Newby Lantus

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Heinz R.

Member Since 2012
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.
Beauregard would appreciate your views.
Many thanks,
Heinz R.
 
Welcome, Heinz, Kyra, and Beauregard ~

Heinz, you've asked an excellent question about the usability of your Lantus (glargine) after being unrefrigerated for three weeks. Wish I had the answer, but I'm sure, Heinz, that other members who also order Lantus through Canadian pharmacies with longer shipping periods might be able to help. Not sure if anyone posting on Relaxed Lantus has ordered through a Canadian Pharmacy or experienced delays in getting their Lantus refrigerated to be able to answer.

There's a discussion thread, Heinz, on the Main Health board about ordering insulin from Canadian Pharmacies. If you post your question on that thread, maybe someone could answer your question. And I'd like to learn the answer, too.
Insulin from Canadian Pharmacies http://felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=49608

Also, if you edit the subject line for your posting on the Main Health Board to read "Newby Beauregard - Lantus from Canadian Pharmacy Delayed?" or something similar, Heinz, I'm sure you'll get better response. When you click on your posting there, you'll see an edit button on the righthand side of your message. Click on that edit button and then make your changes.

Heinz, I'll also send messages to a couple of members to see if they can help.

Bye for now,
Eva
 
Heinz,

I get my Lantus from Canada as well, and it source country is actually Turkey. Mine takes anywhere from 14 to 21 days to get to me. Mine as always arrived shipped in a cooler with multiple ice packs around it. Mine is usually still cool to the touch when I unpack it, so I would imagine yours should be shipped the same way, and most post offices have a refrigerator that they keep things like perishables in overnight, so the only time it would truly be unrefrigerate would be while it is on the trucks in transport.

It should be fine when you get it for several months after you open it, just like it would be if you purchased it locally.

Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang
 
Thanks for your great recommendations, Eva. I just posted the question on the "Insulin from Canadian Parmacies" topic. I scanned through the posts and there were two that talked about delayed delivery but there were no conclusions about the viability of the unrefrigerated insulin.
I also asked if any tests existed by which insulin could be tested to determine if it could be used. After all, usually there is more insulin in the vials or cartridges than can be used before it expires, and it would be useful if such a test were to exist or could be devised.
By the way, Butters looks like he(?) could be related to Beau who also is an orange Tabby.

Thanks for the reassurance, MommaOfMuse, but I'm pretty sure that in this case the shipment is from the UK. In trying to track the shipment I was told that all drugs coming in from Europe had to come in through New York. Since I had a tracking number, the USPS confirmed that it had arrived at the NY Sorting Office in Jamaica on Jan. 21. For a week I heard nothing then I learned that it arrived at the Orlando sorting office on the 27th (yesterday). We live in Kissimmee so I was hoping to get it by today but regrettably it didn't.
I would love for you to be correct about the refrigeration but I don't have a lot of faith that the US Postal Service, 'nuff said.

Regards to both of you,
Heinz R.
 
Apologies, Mel, Maxwell, Musette & The Fur Gang. I mistook MommaOfMuse as the poster. Being a newby I'm still finding my way around. There are a lot of similaties among diverse forums but also a few differences. The differences trip me up until I learn the drill.
 
Hi, Heinz ~

If you don't get an answer soon on the "Insulin from Canadian Pharmacies" discussion thread, Heinz, you might want to post a new topic on the Main Health board with the heading "Lantus from Canadian Pharmacy unrefrigerated for 3 weeks" or something like that. That "Insulin from Canadian Pharmacies" topic has became a permanent sticky at the top of the Main Health board, so maybe not many members think to check there for new postings.

I hope it turns out that your Lantus has been shipped in a cooler the way Mel's is. And Mel is MommaOfMuse, Heinz, so you had that right.

Hope you have a good evening.

Eva
 
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