It’s available in South-Africa - and if it’s available here it should be available there!! 
We’re normally the last to get new stuff, Symlin is not yet available in SA…
When I first started Apidra over a year ago CVS pharmacy which is a very large company here in the USA had to order it because it was still relatively new at the time. I would start by asking your DR and see what they say.
This is my trail day 4 on apidra…too soon to tell if it is going tobe better for me than novalog. Been a stressfull work wise–last week was our month end–always a crush time and the second round of layoffs for our co yesterday–I surevivied but 10 other peeps here in Reno did not 
Been using Apidra for a few years now. Just started pumping (Omnipod) 7 months ago. Still using Apidra. No complaints at all.
Jeff,
Medtronic had an " Ask the Expert " session this past Monday and Rebecca mentioned, that Apidra is NOW available in Canada . I am going to the Clinic( Vernon ) in June and will discuss with my Team .
I use Novorapid in my pump, have now for about 7 plus years, after I read a report that Humulog may " clog" the canula .
Continued : It probably will cost us in BC …after all it was only since late 2007 , that Pharmacare paid for Lantus
I have been using Apidra for the past year and a half injecting. Just started on the pump a week ago and chose to keep using Apidra. No problems as of yet… I thought it was from Germany. I was in the ER at Sparrow in Lansing MI…tripped at a conference and did some damage to my wrist about a year ago…the first nurse I saw thought I was making up the name of insulin, I showed her the bottle and she took it to show other staff. No one had heard of it before.
I find Apidra more confusing than consistent and predictable, but I am a woman still in child-bearing years. I have had 2 episodes in the last 60 days of hypoglycemia that required ambulance transport to local ER. Got there and was told to eat. Easy for them to say when all you have been doing all day is eating and you just can’t hold any more. I do find that I need to wait until I begin eating before bolusing, but that may be because I am doing so many things at the same time that I sometimes forget to sit down and eat so I wait until I am actually eating before I bolus. I do also notice a funny taste in my mouth about 3-5 minutes after a bolus too. For me, I find it a little confusing about how long it actually stays active in my system and how long to have the active rate in my pump. For Novolin that I was on before, it was set for 6 hours. I also knew that I had to wait 30 minutes if my sugar reading was above 80 before I ate. I haven’t quite figured out the schedule for Apidra yet and I have been on it for over 100 days now.
Great thread…I have many questions about Apidra and should give it a try again. I use Novolog (Novorapid in Canada) but, often deal w/ higher than I would like postprandials…especially if I go into a meal higher than 150 mg/dl. I did not really give it a chance when I tried it about 6 months ago. My doctor did not make much of it and I did not adjust my basals to reflect the faster action and disappearance…which led to higher BGs. As I remember…I actually loaded a new reservoir w/ Novolog and placed the unused portion in the frig. Maybe I was too hasty in my eval of Apidra? Did anyone else increase their 3-4 hr postprandial basal rates w/ the switch? change TDD (basal)?
I’ve been on the insulin pump for 2 years and have been using NovoRapid (NovoLog) insulin. My doctor recently suggested a switch to Apidra. I tried it for two weeks, but experienced clogs in the infusion set (Quickset / Minimed) as mentioned by Riette and Kelly. Since I’ve never had this problem with NovoRapid insulin, I’m assuming the problem is being caused by the use of the Apidra insulin.
In checking the Aventis web site they indicate that Apidra can only be used for 48 hours in the insulin pump. The infusion set must then be changed. http://products.sanofi-aventis.us/apidra/apidra.pdf
I would be curious to know how long others keep their insulin pump infusion sets going before a change. I’m usually between 72 hours - 96 hours without a change and could probably go much longer.
Regardless, at 48 hours max in the pump, the Apidra is definitely not a suitable alternative for me. Not only would that increase the cost of operating the pump, it’s also a pain to be constantly changing the infusion set (takes away from the benefits of the pump).
Hi Thierry - are you still on Apidra. I have a Medtronic 722 and recently tried Apidra, but I found it clogs after about 2 days of use in the pump (issues a continuous “No delivery” message) which never happened with NovoRapid (NovoLog) insulin previously . Previously, I could keep my infusion set (quick-set) going for 3 - 4 days.
I’m curious what your experience with the MedTronic pump and Apidra has been like.
After a brief attempt to switch to Apidra, I also switched back to Novolog (NovoRapid in Canada). The Apidra in my pump was leading to clogs and unpredicable results after a relatively short amount of time. Results are back to normal after returning to NovoRapid after a two week test with Apidra.
I started Apidra when on a Paradigm 715 in 2005. Never had a clog with it (or Humalog, for that matter). I then used Apidra on the Cozmo and now wear an omnipod. Your info about a time limit on Apidra in a pump is news to me. I go 80 hours between pod changes. Haven’t had any problems in 4 years on it. If Novorapid works for you though, go for it. I’ve never tried it.