Insulin shortages ‘causing stress and anxiety’ for UK diabetes patients

[Northerner]

People with type 1 diabetes are being forced to endure the “stress and anxiety” of insulin shortages, patients, pharmacists and health campaigners have warned.

The “distressing” drug scarcity, the latest to affect the UK, is sowing uncertainty for the 400,000 people with the condition, with some products not available again until next year amid global manufacturing shortages.


Britain is already contending with record numbers of medicines becoming hard or impossible to obtain, including those for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and epilepsy.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) said “a regular and reliable supply of insulin is essential for life” for type 1 diabetics. That is because their disease – an autoimmune condition unrelated to type 2 diabetes – means they cannot make insulin naturally and must inject it every day or receive it through a pump.


“People with type 1 diabetes must regulate their own insulin injections and dose, so it’s imperative that they have confidence in the supply of their regular type of insulin,” said Hilary Nathan, the JDRF’s director of policy.

“The news of any shortages could cause significant anxiety to people with type 1 diabetes.”

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed there were “supply issues with a limited number of insulin products” that patients might find “distressing”.

Insulin shortages ‘causing stress and anxiety’ for UK diabetes patients

Exclusive: ‘Distressing’ scarcity sowing uncertainty among 400,000 with type 1 diabetes, experts warn

www.theguardian.com

Not good

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Saw this and thought of you @Flower

And to think of all the panic there was around Brexit, with precautions put in place by the manufacturers, which mercifully weren’t needed.

Then a few years later the supply has seemingly descended into chaos!

 

[AJLang]

This is truly awful and I’m on one of the insulins mentioned - Humalog. We weren’t able to get the vials in January and so switched back to the cartridges which were still fortunately on my repeat prescription. Luckily I’d been taught to use the cartridges for the pump BUT most medics don’t recommend this because the cartridge can potentially shatter when pulling up the insulin. Touch wood this hasn’t happened so far. I have some decent stock but it is getting lower.
My BG levels shoot up rapidly within two hours without insulin. I certainly don’t think that I’d survive a few days without it,

 

[Finn]

Luckily I’d been taught to use the cartridges for the pump BUT most medics don’t recommend this because the cartridge can potentially shatter when pulling up the insulin.

I exclusively fill my pump from cartridges.

I was taught to fill my pump from cartridges by putting the cartridge in a reusable pen and dialing up the dose to push the insulin into the syringe, rather than pull it from the cartridge into the syringe. Shattering wasn't mentioned, but maybe pushing rather than pulling the insulin would avoid any potential shatter issues.

I only pull the insulin from the cartridge when I'm getting those last 10-15u from the end of a cartridge after the plunger has gone as far as it can.

I'm in Germany, so the guidance I was given here might differ from what's taught in the UK.

 

[martindt1606]

To put a positive spin on this developing disaster......If Creon is in limited supply, I will need to reduce my meal sizes to reduce Creon usage, if my meals are smaller I will need less insulin making each vial last longer. Net result i'll have to refresh my wardrobe with much smaller size clothes.....who needs fad diets????

 

[Austin Mini]

This is truly awful and I’m on one of the insulins mentioned - Humalog. We weren’t able to get the vials in January and so switched back to the cartridges which were still fortunately on my repeat prescription. Luckily I’d been taught to use the cartridges for the pump BUT most medics don’t recommend this because the cartridge can potentially shatter when pulling up the insulin. Touch wood this hasn’t happened so far. I have some decent stock but it is getting lower.
My BG levels shoot up rapidly within two hours without insulin. I certainly don’t think that I’d survive a few days without it,

My chemist can supply me with Humalog cartridges and Humalog Kwik-Pens. I received two boxes of Humalog cartridges only last week with just the usual two day delivery.

 

[AJLang]

My concern is that a combination of people moving from vials to insulin cartridges plus the increasing media coverage about the shortfalls will lead to too much demand for the number of cartridges that can be supplied at any time.
There was an article in the Daily Mail today and it appears that there are also other insulins that are in short supply.

