Thank you everyone for all the amazing replies. There is so much knowledge on this forum. It does appear that a few tweaks are needed to my online prescriptions. My GP surgery is only a very small surgery so I do wonder whether they've just not had a lot of experience with type 1 diabetics. Can someone let me know how I change over to the reusable pens with cartridges as I would like to do this. Can I just ask the GP surgery to swap me over or does it have to come from my diabetes team?
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Type 1 - Issues with Repeat Prescriptions
- Thread starter Karly
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Bruce Stephens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
That's how I did it. The surgery's pharmacist gave me a phone appointment, we talked it over as she looked at what was available and she changed my prescription (and arranged a prescription for the pens and cartridges).
Thebearcametoo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent
Yes. They essentially need to be prescribed and should then the pens stay on your repeat prescriptions list for if they break and the cartridges will be your go to insulin. If they have an in house pharmacist they should be able to it. If not the GP can do it.
Thank you @Bruce Stephens and @Thebearcametoo
Proud to be erratic
Well-Known Member
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- Type 3c
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- He/Him
If you intend to have reusable pens for both basal and bolus I recommend you ask for different colours and at least 3 pens, so there is always one in pure reserve. If you should be unlucky enough to need an early replacement and even if that is for rhe colour you only have one of, then the duplicate colour can still be the reserve that comes into play until you can request the replacement for the colour you actually want. That is manageable, but trying to swop cartridges of different insulins between one remaining pen is not practical for anything than the next immediate dose. Thereafter things can go awry! In practice the reusable pens feel very robust - but once it's dropped and accidentally crushed so it doesn't work - then you appreciate having that reserve!
For different colours the surgery must write the appropriate code number - no good them saying 2 of "xyz", with one in red and one in blue (say); if xyz is in fact blue the Pharmacy can only provide 2 blue. The prescription request needs to be very exact; different colours have different order codes. A small GP Surgery may not have previously encountered this problem. Mine didn't and at one stage I had 4 blue pens; luckily the Pharmacy was willing to take one back since I hadn't broken the seal on the packaging.
Wow thank you @Proud to be erratic. I think I'm going to have to write a list of things I need to talk to my GP about!
PattiEvans
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi there
Do be aware that not all insulins use the same pens as the refills don't necessarily fit other manufacturer's reusable pens. Here's a list of Lantus pens
So you're less likely to muddle them up. However, that means you would need a spare of each.
Do be aware that not all insulins use the same pens as the refills don't necessarily fit other manufacturer's reusable pens. Here's a list of Lantus pens
Novorapid uses different pens made by NovoNordisk. See https://www.novonordisk.co.uk/our-products/injection-devices-and-needles.html
So you're less likely to muddle them up. However, that means you would need a spare of each.
Thebearcametoo
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Parent
Yes Lantus uses a different pen to novorapid so it shouldn’t be a problem. Tresiba and novorapid use the same and I didn’t know there were different codes for different colours. Our pharmacy just gives us what it has. My kid uses special stickers to customise them anyway so it’s not an issue (you can buy them from type one style and other places)
Thank you @Pattidevans and @Thebearcametoo
Lucyr
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
If your lantus dose is small (under 30u) the juniorstar is the better of those pen options. If you currently / are likely to need more than 30u at once then you’d probably not want the juniorstar.
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