acting insulin analog solution. Rapid-acting insulin analogs are also referred to as bolus, or mealtime insulin. It is genetically engineered from a safe laboratory strain of E. coli. bacteria specifically to help control the spike in blood sugar level during and after eating. Vials contain insulin lispro for subcutaneous (under the skin) injection. It is available as Humalog (insulin lispro) in a 10 mL 100 IU/mL vial. What is it used for? Humalog insulin lispro injection is used for the treatment of adults and children living with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. It has also shown effectiveness in helping prevent diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease, although it has not been officially approved for the prevention of any of these conditions. It is indicated for the treatment of those people who need insulin for maintenance of blood sugar levels and also for the initial stabilization of diabetes mellitus. It is short-acting, and it is meant for use together with a longer acting insulin, such as Humulin N (insulin isophane NPH), except when used in a subcutaneous (under the skin) insulin infusion pump. How does it w Continue reading >>
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Welcome To The Humalog® Family Of Insulins.
Humalog® is used to treat people with diabetes for the control of blood sugar. Humalog® Mix75/25™(75% insulin lispro protamine suspension and 25% insulin lispro injection) and Humalog® Mix50/50™(50% insulin lispro protamine suspension and 50% insulin lispro injection) are used to treat adults with diabetes for the control of high blood sugar. Do not share your Humalog, Humalog Junior, Humalog Mix75/25, or Humalog Mix50/50 KwikPens, cartridges, reusable pen compatible with Lilly 3 mL cartridges, or syringes with other people, even if the needle has been changed. You may give other people a serious infection or get a serious infection from them. The Humalog contained in the Humalog U-200 KwikPen should ONLY be injected with the Humalog U-200 KwikPen. Do NOT withdraw Humalog U-200 from the pen using a syringe. It could result in an overdose causing severe low blood sugar which may put your life in danger. Do not change the insulin you use without talking to your healthcare provider. Changes may make you more likely to experience low or high blood sugar. Changes should be made cautiously under the supervision of your healthcare provider. When used in a pump, do not mix or dilute Humalog U-100 with any other insulin or liquid. Do NOT use Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix75/25 or Humalog Mix50/50 in a pump. These insulins start working faster than other insulins that contain regular human insulin. You should take Humalog within fifteen minutes before eating or right after eating a meal. You should take Humalog Mix75/25 and Humalog Mix50/50 within fifteen minutes before eating. Do not use Humalog Mix75/25 or Humalog Mix50/50 if they have solid particles or clumps in them. Humalog Mix75/25 and Humalog Mix50/50 should be mixed carefully before each use and should be cloudy or mi Continue reading >>
The Prices For Life-saving Diabetes Medications Have Increased Again
A Type 1 diabetes patient holds up bottles of insulin. Reuters/Lucy Nicholson Insulin prices have been rising — increases that mean some people are spending as much on monthly diabetes-related expenses as their mortgage payment. It's led some people living with diabetes to turn to the black market, crowdfunding pages, and Facebook pages to get access to the life-saving drug. At the same time, the companies that make insulin have faced pressure from politicians including Senator Bernie Sanders, class-action lawsuits that accuse the companies of price-fixing, and proposed legislation in Nevada. Even in the face of this criticism, two of those drugmakers — Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk — raised the list price of their insulins again in 2017. Diabetes is a group of conditions in which the body can't properly regulate blood sugar that affects roughly 30 million people in the US. For many people living with diabetes — including the 1.25 million people in the US who have type-1 diabetes — injecting insulin is part of the daily routine. Insulin, a hormone that healthy bodies produce, has been used to treat diabetes for almost a century, though it's gone through some modifications. As of May 2, the list price of Humalog, a short-acting insulin, is $274.70 for a 10 ml bottle, an increase of 7.8% from what the list price had been since July 2016. On May 2, Lilly also took a 7.8% list price increase to Humulin, an older form of insulin. Novo Nordisk, which also makes a short-acting insulin, increased its prices to the drug in 2017. In February, the drugmaker raised its price to $275.58 for a 10 ml bottle, up 7.9% from what the list price had been since July 2016. In December, Novo Nordisk committed to limiting all future drug list price increases from the company to single d Continue reading >>
When You Can't Afford The Insulin That You Need To Survive | How To Use The Cheap "old-school" Insulin
Note: BootCamp for Betics is not a medical center. Anything you read on this site should not be considered medical advice, and is for educational purposes only. Always consult with a physician or a diabetes nurse educator before starting or changing insulin doses. Did you know that all type 1 diabetics and some type 2 diabetics need injectable insulin in order to live? Put another way, if a diabetic needs insulin in order to live, and the diabetic does not get insulin, the diabetic will die. Diabetic death from Diabetic Ketoacidosis is a grisly process, during which acid starts running through your bloodstream, searing your vessels and organs while your body shrivels up in dehydration as it tries to push the acid out of your body through your urine and lungs, and, left untreated, the condition shuts down your organs one by one until you are dead. If you're lucky, your brain will be the first thing to swell itself into a coma and you'll be unconscious for the remainder of the organ failures. In some cases, this grisly diabetic death can take a few days or weeks to complete its process. Or, if you're one of the luckier less-resistant insulin-dependent type 2 diabetics, you may actually get away with staying alive for quite a few years and suffer only some heart disease, stroke, kidney damage/failure, neuropathy, limb amputations and blindness. (my intent in describing how lack of insulin leads to death is not to cause fear in people with diabetes or their loved ones; rather, my intent is to make clear the reality that injectable insulin is absolutely vital to diabetics who depend on injectable insulin to live) While I'd love to go off on a political rant about how insulin should be a basic human right for all insulin-dependent diabetics (and why the hell isn't it?), that' Continue reading >>
