Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa, AZ?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Pumbaa

Pumbaa

Very Active Member
So far, I haven't found any pharmacy (in east Mesa, Arizona) that will sell a single Lantus Solostar 3 ml pen, instead of the box of five, even thought others have referenced being able to purchase them singly. I'm an optimist, and don't plan on Pumbaa being on the insulin for more than a month or so! :smile:

I'm going to talk to a lady tonight who advertised her pens on Craig's list, as she has one (unopened) that doesn't expire until 7/12, and that would be a good starter supply for Pumbaa (if it has been stored correctly) until I can check into the Canadian pharmacies.

At one unit per day BID, a single 3 ml pen should last 150 days, unless I really screwed up the math.

I checked locations of people on these boards to see who else was nearby, in case they wanted to share the costs of the Lantus, but most of the board members don't list their locations, and I had to go to page 74 (of 96 pages) of the member's list before anyone listed their location. There is one person in Chandler (Pamela and Lightning), maybe three people in Flagstaff, one person (Tommie) in Fountain Hills, one person (avogel) in Gilbert, and five in Phoenix.

I would just encourage everyone to list their location...we could all save money that way, and easily find great vet referrals, etc. :)
 
Re: Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa,

Try a hospital pharmacy too.

And I was able to buy single pens at Sams's Club in Columbus, OH - but it was more expensive to buy them individually.
 
Re: Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa,

BJM: More expensive to buy them individually considering tossing them when they had been open for 28 days?

I called Sam's Club locally, and they won't sell the pens singly, so you are very lucky! And thank you for your response!

That is my problem...the discarding after 28 days that so many are doing based on what the pharmacists are telling them to this day. But I'm glad that others here have stated that the insulin is still good after this 28 day deadline if you don't contaminate it!

Per your great suggestion, I will now try hospital pharmacies! :)
 
Re: Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa,

Thank you for the idea, Karen!
 
Re: Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa,

depending on how pen is handled, a lot of have used them to the very last drop. 4+ months depending on dosage
 
Re: Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa,

I'm just going to bite the bullet and go to Costco and get the 5-pack of the SoloStar pens. Their expiration date is 7/2014, which is good, and they will also honor that $25 coupon that someone was so nice to share the link to. Coupon.

I was wasting too many hours calling vets and pharmacies, etc., which was costing me money since I wasn't doing billable work. *LOL* Thank you all for your ideas, though!
 
Re: Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa,

Diamondback Pharmacy sells single pens for $60. They deliver for $6. This is more expensive than buying the 5 pack, but thought I'd post the info anyway.
 
Re: Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa,

Thank you, Julie. They were on my list of places to call, but I got tired of wasting time on the phone and bought a 5-pack at Costco. They don't expire until July of 2014...so if anyone in the Phoenix/Mesa area is in need of a single pen, let me know. Cost would be $40.40 = 1/5 of what I paid for them. :) As long as I have enough to last 5 months, that is, since, if I threw each pen away after the 28 days "they" recommend, I would be due for a new prescription in 5 months.
 
Re: Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa,

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR INSULIN IS NO LONGER GOOD?

* When you lose regulation for no reason.

* If you see any hint of "floaties"/"tiny particles"... discard the insulin.

* If insulin is cloudy or discolored, or if rubber stopper is cracked... replace insulin immediately.

* The manufacturer of Lantus recommends discarding the insulin after 28 days of use (in-use, unrefrigerated, for humans).
However, many Lantus users have been able to use a vial/cartridge/pen for as long as six months.

* The manufacturer of Levemir recommends discarding the insulin after 42 days of use (in-use, unrefrigerated, for humans).
Many Levemir users have been able to use a vial/pen for four to six months... some to the last drop.

* Think Tank Discussion: How Long Does Lantus/Levemir Last Once Opened?

o Opened Lantus and Levemir vials, cartridges, and pens can last longer than many FDMB members seem to think. Some caregivers of diabetic cats have used Lantus/Levemir down to the last drop. Lantus users from the German Katzen Forum have reported using opened Lantus for up to six months and Levemir up to four months if kept refrigerated and handled properly. Lantus is NOT as fragile as we once thought.

From two of the leading researchers in the field of lantus use with feline diabetics, Jacquie S. Rand BVS, DVS and Rhett D.Marshall BVS (University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia):

"Glargine should be refrigerated because it has a shelf life of 4 weeks once opened and kept at room temperature. We have found that opened vials kept refrigerated can be used for more than 6 months. If using an insulin pen, the manufacturer recommends that once a vial of insulin is used, the pen be kept at room temperature because temperature changes associated with refrigeration alter the volume administered by the pen."
http://www.uq.edu.au/ccah/index.html?page=43599&pid=0

We use U100 syringes to draw Lantus from cartridges and pens. We do NOT use needle tips which can be attached to the pens to administer insulin. Therefore, refrigeration will not alter the volume administered by the pen apparatus. Refrigeration combined with the use of syringes to draw insulin (versus using the needle tip made for the pen) from the opened pen has been found to extend it's life well beyond the 28 days suggested by the manufacturer.

o Unopened Lantus is good until the expiration date stamped on the box if refrigerated and handled properly.


viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151
 
Re: Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa,

Thank you, Hilary. I'm very happy that many get much longer out of a pen of Lantus. I plan on handling my Lantus with the utmost care, and get every last drop that I can from a pen. :)

What I meant by my comment about a 5-month supply is that the vet and the pharmacy would not bat an eye if I needed a new prescription in 5 months, which is why I would be willing to sell one or two of my 5 pens to someone who can't afford to go out and purchase a 5-pack. But they are all already refrigerated, so it would have to be someone local.
 
Re: Lantus suppliers who will sell single 3 ml pens - Mesa,

Thats what shipping coolers and packaging is for! And how internet pharmacies may send refrigerated or frozen items.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top