March 14, 2009
Insulin Analogs, Insurance/Costs
Question from St. Louis, Missouri, USA:
I just recently moved and then, shortly after, lost my insurance. I have been trying to cut down on my expenses by using Wal-Mart’s Novolin insulin. This has been causing my blood sugars to be pretty unpredictable since I’m used to using Humalog. My prescription for insulin ran out and I really don’t have the money to see an endocrinologist out of pocket. Are there any ways that you know of that I can obtain a prescription without having to pay full price for an appointment with an endocrinologist? Then, I will be able to take of cheaper prices from mail order pharmacies.
Answer:
State law in Missouri, and many other states, allows for the old human Regular insulin to be purchased without a prescription. However, the short-acting insulin analogs like lispro insulin (trade name Humalog) require a prescription for distribution. But, an endocrinologist is not required to prescribe lispro insulin. This can be prescribed by any physician. I would recommend that you find a physician somewhere who can follow you. Generally, they will be able to write the appropriate prescription for you.
JTL
