Insulin cost

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StephG

StephG

Member Since 2016
How much is levemir and lantus? Where is the cheapest place to buy each? I'm not ready to switch yet but unfortunately cost will have a large influence on our decision.
Chuck is currently on 6 units of ProZinc twice a day. I don't know if that means the same side will be needed in the Lev or lantus.
 
Hi Steph,

The Ls are U100 insulins so each vial will last longer even at Chuck doses. I'm in Canada and am lucky to be able to buy Lantus OTC. I buy the 5 pack of pen cartridges at 3 mL each. As a U100 insulin, that's 300 units of Lantus per 3 mL cartridge, so a total of 1500 mL in the 5 cartridges combined. ProZinc is U40 and a vial is 10 mL so 400 units of ProZinc per 10 mL vial. I was paying about $125 a vial for ProZinc from my vet and I bought the 5 pack of Lantus at the human pharmacy for $125. The ProZinc vial lasted over 2 months but I expect that same cost in Lantus will last me about 10 months. The unopened cartridges are good until the expiry date in the fridge. Mine have an expiry date of 2 years from now.

Ordering from Marks Marine Pharmacy should give you similar savings.
 
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Yong said:
Can you buy ProZinc from that pharmacy in Canada or just the L's? Just curious :)
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No, ProZinc is a cat insulin and has to be purchased from a vet or maybe an online pet pharmacy. Maybe I'm wrong, though, about Marks Marine Pharmacy. Either way, it would still be expensive. The reason that human insulin is so much cheaper is that its cost is subsidized under the Canadian health care system. It's available OTC because it's vital to diabetics, some of whom might not have a doctor to prescribe it.
 
Just checked Marks Pharmacy database and it is just the human insulin's :). I know ProZinc is available from a wholesale store called Costco in the states but it's more than (almost double) the Vet's office that I got mine from. Thank you :bighug:
 
Yong said:
Can you buy ProZinc from that pharmacy in Canada or just the L's? Just curious :)
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I found an online vet pharmacy that was selling it for about $95/vial. I was going to order from there with my first vet because they were charging $160+. Then they told me there was a $20 script fee. I was less than polite about them "selling" prescriptions! After script fee and shipping it was only ten dollars cheaper. But I switched before getting another vial!

At this point I'm spending $110 a month on insulin. I have a family member on lantus that gets an extra vial so I might even be able to pay their co pay. But the vial might expire before I use it all. I'm still stuck on the lantus possibly stinging at higher doses... I'll see what's up when the vet calls back.
 
Yong said:
Just checked Marks Pharmacy database and it is just the human insulin's :). I know ProZinc is available from a wholesale store called Costco in the states but it's more than (almost double) the Vet's office that I got mine from. Thank you :bighug:
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I obviously know nothing about anything but lantus and kev. Marks is a human brick and mortar pharmacy.
 
StephG said:
I found an online vet pharmacy that was selling it for about $95/vial. I was going to order from there with my first vet because they were charging $160+. Then they told me there was a $20 script fee. I was less than polite about them "selling" prescriptions! After script fee and shipping it was only ten dollars cheaper. But I switched before getting another vial!

At this point I'm spending $110 a month on insulin. I have a family member on lantus that gets an extra vial so I might even be able to pay their co pay. But the vial might expire before I use it all. I'm still stuck on the lantus possibly stinging at higher doses... I'll see what's up when the vet calls back.[/QUOT
Even at Chuck's high doses, Lantus should cost a lot less each month if you order from Canada. It can last 4+ months in the fridge so you might be able to use up a 10 mL vial before it expires. As for stinging, there's no way to know without trying. Some large dose cats tolerate it.
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StephG said:
I found an online vet pharmacy that was selling it for about $95/vial. I was going to order from there with my first vet because they were charging $160+. Then they told me there was a $20 script fee.
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I think I found the same one lol. That would make it about the same price I paid at the one Vet.
 
StephG said:
I found an online vet pharmacy that was selling it for about $95/vial. I was going to order from there with my first vet because they were charging $160+. Then they told me there was a $20 script fee. I was less than polite about them "selling" prescriptions! After script fee and shipping it was only ten dollars cheaper. But I switched before getting another vial!

At this point I'm spending $110 a month on insulin. I have a family member on lantus that gets an extra vial so I might even be able to pay their co pay. But the vial might expire before I use it all. I'm still stuck on the lantus possibly stinging at higher doses... I'll see what's up when the vet calls back.
Click to expand...

I get mine (Lantus) from CVS pharmacy here in northern New jersey... for $80.94 for one pen (for almost 2 years now)... just picked up another one today...

The first time I went in with the prescription they were hesitant to sell one pen at a time... I just told them that the prescription was just for one pen... never had a problem since.
:):cat:
 
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