Can I Get Insulin Over the Counter?
Recently it was written about Kevin Houdeshell, who died from diabetes ketoacidosis after his insulin prescription expired. Some have questioned whether Kevin should have instead gone to buy over-the-counter (OTC) insulin at WalMart instead of not having any insulin at all.
As any person with diabetes knows, there are many complex factors and decisions that can lead to an emergency situation with blood sugar levels. We may never know exactly what happened in Kevin’s case. His father, Dan Houdeshell, asked whether OTC insulin is an option for someone with an expired prescription.
We did a bit of online research and found there was a lot of confusion about OTC insulin in diabetes chat rooms, so we decided to ask Jennifer Smith of Integrated Diabetes Services (IDS) to help clear things up. We asked her if she thought OTC insulin was a good backup plan when you can’t obtain your normal prescription. Here’s how Jennifer answered the question:
Today, most prescriptions for those using insulin cover the most up-to-date types of insulin – basal insulins such as Lantus and Levemir, as well as rapid-acting insulins like Novolog, Humalog and Apidra.
When you buy insulin over the counter (OTC), these brand-name insulins are not available.
You’re right that the ReliOn Brand of insulin at Walmart is available without prescription in some states. However, it includes very limited types of insulin. These are the older generation of insulins, including R insulin, also called Regular (a short-acting insulin and N insulin (an intermediate-acting insulin taken twice a day). These generic OTC insulins have a very different action profile than prescribed insulins. However, generic does not by any means indicate low quality.
You’re right that the ReliOn Brand of insulin at Walmart is available without prescription in some states. However, it includes very limited types of insulin. These are the older generation of insulins, including R insulin, also called Regular (a short-acting insulin and N insulin (an intermediate-acting insulin taken twice a day). These generic OTC insulins have a very different action profile than prescribed insulins. However, generic does not by any means indicate low quality.
Having an insulin back-up plan in case you find yourself with an outdated prescription or short on funds is important. It would be beneficial to discuss with a health care provider how to go about using these generic OTC insulins before you have to use them, however.
Rapid-acting insulin works faster and clears your body faster. Basal insulin analogs typically work longer and more evenly without a peak in action, unlike the intermediate-acting insulin that has to be taken two times a day. R and N insulin types require users to have a bit more stability to their meals and daily activities due to the action time of the insulin.
It should be emphasized that insulin is a must-have medication for those on insulin therapy. Without it, blood glucose will rise to dangerous and life-threatening levels.
In the case of a prescription. It’s good that there is the option to get an OTC insulin quickly and at a low cost. However, understanding how to use it in time of need is also important to ensure blood glucose regulation.
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