The R, NPH, and 70/30 I buy over the counter at Walmart. (Actually I usually ask family members down in America to buy them for me when they come visit bc they’re not as cheap here). I ask my doctor to write rxs for more than I need— you can refill a 90 day rx every 90 days (- grace period) whether you’ve used it all or not. In the case of insulin pens-- they are shipped by the whole box of pens, so even if your rx requires 6 pens for 90 days, you can order two boxes of 5 every 90 days.
And I ask for samples, and when samples expire at the clinic they magically end up in my fridge instead of in the garbage.
Back in December I was using a ton of insulin and twice the pharmacy said I couldn’t refill because I was refilling too soon. So my endocrinologist prescribed more insulin (what I needed plus about 20 units extra per day to fill pump tubing), and even though I’m now using less insulin because I’m eating low carb, I’ve continued to refill each month. So I’ve built up a small stash of insulin. Nothing that would last for years, but I could skip several months of refills and be fine.
I had Lantus pens last year that I threw out because they expired. I’m now wishing I didn’t. I learned last year that EpiPens are something like 90% effective even years after they expire, so I now have about five EpiPens (two unexpired ones in my daily bag and three that expired during the past year or two in my earthquake kit). If the same is true of Lantus, I would heve kept those and put them in my kit (though I have no idea how long Lantus can last unrefrigerated, so maybe it wouldn’t be that useful).
I’d never throw out insulin. Expired insulin is infinitely better than no insulin. Everything medical has an expiration date on it… and 90+% of the time that date is meaningless as long as it’s been handled and stored properly
Please don’t follow my example, but I have a bottle of prescription medication (Pyridium) that is currently over 15 years past its expiration date that I continue to use in the (thankfully) infrequent event of a urinary tract infection (until I can start an appropriate antibiotic.)
That being said, I advise never taking antibiotics that are past their expiration date. (Technically, no one should have any “leftover” antibiotics because they should only be prescribed [and taken] in the exact amount required to complete adequate treatment of the specific infection for which they were prescribed.) I save expired emergency glucagon kits to use as “mini-glucagon”.
I have vials of penicillin G veterinary grade. I have no idea how to use or dose it in humans, but hopefully someone in my “compound” would if the time came
With adequate hormone replacement, I think I could still produce children. I wouldn’t be opposed to giving it a very hard try. Also, I have nice, wide, child-bearing hips.
Ok jokes aside I have been planning to post this in more of “a life deals you lemons / make lemonade” type thread instead of a survivalist threat-- but it applies well here just about as well…
About a year or so on here someone was asking if anyone knew how to recycle or alternate use for styrofoam insulin shipping containers. Well that got my brain churning and I decided it would be a cool project to build a chicken egg incubator out of one. I researched it and have everything to do it now (only cost s few extra dollars really) and was thinking of making a time lapse video of me converting a styrofoam box, ultimately, to a batch of live chickens… I thought it was kind of a cool idea— creating life inside a box used to ship you a life saving medication. Seems like a good use of my creativity. Is anyone interested in watching that or am I way off in my own weird mind on that?
Fits in a survival thread too because if you know how to raise chickens and hatch their eggs you’re way ahead of the game in a survival situation
I’m using prescription steroid cream on my eczema that was prescribed in 2013, and it seems to be working okay (not sure it’s full strength, as my eczema will not go away, but it at least takes away the unbearable itchiness and stops me from literally scratching my skin off at night). I’ll get up-to-date cream when I see my doctor next.
Yes, get one of those new, fancy (and affordable) solar sheets, hook it up to a portable battery (they make them specifically for that purpose), and use it that way. Hang your solar sheet out the window when it’s nice out (even a bit cloudy will work) and keep your battery charged that way.
I’ve used such setups for research in the backcountry. One consumer type setup is available here (I’m not familiar with the brand, just an example):
This particular model ( Yeti 150 – Goal Zero ) looks like exactly what you are asking about.
Also, I have nice, wide, child-bearing hips. 
