Have you heard of people rationing insulin?

Type 1 and LADA
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have you heard of people rationing insulin?

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I think anybody that has any access to main stream and social media has heard of people that have rationed insulin. To what extent that rationing has affected how many people, who knows what to believe.

Any of us on insulin have temporarily rationed insulin at one time or another because we did not realize how low our immediate supply is, forgot our backup supply or other such issue.

It sounds to me more like the question’s intent is inflammatory rather than to open a discussion to actually resolve an issue.

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Didn’t we do a poll on the forum somewhere? I can’t find it…post link if you have it.

@CJ114, she’s not diabetic. Remember that this stuff is still pretty foreign to the vast majority of people. Could be an honest question. :slightly_smiling_face: I know, I’m surprised too…all the time I think everybody knows all this stuff. We’ve discussed it so much for so many years.

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Good question. We have discussed this subject before. I have never had to ration insulin in my 60 yrs of being a type 1. I also learned here that Walmart sells insulin for 25.00 a bottle. It isn’t a newer insulin but I used both for years earlier in my life. It gives me comfort to know that it is readily available, although I realize that many people who are insulin dependent have problems with these two insulins.

I worry about an emergency of some kind which could make getting any kind of insulin impossible. That is always in the back of my mind.

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Yes, but it doesn’t make sense to me. Ration insulin due to affordability and end up with big emergency room or hospital bill. I would go to Canada and get analog insulin at about $35/vial instead of the cheap stuff here. And prescription not needed picking up in person.

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Never have I had to even think about it. I was taught at a young age to build up a stash of important things in case you need it. So from the very beginning my doctor wrote my prescriptions with wiggle room in case I needed it and I just kept slowly building up a stash. In fact when I went to a pump I had 6 bottles of Lantus I gave away to someone I knew that used it.

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I think this is an important question so thank you for asking. There are diabetics suffering and dying as a result of rationing their insulin. Just like some diabetics extend their sensors.

https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/a-quarter-of-diabetic-patients-ration-insulin

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That is a really disturbing fact. I’m lost for words, without criticism of the US system.

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I don’t see the importance of the question. The OP is notorious for starting topics that will get political very quickly and are purposely crafted to incite as much vitriol as possible. Troll behavior, don’t feed

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Sad.

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So In a clinical study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers found that roughly 30% of patients ration insulin. Posted on US pharmacists, a “resource for clinical excellence” is trolling? You need to get a life mate. This is the third thread you have tried to derail

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Have you used less insulin than prescribed? Have you tried to stretch out your insulin? Have you taken smaller doses of insulin than prescribed? Have you stopped using insulin? Have you not filled an insulin prescription or not started insulin because of cost?

This is misleading, you just had to answer yes to one of these questions. I would have answered yes to two of them. Have you used less insulin than prescribed? or Have you taken smaller doses of insulin than prescribed?

This is one of those things that gets twisted by how you ask the question or what questions you ask.

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Yes, I’ve heard of many people rationing insulin and have personally had to ration for financial reasons so I completely understand why people sometimes reach that point.

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Sorry to hear that. I hope things will get better in the area of healthcare.

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Some people are brand new to the group.

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I’d be interested to read the full text of the study to find out how the questions were positioned. The article only says those questions were included, not that they were the ONLY questions. One would think that these folks probably know how to structure a study:

Lead author Darby Herkert, BS, of Yale College, New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues affiliated with Yale School of Medicine, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine; Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine

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I suspect that people who participate here are not representative of people with diabetes in the general population. People who are economically cornered are also busy trying to meet many other basic needs like housing, transportation, and enough sleep. They may view insulin rationing as just another tool they need to employ to survive.

Many aspects of their lives are compromises with the ideal. They are not likely as well informed about diabetes treatment as people who are members here. My heart goes out to them.

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I will see if I can find the full study. That may prove difficult. I am sure you have medical databases that I cannot access as a member of the general population.

I have seen this stat quoted in other areas.

Sally Holt, BS Ed, MLS

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Whoops. Jules I was confused. Forget what I wrote. As I suspected I do not have full access to that article. It is a professional database that lay people can’t get to. I will see though if I can find it online.

Best to you as always.

Sally

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Clearly.

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