For the second month running my usual pharmacy has been unable to source humalog vials. Last month I phoned 15 other pharmacies before being able to locate some. Before I start the ring around again, does any one know of a pharmacy in South Yorkshire with some in stock?
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Struggling to get humalog vials
- Thread starter MDM
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Sorry you’ve been having trouble getting your prescription fulfilled @MDM 
You aren’t alone. We have a few members who have been facing the same frustrations. Depending on which pump you use, as @Lucyr says you may find it relatively straightforward to fill your reservoir from penfil cartridges.
Hope you find a way of getting hold of the insulin you need without having to switch brands.
You aren’t alone. We have a few members who have been facing the same frustrations. Depending on which pump you use, as @Lucyr says you may find it relatively straightforward to fill your reservoir from penfil cartridges.
Hope you find a way of getting hold of the insulin you need without having to switch brands.
Thanks. I've had a look through and found the threads mentioned. I'm on the combo pump. I will contact my gp about it tomorrow and see about the cartridges as I really don't want to change from the insulin that's served me so well for the past 20 years!Sorry you’ve been having trouble getting your prescription fulfilled @MDM
You aren’t alone. We have a few members who have been facing the same frustrations. Depending on which pump you use, as @Lucyr says you may find it relatively straightforward to fill your reservoir from penfil cartridges.
Hope you find a way of getting hold of the insulin you need without having to switch brands.
rebrascora
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If you get the cartridges I think it is important to note the description of how to extract the insulin, by @Finn I believe, which is different from using a vial as there is a risk of the cartridge shattering, so I think you dial up the largest dose on the pen, insert the syringe needle through the diaphragm and then press the button on the pen to push the insulin into the syringe rather than drawing it out with the syringe. Hope I have got that right.
That is not the way I did it with cartridges but it would work if you have pre-filled pens.
With cartridges, I did not put them in a pen. I took the insulin direct from the cartridge with the syringe which comes with a pump set change.
The only the difference from filling direct from a vial is that I did not pull the syringe back before inserting it into the syringe.
The cartridge will not crack if I did, the rubber bung at the end shoots out.
Finn
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The important difference between taking insulin from a cartridge versus from a vial is that when taking from a cartridge, you don't add air like you would for a vial.
You can either push the insulin out of the cartridge by dialing up and pressing the button, like I do (this leaves the cartridge in a state where it could be used for a manual injection if necessary), or you can pull insulin straight out of the cartridge using the syringe plunger as @helli does.
Either way, you shouldn't add air to a cartridge as you would for a vial - adding air like this could push the stopper out of the cartridge and the insulin would pour out the open end.
Heard back from my gp surgery today (after phoning them on Tuesday) and they said that they had received a protocal saying not to prescribe the humalog cartridges for use in place of the vials. Instead they have prescribed me vials of novorapid, which I have never used before. Really didn't want to change to a different insulin ☹️
Flower
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I have the same worry @MDM
I'm just about to request my Humalog vials again as I have no surplus at all after the time it took to get my last prescription. Using something different after decades on Humalog really scares me without any hypo warnings. I know where I am with Humalog.
I'll ask for cartridges if possible rather than Novorapid and see what response I get.
The pharmacist I spoke to from my gp surgery said that it is hoped that the Humalog vials will be back in stock by mid June. I have 1 vial left and I am going to see how long I can squeeze out of it! Good luck with your request
Flower
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The search for insulin continues. Who doesn't need extra stress when managing diabetes?!
I requested Novorapid from my GP as my latest prescription for Humalog can't be supplied. I asked for 2 vials of NR and was surprised to be notified the prescription had been done. Got to pharmacy to collect the vials as I couldn't believe it would be that easy without any pump clinic input. I'd been prescibed 1 Novorapid Flex pen- something I've never used and is no use for filling a pump.
Now told I can't be changed without taking advice on what to use from my clinic- which I know is very sensible - but could be a lengthy thing as email contact only and I've not seen them for 18mths as there's no appointments. Here goes- I've got about 2 weeks of Humalog left so I need to do something and fast!
How's anyone else getting on changing from Humalog?
I requested Novorapid from my GP as my latest prescription for Humalog can't be supplied. I asked for 2 vials of NR and was surprised to be notified the prescription had been done. Got to pharmacy to collect the vials as I couldn't believe it would be that easy without any pump clinic input. I'd been prescibed 1 Novorapid Flex pen- something I've never used and is no use for filling a pump.
Now told I can't be changed without taking advice on what to use from my clinic- which I know is very sensible - but could be a lengthy thing as email contact only and I've not seen them for 18mths as there's no appointments. Here goes- I've got about 2 weeks of Humalog left so I need to do something and fast!
How's anyone else getting on changing from Humalog?
@Flower I have never tried it myself but understand you can put a needle on the end of a flex pen and use it to fill the cartridge you use in your pump. I imagine it is fiddly dialling up 200u (or whatever you need each pump set change) but I believe it is doable.
That’s assuming you have needles but I hope you do for your backup pens in case of pump failure.
While I have not done this, I have filled my pump from pen cartridges. But I think that is easier because I could bypass the pen.
I hope you get a better solution (like vials of NovoRapid) soon.
That’s assuming you have needles but I hope you do for your backup pens in case of pump failure.
While I have not done this, I have filled my pump from pen cartridges. But I think that is easier because I could bypass the pen.
I hope you get a better solution (like vials of NovoRapid) soon.
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Sorry to hear this @Mumof3
If you can get a prescription for Humalog cartridges you should be able to fill your pump reservoir from those with a very slightly adjusted technique (I used up my old NR cartridges when I first started on a Veo pump way back when!
Several members have been able to make the temporary switch to Humalog penfils to avoid having to switch insulins.
Thank you so much. I’ll talk with my GP
trophywench
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The main thing with the Combo reservoirs is that they pretty much exactly fit onto either a Humalog or a Novorapid vial whereas onto a penfill cartridge, the bit that fits on, is wibbly wobbly cos the neck of the cartridge is a smaller diameter.
I always found that Novorapid started working within 10 minutes so I'd go hypo before I'd even got stuck into my meal and it reliably finished by 4hrs later - whereas Humalog users told me H had a 'sting in its tail' and suddenly became more active in the last 30 mins/hour of its activity so MUST set the active life to at least 4.5 hrs. However since I've been in my late 60s and now aged 74 N lasts me 4.5 hrs too.
Others on here have called Novorapid 'Not so rapid' but perhaps I'm simply not so impatient? - dunno!
Just trying to pass on a bit of info about the insulin that has served me well since 1998 so far is all.
I always found that Novorapid started working within 10 minutes so I'd go hypo before I'd even got stuck into my meal and it reliably finished by 4hrs later - whereas Humalog users told me H had a 'sting in its tail' and suddenly became more active in the last 30 mins/hour of its activity so MUST set the active life to at least 4.5 hrs. However since I've been in my late 60s and now aged 74 N lasts me 4.5 hrs too.
Others on here have called Novorapid 'Not so rapid' but perhaps I'm simply not so impatient? - dunno!
Just trying to pass on a bit of info about the insulin that has served me well since 1998 so far is all.
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