Lantus and pricing

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mdmnore88

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I am not sure if this is posted anywhere. If so can you please direct me to the correct forum? I give my cat Lantus. The best price in my area is $155 for a vial. It's insane. I saw on here that in Canada you do not need a prescription for Lantus and it seemed less expensive. Anyone have any advice where to purchase it? I live in Maryland.
 
$155 per vial sounds about like what I pay at Walmart. It sounds like a lot, but a vial can last several months if properly cared for.
I've heard that some people get the script written for the pens instead, and some pharmacies will sell one pen at a time. That's something you'd probably have to call around about. Even if you have to pay the chunk of change for all the pens at once, unopened pens will be good until the expiration date so your total supply will stay good longer than a single vial.
 
1 vial is 10 mL with 100 units per mL for a total of 1,000 units. Divide 1,000 by the number of units per day to determine how long it could last (up to about 6 months when refrigerated and not rolled/shaken/etc.) It may deteriorate before you can use all of it, depending on the daily useage.

1 pen is 3 mL with 100 units per mL for a total of 300 units; pens are generally sold in 5 packs, though if you search you may find a pharmacy willing to sell 1 at a time. Stored properly, the pen is effective until finished. And if you contaminate it (ex shoot back into it after pulling out excess), leave it out, etc., you've only lost up to 300 mL, not a whole vial.

Canadian pharmacies will require an Rx from your US vet; they tightened that up. If you can drive up there, you may be able to buy it directly.
 
Thanks for the info! Yes I am very careful with my insulin. I actually dated a diabetic for a long time so I knew how to care for it and administer it. I tried to go the pen route but my vet wouldn't change the prescription. I do not mind purchasing the vial but as always trying to be cost effective.

Has anyone had any luck with those prescription discount cards? I signed up for a bunch but every time I am told that it only applies to people if you have insurance not pets. But I've heard there are pet ones out here.
 
I have a prescription for the pens, and there is a coupon for $100 off on the Lantus website. So I get a box of the pens for about $130, and it lasts a really long time. If cost is a major concern, personally I would talk to the vet again about that.
 
I tried to use the coupon! That's how the whole pen prescription switch started and Walmart told me that it only applied if you had insurance already and it was only for people not pets. I did have the prescription written out for the pens but after that debacle I just renewed the prescription for the vial instead. Has anyone else had that problem?
 
I work for Kroger pharmacy, and I can tell you that is not true. Some coupons have to be used with third party insurance, but this one specifically can be used independently without insurance, so it could be used for say a cat. I'm very sorry they said that, I would try a different pharmacy.
 
I should have guessed. The Walmart near me is very very busy. Anything out of the norm is probably too time consuming for them to figure out when they have hundreds of prescriptions in a day. I have been getting a lot of supplies from a local independent pharmacy. I just haven't transferred the insulin to him yet. Maybe he can give me some guidance. A lot of people have recently switched to him because he started price matching WalMart and he delivers!
 
Depending on where you live in Mayland, it is about an 7 hour drive to Niagra Falls on the Canadian side. It'd be a long days drive, or possibly an overnight near the falls. (quite scenic, I've been)
 
Just wondered, is a prescription required in Maryland for Insulin? Here is NC, it's not. As long as you know what you need, you can get it at the pharmacy just by asking for it. I know DR and Vets will write a prescription for insulin, but it isn't necessary here.

I know there is a website that you can check to see and hopefully someone here will have the link, since I don't.

Just curious. :-D
 
Pop over the border. If you have a Costco card you can get a pack of 5 solostar pens for $99 - no prescription. Or any drugstore or pharmacy .. Vials are around $80.

Wendy
 
Yes in MD a prescription is required for insulin. I have no problem getting the prescription but it's crazy expensive.

I may have to take a trip to Canada and stock up! It may be worth it in the long run. Abigail has only been diabetic less than a year and every time I refill the price has gone up!
 
