Where can you now find affordable Lantus???

Hi Everyone,

Some of you may remember me from a few years ago, before my life got super insane and I disappeared from the boards. Well, a few weeks ago Bandit got really sick and was in the hospital for several days (he had a severe case of pancreatitis) and after two weeks of numbers steadily in the 300s, his vet and I agree that he's ready to go back on the juice, hopefully just until he fully recovers, but I'm also trying to prepare myself in case this isn't a temporary situation.

I got my script, and started calling pharmacies to price out vials and pens--and I just about peed my pants. The price of Lantus has SKYROCKETED since 2009-2010 when Bandit was last on it. A vial was about $110, and a pack of pens $230. Now a vial is $250 (and that was from the vet pharmacy--the cheapest human pharmacy price was $277), and a pack of pens is $438! And apparently you can no longer order insulin from Canada? I am still reeling from the cost of his hospitalization at Cornell, and I have no idea how I'm going to manage to come up with $438 for pack of pens if he needs insulin long term. Also, Bandit still isn't completely out of the woods yet--he tested severely anemic and may need a bone marrow test and/or a transfusion if his anemia doesn't turn out to be secondary to the pancreatitis, so I need to make sure I have funds on hand if that needs to happen. I ended up ordering a single pen from vetrxdirect, with the hope that the high BG is temporary and Bandit will go back into remission quickly, and that single pen cost me $100.

So, would you all mind sharing with me where and at what price you get your insulin from? I'm assuming everyone still opts for the pens even though they've doubled in price? How do you manage the cost? Are there any secret coupon deals out there? I remember in 2010 you could get a free pack of pens with a coupon from the Lantus web site, so I went there and they seem to have a card you can apply for--does anyone have that and does it work? I appreciate any advice you can give me.

Bandit and I both thank you!

 

A lot of us are buying from Mark"s a Canacian pharmacy. Some have managed to sign their cat up as a human and use the Lantus coupon at Target and get individual pens for $25 but not all will accept it. In the Canadian sources you will find it , the last one. I purchased from there a few months ago.

 

So, will Target sell a single pen? I called a bunch of different pharmacies and none will break up the pack. I didn't try Target, though---I can call them and see if they will do so.

 

Costco will sell single pens, though the price recently jumped another $10 or so, to I think $86. That's using one of those "Rx saving cards" - they're for humans...but it works. I tried the old $25 pen coupons and it didn't work - though I THINK it's because initially I tried to use one I'd printed too long ago, so the pharmacy had to CALL and I think they let it slip that it was a cat. So... now his name is flagged. Some on here have suggested Canadian pharmacies, though you do need to send them a prescription. I keep forgetting to do that - it was quite a bit cheaper.

 

Hey Julia! Gabby and I are still plugging along. Sorry to hear Bandit wants to come back for a visit. Hopefully, he'll be renting a condo vs. settling in for the long haul!

Selling single pens varies from store to store. Some Targets may sell a single pen and others may not. Also check hospital pharmacies.

Mark's Marine Pharmacy in Canada (you can order on-line) seems to be the current favorite. What has changed with ordering from Canada is that you need to fax a prescription.

 

I just want to say hi and welcome back, although sorry Bandit isn't feeling so great! It's good to see you, though!

 

Hi Sienne! I am so happy to see that you and Gabby are still here! How has Gabby been doing? Bandit is starting to perk up a bit finally--he's eating foods other than Fancy Feast again, and his blood sugar was down to 307 this morning so it may be on its way back down on its own, but I'd still like to give his pancreas a little help. He had a recheck at Cornell today so I'm not even gonna touch the glucometer until later tonight so I don't freak myself out from the stress inflated number I'll inevitably get right now. I'm anxious because the soonest the pen I ordered can arrive is Tuesday, and I was ready to start him on insulin a week ago.

I'll definitely check out Mark's. I called Target and they don't sell single pens, but they do have a $10 a year discount program that will bring the cost of the pack from $447 to $354, and if I can use the Lantus $25 card thing too that should bring the cost down to $254, which I could probably reasonably afford. I just started a new job a few months ago so unfortunately I won't have an FSA card until June to help deflect some of these costs.

In other news, I adopted a new cat at the end of February, and he's aboslutely adorable but definitely a handful (the SPCA told me he was a 12-18 month old adult cat who was a bit small, but it turns out he's really a 7-8 month kitten according to my vet). Between him ripping around the house and demanding constant attention and food and me trying to attend to Bandit with his picky appetite and illness (he's on 4 different meds right now besides the insulin for his pancreatitis), I'm kind of an exhausted mess.

