Dumb ?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sean & Rufus

Sean & Rufus

Member Since 2018
Hi

Possible dumb question. I'm in the US. Planning on getting Lantus from Canada. Someone told me that the formulation is different in Canada. US is manmade and Canadian is pig derived. After some internet reading, looks to be false or at least now it's false.

Any insight?
 
It is the same drug no matter where you get it from or where it's manufactured. In fact, Sanofi Aventis, the pharmaceutical company that make Lantus, is not a US based company. The packaging may be different but what's in the bottle has to be the same. With some drugs, dosing may differ. For example, there's a discussion in the Think Tank about the use of metacam. The dosing outside of the US may differ but the drug (meloxicam) is the same. Keep in mind that we have members here from all over the world. Lantus is the same no matter where our members are from.

 
I’m in Canada. Lantus far cheaper here. I think the folks from the US get it from Marks Marine Pharmacy.
 
Juliet said:
I’m in Canada. Lantus far cheaper here. I think the folks from the US get it from Marks Marine Pharmacy.
Click to expand...
I have a friend of a friend that lives in Canada, but works in Minnesota. I live in Minnesota so I'm going to drive up there to meet her. 300 US a vial here, 64 Canadian in Canada.
 
Sean & Rufus said:
I have a friend of a friend that lives in Canada, but works in Minnesota. I live in Minnesota so I'm going to drive up there to meet her. 300 US a vial here, 64 Canadian in Canada.
Click to expand...
Yes we pay far less for insulin but our strips are very very pricey. $1 a strip here. And we go through more strips than insulin.
 
Shop around Juliet, you should be paying max $85 for a 100. Bravo test strips on line are much cheaper, so is EBay.

Sean, don't forget to take a cooler with you for traveling with the Lantus. Although it can be left out a bit, it'll las longer if it's cool. My Lantus box said "not for export to the US". I never had a problem taking its cross the line, but a note from your vet saying Rufus needs insulin may help.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Shop around Juliet, you should be paying max $85 for a 100. Bravo test strips on line are much cheaper, so is EBay.

Sean, don't forget to take a cooler with you for traveling with the Lantus. Although it can be left out a bit, it'll las longer if it's cool. My Lantus box said "not for export to the US". I never had a problem taking its cross the line, but a note from your vet saying Rufus needs insulin may help.
Click to expand...
I get them in the pharmacy closest to me that I can walk to. I don’t drive or have time to shop around. Occasionally I win a deal on eBay. DCIN cover my strips now though.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
Shop around Juliet, you should be paying max $85 for a 100. Bravo test strips on line are much cheaper, so is EBay.

Sean, don't forget to take a cooler with you for traveling with the Lantus. Although it can be left out a bit, it'll las longer if it's cool. My Lantus box said "not for export to the US". I never had a problem taking its cross the line, but a note from your vet saying Rufus needs insulin may help.
Click to expand...
I'm actually not crossing. My friend of a friend is. And now you bring up my fear about refrigeration. I thought it needed to be refrigerated at all times, but now the friend is saying it doesn't need to be and even people on here are saying its ok left out. I have a feeling she'll buy it the day/night before and then we'll meet the next day. Hopefully I can talk her into keeping it cool.
 
Sean & Rufus said:
I'm actually not crossing. My friend of a friend is. And now you bring up my fear about refrigeration. I thought it needed to be refrigerated at all times, but now the friend is saying it doesn't need to be and even people on here are saying its ok left out. I have a feeling she'll buy it the day/night before and then we'll meet the next day. Hopefully I can talk her into keeping it cool.
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t stress about it too much. If a pen gets left out, is it bad and needs to be thrown away? No. If you have a choice to leave a pen out or put it in the fridge, should you put it in the fridge? Yes. If whomever is helping you get the Lantus can keep it cool without letting it freeze, of course that is preferable. Is it a big deal if not, I would say no, especially in light of Rufus is on 6 units a day, it’s not like you’re going to need that pen to stay potent long after the 28 days anyway.
 
Stacy & Asia said:
I wouldn’t stress about it too much. If a pen gets left out, is it bad and needs to be thrown away? No. If you have a choice to leave a pen out or put it in the fridge, should you put it in the fridge? Yes. If whomever is helping you get the Lantus can keep it cool without letting it freeze, of course that is preferable. Is it a big deal if not, I would say no, especially in light of Rufus is on 6 units a day, it’s not like you’re going to need that pen to stay potent long after the 28 days anyway.
Click to expand...
I'm actually getting vials, so hopefully close to 3 months or so for each vial. See I was told to keep it refrigerated the whole time, now people in the other thread I asked said it's ok out for a day or 2. I dunno.
 
Sean & Rufus said:
I'm actually getting vials, so hopefully close to 3 months or so for each vial. See I was told to keep it refrigerated the whole time, now people in the other thread I asked said it's ok out for a day or 2. I dunno.
Click to expand...

Yes, you do want to keep it refrigerated, however, if it gets left out accidentally, it is likely just fine. It would have floaters or a cloudy appearance if it goes off, additionally, it should be very obvious (granted the better regulated the kitty, the more obvious) in the numbers if you suspect insulin has gone off. I never put the pen or vial down anywhere except in the fridge, I draw up the dose with my syringe and put it right back in the fridge, then get air bubbles out and adjust the dose. Sometimes I have squirt out too much and need to go back to the pen, but it never gets left out because my habit is to only put it down, in its tray, in the refrigerator. Before I used that system, I left my pen out for a couple hours more than once.
 
Stacy & Asia said:
Yes, you do want to keep it refrigerated, however, if it gets left out accidentally, it is likely just fine. It would have floaters or a cloudy appearance if it goes off, additionally, it should be very obvious (granted the better regulated the kitty, the more obvious) in the numbers if you suspect insulin has gone off. I never put the pen or vial down anywhere except in the fridge, I draw up the dose with my syringe and put it right back in the fridge, then get air bubbles out and adjust the dose. Sometimes I have squirt out too much and need to go back to the pen, but it never gets left out because my habit is to only put it down, in its tray, in the refrigerator. Before I used that system, I left my pen out for a couple hours more than once.
Click to expand...
I always leave the vial in the fridge, that's why I am worried about her picking up refrigerated bottles and then potentially leaving them out for a day or 2 before I get them. I'm sure they'll be ok, just anxious. I'll just ask politely again to keep refrigerated as long as possible :)
 
Seriously it’s fine. When you receive it refrigerate it. I ordered some from the supply closet here. Took a week to arrive across Canada. It was fine.
 
Sean & Rufus said:
I always leave the vial in the fridge, that's why I am worried about her picking up refrigerated bottles and then potentially leaving them out for a day or 2 before I get them. I'm sure they'll be ok, just anxious. I'll just ask politely again to keep refrigerated as long as possible :)
Click to expand...
You could always ask her to bring them in a cooler if you’re worried.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top