Insulin from Canadian pharmacies

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Thanks, Venita. This is very helpful. I might add here that the Pharmacy Checker seal of approval is usually displayed on the legitimate online pharmacies' web pages. If you click on this seal, you will see more particulars, such as the date the seal was issued, if there is a parent company and/or dispensing pharmacy and what that parent company is, and other important information (such as the fact that the online pharmacy has a physical address--very important; do not order from pharmacies that do not have a real address!).

Ella
 
julie1220 said:
the lifespan of the lantus has just been revised and they're now saying that it can go for 6 months or more if you keep it refrigerated and don't let it get contaminated with anything, including the lubricant inside the syringes. so you never draw insulin into the syringe, then squirt any of it back into the vial or pen. one way trip out of the vial/pen only! :lol:
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Julie, do you have a source for that? I can't find anything about it searching the internet. Thanks.
 
julie1220 said:
hi veneta - yes, it's on this page on the Lantus forum sticky "Proper Handling of Lantus/Levemir" http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151

scroll down about halfway til you see the segment on how you know if your insulin has gone bad. Jill has cited the researchers on the Rand/Roomp Protocol.
Click to expand...

OK, I understand now. I thought you were saying that the manufacturer or the FDA had revised the prescribing information. The six months is anecdotal observations from users.
 
Very interesting info Julie. I am going to be having a chit chat with the folks at my vet clinic. They are telling people (meaning me !!!) to not only inject some air into the vial of insuline but to then pull more into shring and then inject the excess back in !!!! I am gonna tell them the error of their ways and that they need to get up to speed on their insuline handling techniques !!!
 
Fred's on ProZinc and doing just OK (probably my fault). It's expensive and I wondered if there's a Canadian outlet for this product? Also, how do you know if this is the best brand for your cat? Would the other insulins work better? Can you switch between a couple for test purposes?

Fred's at the stage where he needs to be micro-managed with insulin. The syringes I use don't show good markings for 1/5 and 1/4 dosages. It's just a guess. Where can I get syringes with those markings?

Thanks,
Kathleen & Fred
 
Thanks for the conversion chart, Gayle. I'm using 3/10cc U-40 syringes, prescribed when I first started using Prozinc. They are fine but, I may need to start mico dosing soon and can't easily see a 1/2 or /14 dosage. Also, a pharmacist said the syringes could be used a second, but not a third time because the coating on the needle wears off and could be painful to administer. What's your thoughts on that. I like to save money, but don't want to be stupid.

I see that the other insulins don't recommend pulling product into the syringe and then pushing the excess back. The video from the Prozinc manufacturer, says the opposite. They want you to plunge the syringe into the vial, pull plunger back beyond the needed dosage with needle clearly in the liquid, then pushing back the excess to the desired dosage -- again with the needle in place. Do you think this is a problem?

Thanks,
Kathleen & Fred
 
Never re-use syringes because you are likely contaminating your insulin and wonder how a pharmacist could suggest such a thing. You don't know what is on the cat's hair and skin and also under the skin, so why would you want to be putting unknown factors into your Insulin bottle?
There are some who re-use lancets, but never syringes.

Some people shoot insulin back into the bottle, but I don't. if there are a few drops extra you can just squeeze out in the air - it is not much waste. Try drawing slowly to your dose so you don't have to worry about drawing too much.

I don't know Prozinc at all ... what size of a dose are you talking about, in decimal?
 
I use from 1/2u to 1u u-40 needles) just now depending on his numbers.

I'm noticing that there isn't much use of ProZinc by the on-line members. Is Lantus or the other one a better product. Should I ask my vet about switching. ProZinc costs about $100 per 10 ml bottle and lasts about 18 months, but I was told not to use it after about 6 months. At Fred's current usage, we have to throw a lot out.

The manufacturer's video suggested pulling the liquid past the point of need, then pushing it back into the bottle. I've been doing this since the beginning, but I can see the concern. I'll try to put just what's needed in future, then knocking out the air bubbles.

I'm still concerned about the ProZinc and would like some pros and cons comments about it's effectiveness versus the other vaccines.

Thanks,
Kathleen & Fred
 
If vision is the problem, then just get yourself a clip on magnifying glass.... look in any craft store as needlepoint requires some very small stitching.
I have one on a goose neck that clips on the edge of a cupboard shelf.

When you want to get to less than a .5u in a U100 syringe then you can use the drop method.
Practice with a used syringe, fill with water to the 1/2 unit marking, then twist the plunger to see how many drops you can get out of that .5unit. See if you can aim for 4 or 5 drops.
 
I'm still not clear about when to start micro-dosing. With Fred, his numbers can go from 90 to 150 in a 12-hour period. Sometimes closer. I usually shoot at 150 but not at 90. If his numbers get closer to the 100 mark, and are going down, I don't shoot. If they are going up around 100 I'll usually give 1/2u. But, is it recommended to give micro-doses under 100, if insulin has been given the day before. In other words, do you micro-dose (4-5 drops) just to keep the downward readings stable for a while?

