CNN – Drugmaker Eli Lilly warned this week that two of its formulations of insulin would be temporarily out of stock through the beginning of April, citing a “brief delay in manufacturing.”
The 10-milliliter vials of Humalog and insulin lispro injection will be in short supply at wholesalers and some pharmacies, Lilly said in a statement posted online Wednesday.
The company said that prefilled pen versions of those medicines are still available in the US and that it continues to manufacture the 10-milliliter vials “and will ship them as soon as we can.”
More than 8 million people in the US rely on insulin to survive, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Although other forms are available, it’s not always simple for patients to switch between different brands of insulin or delivery methods, said Laura Marston, an advocate for lower insulin prices who has type 1 diabetes and uses Humalog.
The pharmaceutical industry made enough opioids to fill 131,778,501 prescriptions in the US in 2022. – United States Dispensing Rate Maps, CDC
Marston said she gets a reaction when she uses an alternative brand, and she relies on Humalog vials for her insulin pump. She said she may be able to use the prefilled pens for her pump, but her insurance covers only vials, via a complicated step known as prior authorization.
“If Lilly doesn’t fix this fast, I actually don’t know what I’m going to do,” Marston told CNN.
With the insurance issues, Marston noted, she may seek a new prescription and try out the company’s coupon program offering insulin for $35 for those without insurance — a complicated set of steps to access a medicine that people with diabetes rely on to live.
Lilly said in its statement that the company recognizes “that any supply challenge may cause a disruption in people’s treatment regimens, and we are moving with urgency to address it.”
People who have trouble getting their prescription filled should contact their health-care provider to discuss switching to the same insulin in a prefilled pen “or other insulin treatment options,” Lilly said. The company also suggested that patients check other pharmacies.
Those who need insulin immediately “and cannot access their healthcare provider for an alternative treatment option should seek emergency care,” Lilly said …
