Humapen Memoire

[PattiEvans]

Hi all

I hope this might be of interest to some members.

About a 13 months ago I had a problem with a Humapen Memoir pen and was aware therefore that there were battery issues that the manufacturers were experiencing. Anyway, they replaced that pen and I also got a spare prescribed. Just recently my first my pen in use died completely when the battery ran out, so I threw it in the bin (foolish of me that) and started using the spare I had had prescribed. Within a week that kept on resetting itself and became useless so I fell back on a spare Humapen Luxura that a kindly member of another forum gave me.

I phoned Eli Lilly and explained that my pen had malfunctioned and that battery problems were suspected and they agreed to replace it with a Humapen Luxura. I was happy with that - well not exactly happy, but it seemed appropriate since the NHS had paid for the original 2 pens at a cost of around ?30 each (which is why I shouldn't have thrown the first one in the bin, but asked for a replacement). I returned the Humapen Memoire to them for investigation.

Tonight I came in from work to find a letter from them (addressed completely wrongly but it did find our house!). It was quite a nice letter noting that I had reported a similar issue previously and apologising for the fact that I had experienced a repeat problem with the Memoir pen. It went on to say:

Examination of the device at our manufacturing site found that the device was in recurring reset mode and the memory showed a number of reset errors.

Issues of this type can be due to the device being manufactured with batteries in poor condition or batteries in poor condition being exacerbated by an issue such as cold storage, liquid ingress or storage in injection mode whilst in use. These issues can result in premature expiration, permanent error and/or recurring reset mode

So whilst admitting that they have a manufacturing problem they do have to get one in that it may actually have been made worse by any idiotic diabetic who kept it in the fridge, underwater or put it away switched on. Well the latter wasn't really possible since it switched itself off after a given short time. So far so good, I'm not really concerned that I might be to blame because I know where and how I kept it, and it had been used for all of one week. So it continues to say that future batches will be manufactured using improved batteries from a new supplier and the pen is temporarily unavailable whilst improvements are being made. They also enclosed a copy of a letter available on the Lilly UK website There are two interesting points in that letter. The first is that you are not supposed to continue using the pen if the display does not work, which is the direct opposite of what they told me when my first one malfunctioned a year ago - I still have the letter where it states that it was working Ok it was only the display and I could have continued using it.

The second I find rather more interesting which is this:

The timing will prevent us from replacing expired or substitute pens. If you require a replacement pen please contact the healthcare professional who manages your diabetes for a substitute device.

So, the NHS have paid for the faulty pens in the first place, is it actually the NHS's responsibility to pay for a substitute device? Is it not the manufacturer's responsibility to replace the faulty items themselves? I would urge any person in possession of a faulty pen to demand a replacement from Eli Lilly! Why should the NHS cough up?

Oh not to mention "the healthcare professional who manages your diabetes" HELLLOOOO, I manage my diabetes with help when needed from my HCP.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Very interesting Patti. Thanks for posting this.

Fingers crossed mine is still OK, though it does freak out a bit if it gets even slightly cool.

M

 

[Northerner]

Doesn't apply to me, but I do agree that the pen should be replaced FOC by Lilly, especially since they have admitted their manufacturing faults! Goddness me, they make enough money out of us/NHS! 😱 Having read this, I wonder if the novopen echo will be more reliable should it ever appear on the shelves of our pharmacies?

 

[Robster65]

Could it be that they've issued batches of replacement Humapens to clinics for this purpose ?

It may be that they're reimbursing the NHS indirectly. Whenever I've needed a new pen, I've just asked my clinic/practice and received (although not a memoir). So I just assume that the manufacturers dish them out like sweeties to encourage patients/HCPs to use their brand of insulin.

Rob

 

[trophywench]

No Rob, you haven't been able to get a new Memoir for quite some time.

 

[Robster65]

Sorry. Misunderstanding. I meant that they've always given a supply of normal pens to clinics and, because they continue to do so, will see that as a route for (less fancy but functional) replacements for memoires.

So rather than send out a humapen luxura directly, they're redirecting people to their HCP for one because that's their normal distribution route.🙂

Or something

Rob

 

[Copepod]

Always good to get feedback of ongoing stories - a bit like recaps on Crimewatch, which I've just watched. I quite agree, Ely Lily should provide the replacement for the defective pen, not the NHS.

The sentence "If you require a replacement pen please contact the healthcare professional who manages your diabetes for a substitute device" would make more sense, and cause less offence to people who manage their own condition daily, if they added the word "prescribing" or "equipment supplies" between "diabetes" and "for", but neither of these are completely accurate as most people get their supplies prescribed by GP and dispensed by pharmacist. As Robster says, they have sent replacements to clinics and what they are trying to do is direct people there to get get replacements.

 

[PattiEvans]

I will investigate whether or not they have distributed them to clinics because both Copepod and Robster make a valid point - but I am looked after at the GPs surgery and my pens were prescribed, not handed out as freebies. Many others must have the same system.