Thanks,
Kathleen & Fred
 
I can't say anything on your insulin; I used Lantus before and switched to Levemir for both mine. Lantus and Levemir are longer lasting insulins with more gentle curves.
 
I just bought a pack of 5 Lantus pens (3ml each) at a pharmacy here in Ottawa, Canada for $120. If someone wants to split the pack with me, let me know ($24 a cartridge) as I don't expect to need the whole thing. Expiry January 2014. It's insulin from a Canadian pharmacy ;)
 
You might want to google PZI insulin, and check it out. It is more effective for cats than Lantus, which is for humans. My vet prescribed Lantus, and then I switched when I found out. And administer near the belly, not the neck or shoulders. My vet was wrong on that, also.
 
Just curious as to what data have that supports that PZI is more effective than Lantus and that belly shots are better.

london2z said:
You might want to google PZI insulin, and check it out. It is more effective for cats than Lantus, which is for humans. My vet prescribed Lantus, and then I switched when I found out. And administer near the belly, not the neck or shoulders. My vet was wrong on that, also.
Click to expand...
 
london2z said:
You might want to google PZI insulin, and check it out. It is more effective for cats than Lantus, which is for humans. My vet prescribed Lantus, and then I switched when I found out. And administer near the belly, not the neck or shoulders. My vet was wrong on that, also.
Click to expand...

fwiw, there was at one time a pzi insulin that was pretty darn good for cats, made by idexx. sadly it was discontinued. fortunately as it's time was coming to a close, research had shown that lantus works fantastic for cats so most made the switch to lantus when the one pzi was discontinued. there is a compounded pzi by bcp that some have had some luck with and there is now prozinc that the kinks are still being worked out with so actually given what we kitty owners have to work with, lantus, and even levemir, seem to be the best choices out there for kitties
 
sorry, london person, you've been treating diabetes for one month, you really do not know what you are speaking about.
 
Is anyone getting PROZINC in Canada currently?! All the vets in Ontario said they can't get it, it is no longer available to them.... I really would love to be able to try it.......
 
When Bean was dx, pzi by bcp was what my vet gave me. I used u100 needles for this, with 1/2 marks..... We only used it from 4/21 to 5/24 - she is now OTJ! I would guess the diet and less stress were the biggest factors, but the insulin seemed to work well.
 
Re: Insulin from Canadian pharmacies - shipping within Canad

Has anyone ordered Lantus pens to be shipped to an address IN Canada? Just wondering if the shipping would be less. It IS NOT for CanadaDrugsOnline. I called them.
 
Which Canadian pharmacies can be trusted? I've read this and haven't figured it out.
Sweet Max needs insulin and his Lantus will cost approx $218 for the 5 cartridges. I don't want to risk giving him bad Lantus. Approximately 8 years with the dire beasties.....want many more.

Thank you hugs and headbutts,

Cat, Sweet Max, and gang
 
Bumping for folks who can send in price updates.

Lantus Solostar Pen (Glargine), 100iu/ml, 5 x 3ml, $98.00
Lantus Solostar Pen (Glargine), 100iu/ml, 15 x 3ml, $280.00
 
I am a little confused. Each pen contains 3 ml. The $98 would seem reasonable for a box of five 3 ml pens. The $280 woulr be reasonable for three boxes of five (15) pens.

BJM said:
Bumping for folks who can send in price updates.

Lantus Solostar Pen (Glargine), 100iu/ml, 5 x 3ml, $98.00 (1 pen)
Lantus Solostar Pen (Glargine), 100iu/ml, 15 x 3ml, $280.00 (5 pens)
Click to expand...
 
You may be right - I was making an assumption. I removed the # of pens as the site doesn't actually state pens, only # * mL.
 
I just read this thread and like Cat and Sweet Max, I am confused at which Canada pharmacy to buy from. Which one to trust. I want to by the Solostar pens 5(3ml) pens. Of course best price is good but more importantly which pharmacy do I trust. Could anyone reading this question who buys from Canada please tell me which pharmacy they trust?
 
Ella & Rusty & Stu(GA) said:
Thanks, Venita. This is very helpful. I might add here that the Pharmacy Checker seal of approval is usually displayed on the legitimate online pharmacies' web pages. If you click on this seal, you will see more particulars, such as the date the seal was issued, if there is a parent company and/or dispensing pharmacy and what that parent company is, and other important information (such as the fact that the online pharmacy has a physical address--very important; do not order from pharmacies that do not have a real address!).
Click to expand...

