State Laws - Do I need a prescription for Syringes and insulin?

[Ohky0815]

FTR: Walmart is the cheapest place for Insulin/syringes and even a meter + strips!

[jmcc4424]

We as a group of citizens must tell our law makers that all drugs with age minimums should be legal all of them. We celebrate 100 years of our war on drugs starting in1914 5 years before the probition of booze. It didn't work then, now or will it 100 years from now. If you want to talk about the drumming down in this country this is a perfect example.

[legalsea]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

I have found that Wal-Mart sells the cheapest insulin w/o a prescription. They have their own brand, Relion, of Novalin that they sell for $24.+ per vial. With a prescription, the brand Novalin sells for $45 per vial. So, I always go to Wal-Mart.

I was on all the new stuff at $85/vial until I hit the Medicare donut hole. I spend $250/mo as it is on insulin. I can't afford $800-900/mo on just insulin, so my doctor called around for me to find the cheapest.

My brother-in-law is in the same boat as you, so the other day (after I told him about this thread and Novolin) he went up to Walmart, entered the pharmacy area, and ask for a bottle of Novolin N. Paid $25.00.

He had been rather stingy with his prescribed insulin due to the cost (very much on fixed income, and he mentioned the 'donut' hole). Now he claims to have better blood sugar control since he uses it as originally directed.

I do like the 'pens' for ease of use, but I think I will toddle up to Walmart today (I have an appointment this day with my diabetes doctor) and get a vial to use at home, so I can stretch out the pen insulin more (which is handy for being at work, at restaurants and traveling).

FYI: it appears that Walmart sells three types of Novolin:
Novolin R: a short-acting, regular insulin.
Novolin N: an intermediate acting insulin.
Novolin 70/30 mix (of intermediate and short-acting).

Since I use the Novolog 70/30 pen, I will try the Novolin 70/30 vial.

[legalsea]

I went to my local Walmart and purchased the Novolin 70/30 and Novolin R, as well as a box of syrings. They did not even ask my name. $24.88 per vial, and some $13.00 for a hundred needles. Sweet.

I will say: the Novolin 70/30 appears to be different from Novolog 70/30 in one important way: its onset of effectiveness is much, much slower than the Novolog mixture.

However, on the other side, the Novolin 70/30 does, after it becomes effective, seem to last longer than the Novolog.

Of course, my experience may change, but here it is in a nutshell:

On Novolog 70/30 (my usual morning insulin) my blood sugar, about two hours after breakfast, will be around 140.

On Novolin 70/30 (eating the same food; I am a creature of habit) my blood sugar on day one of usage (yesterday) was 190, and this morning was 215 (the highest reading I've had in the past year).

I will sadly note that, here at work, my morning habit is to eat some of those 'candy corns' that are kept in a large bowl in the office. The Novolog does a better job of keeping my blood sugars down after this treat (like I said, around 140) while the Novolin (two days history) does a poor job in the short-term.

Yet, again, the Novolin does appear to last longer. Last night my blood sugar was 98 before dinner (6 p.m.) and before my evening dosage. After taking another shot of Novolin, then dinner, two hours later my blood sugar was still 98. Indeed, I had to have some carbs around midnight due to low blood sugar. Even upon awakening it was 111.

I have yet to try the Novolin R, which is the short-acting insulin. I may try it in the morning.

[Emeraldmaiden]

Originally Posted by Magnum Mike

John, it's been that way for a long time. If I remember correctly, I didn't need prescriptions to get insulin vials, or syringes, at least here in Arizona, up until sometime in the mid 1990s.

This is one of those "a few bad apples ruin it for the rest of us" situations. They started requiring prescriptions for syringes because too many people, who did not have diabetes, were getting them to use for illegal drugs.

We got syringes for our diabetic cat, who passed in 2003, without a prescription. Larger syringes did need one, though.

[C. Lee Pennington]

I live in Monterey where it's nearly impossible to buy insulin syringes over the counter without a prescription. However, 1 Walgreens in Marina will still sell tax anyone with a valid California ID and they do not require a prescription . Me wrong I fully understand the environmental risks involved when disposed of improperly, but does that risk outweigh the risk of a possible pandemic from people who were using other peoples dirty syringes without properly sanitizing them even going so far as to buy other peoples used needles? With all seriousness do you really think these drug addicts are going to stop using just because they can't get syringes? I don't. So, they should make them as widely available as possible and require people to exchange their old ones for new free ones. Set should nearly eliminate all chance of them getting into the environment...I don't see what's so hard a concept about that! Unless of course they(big Bro)do want pop controlling diseases to go around the drug community. (I hope not, but that's the conspiracy theory someone brought to my attention) Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated and I am still trying to get Funding for a new needle exchange program like a mobile unit to go around the various cities in the county but as of yet no such funding has been acquired. [email]Bitothislotothat@aol.com[/email]