Humalog vial shortage?

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Flower

Flower

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I requested a repeat prescription 2 weeks back and my pharmacy can’t get Humalog vials. They’ve told me to give it another week then ask my Gp/clinic for a different insulin.

I’ve read there are Humalog shortages & thought it was USA rather than Europe but the pharmacist said there wasn’t any in the main distribution depot and no indication when it would be in stock,

Is anyone else struggling to get Humalog vials? I dont want to change insulin unless I really have to, I know how Humalog works for me & without hypo awareness the thought of using something else scares me. Thanks
 
Hello @Flower, I can't offer any help about the Humalog shortage; but there is a UK wide shortage of the larger Creon (digestive enzymes replacement medication) capsules that I depend on. I asked my local Pharmacy for any knowledge about when this might be resolved - no help. I then asked them for advice about alternatives - no help there either; not even if the Creon shortage was affecting any of the 3 other alternatives. So I asked my GP Surgery for advice on alternatives and that took a further 10 days for an answer.

So if your are not sure what alternative you want for Humalog do at least do some homework and identify the options - just in case.
 
Sorry to hear this @Flower - must be incredibly stressful and worrying for you :(

I’ve checked the DUK hive mind, and on 4th April 2024 apparently Lilly advised that there was the possibility of short term intermittent supply issues for humalog in vials only.

They said “we are actively monitoring the local situation and implementing actions to mitigate supply disruptions”

Could you get some pens for boluses, and use your remaining vials in your pump as basal-only?
 
I did the same when I first started on a pump @helli

I used up all my old NR cartridges by filling reservoirs with them. Would that work for you @Flower “
 
Flower said:
Hopefully it will only be a short delay to availability of vials.
Click to expand...

Yes fingers crossed they’ll be able to get some to you soon.
 
Hello Flower, I just logged on to post about this but you've beaten me to it. I've also been told by my pharmacy that they can't get the vials, I rang around 9 local chemists yesterday and they all said the same thing that there's a supply shortage and suppliers don't have stocks and don't know when it will be in. My usual chemist said it was due to Brexit, but I found out this morning there is a world wide shortage as mentioned above. Please see below a link to an article on the CNN website. My friend sent me a link to an article in a Spanish newspaper but I can't seem to share that. If my link doesn't work a quick Google will bring up articles about this.


There's also an article in the Independent newspaper (the UK paper) today written by James Moore, a journalist with type 1. He's on an insulin pen, Tetra? and there are no supplies available. He discusses the wider impact of Brexit on medicine shortages in the UK as well as the specific issues for him being unable to obtain his pen. Unfortunately you need to subscribe to the paper to read this.

I have to say, I got so stressed yesterday about this, I have spent the past few weeks chasing medtronic sensors which are also in scarce supply so this pushed me over the edge. Calm has now been restored I haven't used my insulin pen for about 10 years as I was put onto the pump due to never ending night time hypos. I do carry one for emergencies but thankfully they are very rare. Anyway, it's a temp solution if I run out. Fingers crossed this is temporary.
 
helli said:
When left in the lurch once, I was able to refill my pump from pen cartridges.
Is this recommended as an alternative to using vials?
Click to expand...
I exclusively fill my pump with pen cartridges. I fill my reservoirs with 100u and the reservoir lasts me 3 days, so a cartridge lasts me just over a week. I was prescribed it this way because a vial could last more than 4 weeks at the rate I use it and this gives me the option of manual injections if needed.

I put the syringe in the cartridge opening and press the pen plunger to 'dose' the units I dialed up to. I dial up to 100u so I don't need to eyeball how much is going in. I have a half-unit pen, so I do 30u+30u+30u+10u. I don't add air as you would when taking insulin from a vial, but I do still need to get air bubbles out once the insulin is in the syringe.

Of course, if you don't have a reusable pen for the type of insulin or you want to keep things simple, you could just extract straight from cartridge and into the syringe.
 
The Guardian ran a headline yesterday about general drug shortages, and saying that this was now normal. It claims the shortage has been exacerbated by Brexit. Whether that's true or not, I don't think any one cares why there's a shortage, just that they need their medication.
 
I seem to remember we were assured there would be no drug shortages after Brexit, with rumours of warehouses full of European medicines…has someone forgot to keep them filled, or have they not had enough time to negotiate new contracts abroad, or even persuade Uk pharmacies to make some of them instead? By coincidence ( or was it?) in Jan this year I was taken off Humulog to go on Toujeo and Fiasp.
 
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