Sherry, I took Ella's recommendation to heart. DCIN orders and pays for insulin from a Canadian mail order pharmacy for several cats. I chose the pharmacy we use based on a combo of the "seal of approval" and the low price. I am currently using CanadaDrugCenter, and we haven't had any problems with our orders (except that they take some time and you need to order in advance of immediate need).
 
I had a Canadian friend buy me the 5 vials of Lantus OTC in Toronto before he was coming to NYC. No prescription needed for him to do that. IN the last 2 years it was about $90 US dollars for the 5 vials.

And those vials last a long time if refrigerated, more than a year.

I didn't know you could order online though.
 
We bought a set of five 3 mL cartridges of Glargine through a Canadian Pharmacy. The actual source is a pharmacy in Britain and the shipping time from the UK, using normal first class mail, has now approached about two weeks, and it may be another half week before it actually gets to us. So, the glargine will have spent possibly three weeks unopened and unrefrigerated.
My question is has that unrefrigerated period damaged it to the point of no longer being usable? And if not, to what extent has that prolonged unrefrigerated unopened exposure reduced the length of time that the glargine can now be used if we begin refrigerating it immediately upon receipt?
I read the "Instructions for the Use, etc., " post on Lantus but the situation above was not discussed. Also, is there a way of testing the insulain to see whether it is useable?
Beauregard would appreciate your views.
Many thanks,
Heinz R.
 
I just checked with my nearest Sam's Club and they won't sell the individual Lantus Solostar pens.

Just thought I would update because someone above posted that their Sam's Club would sell them that way.

Whoever suggested Craig's List - I never would have thought of that! Thank you.
 
I thank you all, and have bookmarked this thread to review the next time I have to get Lantus Solostar pens, so I can save some precious $$$$$$.

Suze
 
Interesting, dillybee. I don't see insulin on that pharma's product list, but there are other maintenance meds there that might interest someone(s).
 
I just chatted with 77canadapharmacy and they said no script and went and looked at blue mountain and they require a script. I wish they would get together and all be the same. What different prices.
 
I just purchased from Canadadrugsonline.com (I have always used them). I paid $160 for 5 3ml carts of levemir.

I have Lantus if anyone wants it. It's from an American pharmacy and expires in 2013.
 
Diabetic Cats in Need buys a fair amount of insulin from Canadian pharmacies. Last week, I wrote about AffordableDrugs.com stopping sales of cold-pack meds, including insulin. Now another pharmacy, CanadaDrugsOnline.com, has taken insulin off its meds list. When I called, the lady said that it was because of a directive from the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) and that all the CIPA pharmacies will be discontinuing sales of insulin to US customers. I plan to write CIPA to try to verify this and determine the reason, but I'm curious whether anyone else is running into this problem? Thanks for your input.
 
If this is true, I'll bet the directive actually originated in the U.S. to prevent us from taking our business elsewhere. :(

Suze
 
The response from CIPA.

Thanks for [contacting] the CIPA Office with your question.

Our association regularly reviews our safety protocols to make sure we are operating to the highest standards. While we are well aware that our procedures for temperature sensitive products such as insulin have enabled us to maintain our perfect safety record, we recently became concerned that an unforeseen delay of a shipment could result in the product falling outside of its tolerance range.

While this has never happened, our members must be diligent in the protection of patient safety and voted to adopt this new policy

I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.
Click to expand...

It looks like this policy will be affecting all the "reliable" Canadian pharmacies, so I suggest that folks stock up while they can. SIGH.
 
Does anyone know if the "no scrip required" rule is also applicable to purchases made at a pharmacy counter? I realize that's probably more expensive than an on-line purchase, but since I live 45 minutes from the Canadian border I'm wondering if it might be worth my while to make the trip to patronize a Canadian pharmacy.

At the moment KR is not on insulin of any sort, but I expect that to change in the morning when I call in almost a week's worth of numbers to the vet. I'm already holding a scrip for Lantus; I'm just waiting for the vet to tell me to go fill it. My local (private) pharmacy quoted me $183 for a 10 mL vial.

Christine (and Kitty Rabbit)
 
I have never personally done it, Christine, but I understand that a US resident can buy insulin over the counter (no script required) if s/he physically goes to a Canadian pharmacy.

Given the current unavailability of insulin from reputable Canadian mail-order pharmacies, if I were 45 minutes outside of Canada, I would be taking a little road trip for insulin. I would perhaps post on the Health forum asking for Canadians to let me know what brick-and-mortar pharmacies tend to have the lower OTC prices.

Even in the US, $183 for a 10ml vial of Lantus is high. You might want to price compare with some other local pharmacies.
 
This news about CIPA pharmacies is most unwelcome. I think I'll be visiting Montreal in the future. I wonder if insulin would be considered an "illegal" drug if it was discovered at the border?!

Ella & Rusty
 
You might want to call US Customs with that question Ella. If you do, I'd be interested in knowing the answer. I know people bring it across the border, but I don't know whether they declare it.
 
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