Brits with diabetes fear they'll 'die within days' amid insulin crisis

Charities say a regular and reliable supply is 'essential for life', warning the current shortage will cause 'significant anxiety' to Britain's 400,000 type 1 diabetics.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[martindt1606]

My concern is that a combination of people moving from vials to insulin cartridges plus the increasing media coverage about the shortfalls will lead to too much demand for the number of cartridges that can be supplied at any time.
There was an article in the Daily Mail today and it appears that there are also other insulins that are in short supply.

Brits with diabetes fear they'll 'die within days' amid insulin crisis

Charities say a regular and reliable supply is 'essential for life', warning the current shortage will cause 'significant anxiety' to Britain's 400,000 type 1 diabetics.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Creon is in short supply - advise switch to Nutrizym - result both are now in short supply.
I still have some cartridges in the fridge from the last time there was an issue with vials (i think due to the need to put the covid vaccine in something). Will need to check use by date....

 

[maryjaneholland]

Trying to be helpful with blast from the past HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1990's led by ACT UP activists, would people with Type 1 diabetes consider going abroad to source their supply of Insulin from countries without current shortages, EU countries, Canada, and bringing back their haul in suitcases? Or private membership buyer's co-operative as depicted in "Dallas Buyers Club"? Anything we can do to empower ourselves is positive and I have lost all respect for "government bods" and all politicians across the board who were surely warned in advance of international medicines shortages, so where's the UK stockpile and evasive action to prevent all the unnecessary suffering and distress and anxiety?

This is really shameful and shows how broken our country really is, well to inspire and encourage and offer an alternative point of view as this was real life survival story for people living with HIV/AIDS in 1980's and 1990's left for dead by US government who took their lives in their own hands and fought the authorities to bring effective HIV/AIDS drugs to people who needed them and would otherwise have died, please seek support if you need to talk as you are not alone...

Dallas Buyers Club for World AIDS Day: A Classic That Won Both Best Actor & Supporting Actor Oscars®

Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto go all in on Jean-Marc Vallée’s revelatory drama

www.focusfeatures.com

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Anything we can do to empower ourselves is positive and I have lost all respect for "government bods" and all politicians across the board who were surely warned in advance of international medicines shortages,

I'm not sure this is the same, is it? Judging by what DUK says, https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-u...-you-need-know-about-insulin-supply-issues-uk it sounds like there are just some specific manufacturing issues, presumably affecting other countries equally (though some may have stockpiled supplies in a way that the UK has not).

Anyway, presuming the DUK story is accurate (and no further problems happen) there's no issue with the insulin itself and the most disruptive problem is Humalog insulin in vials. It feels like that can be addressed by getting cartridges and a pen, but I'm not a pump user so maybe that's not practical. (It's obviously not ideal.)

 

[maryjaneholland]

To clarify, fat ugly overweight selfish me wants semaglutide drugs on prescription too, but they are permanently unavailable in the UK and I imagine if I can't lower my BG levels in the next few months, I will be prescribed Insulin too as Type 2 Diabetes patient not responding to Metformin.. Oh, and I would definitely be the "hooker with heart of gold" Rayon trans business woman character in any potential re-hash of "Dallas Buyers Club" making drug runs to Canada and beyond for the cause, but with bigger dress sizes, you know it...

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLISrtAJ0wX5kROYHjPBL8WEZhBizelLgV

 

[Flower]

Good news! After asking to change my prescription to Humalog cartridges & 1 month after requesting my repeat insulin vial prescription my GP pharmacist tracked down 3 vials of Humalog for me at a far flung pharmacy. They very kindly delivered to me because it was multiple bus journeys away.

I’m so relieved to have enough to keep me going for a few months. The stress of not being able to get vital medication is an unwelcome addition to the daily diabetes challenge. I’ll request vials again but don’t think I’ll be so lucky next time.

For now phew!

 

[rebrascora]

We really need a phew emoji option! So pleased you have acquired some and got it delivered. Hope the issue is resolved soon and you don't have to deal with this stressful situation again. It almost seems like it is one particular insulin one month and a different one next. The Creon issue seems to be ongoing and must be a real worry for people too.