Poll - How many days supply of insulin do you have?

[SweetGuy]

Re-order when I down to the last box of five pens. Which may sound like a shed-load to type 1s but I use a lot.

 

[coocoohibi]

I think I am very lucky to have no problem with insulin prescriptions! I usually order when I have two bottles of Lantus and Novorapid in the fridge and one in use. It takes a week for prescription to be ready. I hope it stays that way!

 

[Kaylz]

Well Tresiba picked up today and only 1 box despite requesting 2 and also being told there were 2 so I'll be calling the health centre on Monday and asking to have a chat with the pharmacist xx

 

[MarkGeordie]

I learnt my lesson last Christmas.

I had left it quite late and for some strange reason the 2 pharmacies in my area didn’t have any.

My DSN saved me and got me some from hospital pharmacy.

I now keep a big supply.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Order online myself, does have date last requested on meds but can order early, within reason of course, maybe different systems being used for different sugeries.

Yes I think my lot must let me order with a little leeway too, that and a reduced need for insulin at various points has let me build up a reasonable (though not excessive) cushion.

I tend to have 2-3 vials in hand most of the time these days.

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

I wonder if it might be better to reorder when I open the last box of cartridges rather than the last cartridge. The only way I can see that it would be wasted would be if I "pegged out" and I am trying not to do that anytime soon!

I have told R that if I die he is to send any spare (unopened) diabetes supplies to IDDT - https://www.iddt.org/here-to-help/helping-developing-countries (they're not collecting at the moment because of Covid, but hopefully they will be able to again in the future).

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

I always order new insulin when I'm down to my last box of cartridges - that means I usually have about 2 months' supply of Novorapid and about 6 months' supply of Tresiba (I hardly use any basal). But insulin generally has a long use-by date and it doesn't take up much space in the fridge, and I'd rather have a box of each spare rather than just a cartridge in case the last cartridge turns out to be damaged or something.

 

[BigMalc]

I'm glad I read this post. I tend to only order when starting last 'pen' so only have a couple of days to play with after scrip works its way to Boots and they tell me it is ready. I know as a T2 I do have more leeway, but will start to order earlier on hearing the advice and experience of others.

 

[Kaylz]

Pharmacist at the health centre has upped my prescription to 10 cartridges of each, I've 15 still of Novorapid in the fridge from when it was on CMS so shouldn't be needing that this year but may put an order in for Tresiba before Christmas just to be safe, it will all be used obviously so no harm xx

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

Yes, it's not like ordering something you might never use. In my nearly 11 years as a diabetic I've only thrown away one Novorapid cartridge, after it spent all day in an unexpectedly hot car boot and clearly was no longer useable. And I sent one box of Tresiba cartridges to IDDT after the pharmacy gave me two boxes in succession with very short dates (the second box had an even shorter date than the first box, if I remember rightly - they'd obviously got their storage mixed up, which is something which happens a lot with our pharmacy, but doesn't usually matter).

 

[Totalwar]

I have 15 days left just ordered x20 day’s normally takes a week before prescriptions filled.

 

[Mumof1]

My repeat gives me 2 boxes of both my basal and bolus insulin and I reorder once I open my second box.
Sick day rules can give you huge increase in insulin need .
I've swapped pharmacy recently and now have turnaround in about 2-3 days, was atleast 10 working days previously