Buying Insulin

caromoq

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Jun 15, 2006
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I don't know if I'm writing this in the right place, but I didn't see a "health" forum. This is for any diabetics out there. My husband was recently diagnosed as Type I Insulin Dependent Diabetic, so now I have to inject him every day. We went to the Diabetes Institute to open a file for him there and get a card to use in their farmacy, (because with the card, the medicine is not as expensive as in the street), but it turns out they don't sell the type of insulin he needs (human insulin), which in the farmacies on the street is one thousand y pico pesos. Anyone know where we can buy his insulin at a better price? Of course his health has no price and there is no substitute for the best medicine, but you know every little bit helps. Any advice?
 

HOWMAR

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Jan 28, 2004
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Are you sure about not having the correct insulin at the Diabetes Institute? From them I get Humulin N and Humulin R insulins, both are synthetic (non-animal produced) insulins. If you are referring to Humalog Insulin (ultra quick acting), that is not available in the DR. I currently use the Institute in Puerto Plata but have also gotten the same insulin in the past from the branch in Santiago. The current charge is RD$ 400 per vial.
 

caromoq

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Jun 15, 2006
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Insulin

Well it must not be the fast acting because if that's not available in the DR we never would have gotten it in the first place. The bottle says "Insulina Glargina" and the prescription says "Lantus". He gets 40 only once a day in the night and it works for 24 hours. So far, so good as his sugar tests are showing that it's controlled. I didn't understand either why the Institute for diabetes wouldn't have all types of insulin but I went twice with the prescription and with the bottle and it was a negative both times. But oh well, his health is worth the price.
Any suggestions about good restaurants with lots of tasty options for a diabetics diet? I think if someone opened up a store/restaurant they would do very good business. I've seen a couple where you can buy dulces and chocolates, but not diatetic foods...
 

HOWMAR

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Jan 28, 2004
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Well it must not be the fast acting because if that's not available in the DR we never would have gotten it in the first place. The bottle says "Insulina Glargina" and the prescription says "Lantus". He gets 40 only once a day in the night and it works for 24 hours. So far, so good as his sugar tests are showing that it's controlled. I didn't understand either why the Institute for diabetes wouldn't have all types of insulin but I went twice with the prescription and with the bottle and it was a negative both times. But oh well, his health is worth the price.
Any suggestions about good restaurants with lots of tasty options for a diabetics diet? I think if someone opened up a store/restaurant they would do very good business. I've seen a couple where you can buy dulces and chocolates, but not diatetic foods...
Actually Lantus, is a very new ultra-long acting insulin. As the Institute doesn't yet stock Humalog, which was a new Insulin type introduced about 6 or 7 years ago, they probably won't have Lantus which in fact is much newer. Due to the costs of the insulins, you will find that Dominicans are only treated with insulin as a last resort and with much older and cheaper preparations.
 

gringosabroso

New member
Oct 16, 2004
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American?? American Health Inusrance??

If your husband [or you] are Americans & have health insurance, including the new Part C medicare [subsidized for poorer Americans],
* I suggest that you get a prescription for what you need from an American MD [perhaps by phone?].

* Have ? take the insuiln prescription [for the 1st time] to an American large drug store chain;

* file the prescritpion & put it on "autorefill", in person or via the internet;

* the MD can write the precription for 1 year;

* have the chain drug store mail it to you monthly, charging the net cost to a credit card.

I've been usingthis program with BC-BS & Walgreens for @ 3 years; it works smoothly via the Walgreens web site, @ 90 - 95% of the time. By local standards, that's stratospherically successful!

I imagine that most Eurpoean & Canadian health care plans & drug store chains have similar programs. Good fortune! You have some struggles ahead.
 

HOWMAR

Silver
Jan 28, 2004
2,624
2
0
If your husband [or you] are Americans & have health insurance, including the new Part C medicare [subsidized for poorer Americans],
* I suggest that you get a prescription for what you need from an American MD [perhaps by phone?].

* Have ? take the insuiln prescription [for the 1st time] to an American large drug store chain;

* file the prescritpion & put it on "autorefill", in person or via the internet;

* the MD can write the precription for 1 year;

* have the chain drug store mail it to you monthly, charging the net cost to a credit card.

I've been usingthis program with BC-BS & Walgreens for @ 3 years; it works smoothly via the Walgreens web site, @ 90 - 95% of the time. By local standards, that's stratospherically successful!

I imagine that most Eurpoean & Canadian health care plans & drug store chains have similar programs. Good fortune! You have some struggles ahead.
Insulin must be refrigerated.
 

djuno718

New member
Dec 1, 2007
163
2
0
Well it must not be the fast acting because if that's not available in the DR we never would have gotten it in the first place. The bottle says "Insulina Glargina" and the prescription says "Lantus". He gets 40 only once a day in the night and it works for 24 hours. So far, so good as his sugar tests are showing that it's controlled. I didn't understand either why the Institute for diabetes wouldn't have all types of insulin but I went twice with the prescription and with the bottle and it was a negative both times. But oh well, his health is worth the price.
Any suggestions about good restaurants with lots of tasty options for a diabetics diet? I think if someone opened up a store/restaurant they would do very good business. I've seen a couple where you can buy dulces and chocolates, but not diatetic foods...


1,000 y pico de pesos For Lantus????? Thats not bad considering that over here the vials A: Arent sold over the Counter And B: you can order them from canada witout a prescription for $87.00 bucks a vial. Even at 1800 RD$ its still cheaper to buy over there. what pharmacy in santiago has it for that price?????????