Shirley and Ragnar
Member Since 2010
I bought a pen of Lantus from a local drugstore in September 2012, and later found that it had expired in February 2011! It was actually a very good pen - I used it to the last drop, and the next pen (unexpired) was no stonger. But the fact is that they DID sell me a pen that was a year and 7 months out of date! I didn't notice the date until it was used up and I happened to peel the label off. The date was covered by a pharmacy label, and it hadn't even occurred to me as the slightest possibility that the pharmacy where I'd had all my own prescriptions filled since 1994 would sell me an expired pen.
I told Dr Jen about it, and she agreed that they wouldn't or couldn't have sold that pen for human use. I am going to buy my next one at the vet clinic - they get a quantity discount, Dr. Jen said, and can sell them for only about $1 more than the pharmacy. Even at the clinic, I am going to look at the date before I take it out of the building and make sure the discount is only for quantity!
Last year I came within an inch of buying 5 pens (for $99 - that alone should have made me suspicious) from a "Canadian" pharmacy that was actually based in the West Indies and had each order of Lantus sent from Turkey - by slow boat - in the summer.
I got suspicous when they told me the order would arrive in around three weeks. If it were coming by something normal like Priority Mail from Winnipeg, where they claimed to be based, it would have been here in two days. (Winnipeg is practically my neighbor as we count distances out here in ND. ;-) ) It rang a minor alarm bell that the guy doing live chat was named Jaime - not a common name in Winnipeg - but people can have any name anywhere. The alarm bell was right, though - I found out the truth just in time to have them cancel my order and refund my credit card.
This place (sorry I forgot its name, or I'd warn you) also had a box to check after paying, inquiring "Is this for a pet?" I checked "No." What business is that of theirs - unless they send an even worse pen for pets than they do for people?
In addition, Lantus is made in Germany, and when it comes from Turkey, it has to get from Germany to Turkey somehow, and I doubt they were using Air Express. :?
So - watch out! Is there any way we can really know "where that Lantus has been" or for how long? Local pharmacies turned out to be unsafe, and mail order much more so. I think I will just trust the vet clinic (but check the date myself!).
Blessings,
Shirley and Mr. Wonderful
I told Dr Jen about it, and she agreed that they wouldn't or couldn't have sold that pen for human use. I am going to buy my next one at the vet clinic - they get a quantity discount, Dr. Jen said, and can sell them for only about $1 more than the pharmacy. Even at the clinic, I am going to look at the date before I take it out of the building and make sure the discount is only for quantity!
Last year I came within an inch of buying 5 pens (for $99 - that alone should have made me suspicious) from a "Canadian" pharmacy that was actually based in the West Indies and had each order of Lantus sent from Turkey - by slow boat - in the summer.
I got suspicous when they told me the order would arrive in around three weeks. If it were coming by something normal like Priority Mail from Winnipeg, where they claimed to be based, it would have been here in two days. (Winnipeg is practically my neighbor as we count distances out here in ND. ;-) ) It rang a minor alarm bell that the guy doing live chat was named Jaime - not a common name in Winnipeg - but people can have any name anywhere. The alarm bell was right, though - I found out the truth just in time to have them cancel my order and refund my credit card.This place (sorry I forgot its name, or I'd warn you) also had a box to check after paying, inquiring "Is this for a pet?" I checked "No." What business is that of theirs - unless they send an even worse pen for pets than they do for people?
In addition, Lantus is made in Germany, and when it comes from Turkey, it has to get from Germany to Turkey somehow, and I doubt they were using Air Express. :?
So - watch out! Is there any way we can really know "where that Lantus has been" or for how long? Local pharmacies turned out to be unsafe, and mail order much more so. I think I will just trust the vet clinic (but check the date myself!).
Blessings,
Shirley and Mr. Wonderful