With Lantus, I've discovered a few effective cost-cutting methods.
  • Request a prescription for the Solostar Pens from the vet. Lantus can start losing its potency after 4-6 months (make sure you keep it refrigerated and there is no need to roll it!). Since the vial contains quite a lot more insulin, you end up losing quite a lot more insulin in comparison to the pen. (Just make sure you use syringes and don't use the "Dial-in dose.")
  • Sign up for the Lantus Savings Card online and print it out to take with you to the pharmacy.
  • Call around and find a pharmacy that will sell the Lantus pens individually (instead of in the box of 5). I had luck with my local Walmart, others have had luck with Mom&Pop pharmacies.
  • Make sure they also take the Solostar Savings Card (most all places, including my local Walmart, should since it's a manufacturer's discount).
  • Finally, pay only $25 a pen, which will last you quite a few months (usually to the last drop).
 
If you do decide to make a trip up to Canada for the insulin . . . I just bought some at my local Superstore here in Winnipeg, where a pack of 5 pens/cartridges of Lantus (3 mL each pen/cartridge) is $94.50. You don't need a prescription. I'm not sure if the price at Ontario Superstores would be the same, but it would be worth checking too.

However, I ended up driving down to the closest US city (only 2 hours from me, happily) to buy the Walmart's Relion meter and test strips, since there are no test strips remotely that cheap available here!
 
mdmnore88 said:
Has anyone had any luck with those prescription discount cards? I signed up for a bunch but every time I am told that it only applies to people if you have insurance not pets. But I've heard there are pet ones out here.
Click to expand...

The Lantus Solostar Savings Card is specifically for prescriptions (not the person/pet) not covered by any insurance. Since it's from the manufacturer, most all places are supposed to take it. There might be one or two out there who refuse, but my own Walmart takes it. So if they tell you they don't, they're misinformed and I'd ask to speak to a manager (or go to another Walmart if there is another one close by).
 
I did get the Lantus savings card but (and this was at Walmart I haven't tried at the new pharmacy) they told me that it only applies if you have insurance and it didn't apply to pets. So I got discouraged. It is a little expensive but now that I know you can make it last longer than 28 days that makes me feel better (I had thrown out so many vials!)
 
The Walmart was definitely "misinformed." :lol: You can try going back there and pointing out how on the prescription savings card even states: "If prescription is covered by insurance, you may need to notify the insurance carrier of redemption of this card. Patient not eligible if prescriptions are paid in part or full by any state or federally funded programs..." (emphasis mine).

Therefore, the assumption for getting this discount/savings is that your prescription (not you or your pet, so it doesn't even matter it's not for a human) is in NO WAY covered by any type of insurance or program. If they still refuse, make them do their job ohmygod_smile and call McKesson (the manufacturer) for "patient eligibility" at 855-242-6944.
 
The Lantus Solostar Savings Card is specifically for prescriptions (not the person/pet) not covered by any insurance. Since it's from the manufacturer, most all places are supposed to take it. There might be one or two out there who refuse, but my own Walmart takes it. So if they tell you they don't, they're misinformed and I'd ask to speak to a manager (or go to another Walmart if there is another one close by).
Click to expand...

Is the $25 cost per pen or package of pens?
 
it specifies on the page that certain restrictions apply, but as little as $25 for up to 6 pens is mentioned
 
It's that you pay $25 per pen for up to 6 pens. So if they sell pens normally at $60 a pop, you get a $30 savings. If they sell pens at $75 each, you get $50 savings per pen.
 
It's also worth noting that even if you've already bought the pen, Walmart applied the discount for my savings card when I brought it back in within 30 days of purchase. Which reminds me... I need to go to Walmart today to use that credit still sitting on my account. :lol:
 
Not sure if this helps but do you have a Target near you? I just picked up my first vial and it was 144.00 Not much of a difference but still cheaper.
 
Just thought I would mention I get my Lantus vials at Walgreens. It's $135 (plus tax) with the Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. My local Walmart sells it for $155 plus tax. (In my state, prescription meds are taxed if it's for a pet, but not for humans, how stupid is that?)
Was very surprised Walgreens is cheaper. Anyway if your Walmart is giving you a hard time, check the price at Walgreens.
 
Sometimes pharmacies offer a "cash discount" or a "pet discount" - I would consider calling around to your local pharmacies and tell them your vet prescribes lantus for your cats diabetes and ask them if they do a cash discount or any discounts for pets. My local pharmacy discounted the Lantus vial about $24 off for the cash and pet discount. Its not much- but it does add up.
 
You are right. I noticed the independents seem to give better pricing than the CVS, Walgreens, Walmarts of the world.
 
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