 

Just a note: I did find it very encouraging that since a few years ago, Cornell has completely changed their diabetic treatment plan to match what we do here. For the first time ever, I didn't have to lecture a new vet about diet, insulin, and tight regulation.

 

The last post on the Insulin from Canadian Pharmacies has all the information about Marks Marine Pharmacy.

Since I originally found them, I know of about 40 people who've ordered from them and not one of them has been disappointed. Has taken about a week after they receive the prescription/payment

They are also really great with their customer service!! Very nice to work with!

 

New kitty means you have to post photos!

I'm sure Bandit will settle down and you'll get into a routine with his meds. It's always tough at first especially since you're worrying

Since you've been gone, I moved. I left Chicago almost a year ago. I took a job at Ohio State so I'm now in Columbus. It's not Chicago but it's a very livable city. My job in Chicago had become a nightmare given a new department chair. (Over 60% of the faculty have left for greener pastures.) The new job is wonderful. In the midst of settling into the new job, my kid sister lost her battle with breast cancer. Fortunately, I have good friends in Boston, where she lived, who were incredible with helping get her estate settled. I bought a condo here about 2 months ago. It's an incredible space -- lots of natural light due to a private, interior courtyard that's in the the center of the condo. I can't wait until it's warm enough to open all of the doors!

 

Hospital pharmacies sometimes will sell single pens. That's where we used to get ours.
Liz

 

Haha, ok! This is Orpheus, aka "The Monster".



I'm really sorry to hear about your sister. I'm glad you had the help of good friends to get you through the difficult times. I do have friends who live in Columbus--they own the Shrunken Head on West 5th Avenue, if you ever make it down that way. I'm glad you left your job, though, since it seems I was going through something similar. The main reason I dropped off the boards was because my job at the museum was offering me a "temporary" promotion and assumption of duties of a recently vacated position, and it was a lot of extra work. (For no extra pay, but the assumption was that after a few months I would be officially given the job along with the title and raise that went with it). Well, a year passed with no change, and I started suffering weird stress related health problems. Then another 6 months, and I really started to push them about the raise and title. Finally, after another 3 months (21 months since I started in the position), they finally gave me my "raise", which instead of giving me the same salary and title as the old posistion, they created a weird hybrid position of both my jobs and gave me a token raise that was more insulting than anything. Around the same time, I was diagnosed with MS, and that was just it. I was done with them and the stress and the awfulness and started looking elsewhere. I was able to find a much better job in Ithaca with the regional library council, so it ended up working out for the best and I started there in January. I love my new job--it pays more, I like the work better AND it is less stressful. I couldn't believe it when I asked my new boss on my first day, "So, I know the employee handbook says that the work week is 37.5 hours, but how much do you really expect me to work?" She responded with "37.5 hours?" and I was floored.

Bandit's BG was down to 283 this morning--now I'm wondering (after I've spent $100 on the Lantus pen), if his BG is going to just start coming down all on its own! It would figure. The same thing happened the morning he was scheduled to get a feeding tube inserted after days of not eating more than 1/4 of the calories he needed--his appetite suddenly picked up a bit and gradually improved over the next couple days and we ended not needing to go through with the tube.

 

It might be that a little support with insulin will give his pancreas a break and let it heal. I think it looks like he probably needs the insulin, at least for now.

You've been through a lot! I've decided crazy, crappy bosses aren't worth staying in the job, even if you love the work. There are other places to work. I'm glad you've found a good position now.

You're little monster has quite the angelic face in that first photo! They are deceptive like that so that you'll keep them, LOL! I got 2 new kittens after punkin passed away that are now 2 years old, and one of them is so aggressive - he is a nightmare for Anya. He attacks her all the time, just out of the blue. I haven't been able to stop it, but i hope as he gets older he'll calm down. Poor girl she has a couple of places she runs to to get away from him.

 

Thanks, Julie! I'm keeping an eye on it. We'll see what it's like on Tuesday when the insulin arrives. If the BG is continuously creeping down and he's holding steady below the renal threshold, then I might hold off and see what happens. Having the insulin on hand if I do need it probably isn't a bad thing, though.

Orpheus got the nickname "monster" because he's a total monster when it comes to food and feeding time. I never, ever thought I would see a more food aggresive cat than Bandit, but it seems like I adopted one! I have to shut him in the office while I'm getting their food ready or he'll jump on the counters, the stove, the fridge, me....and try and snatch the food out of the can while you're trying to put it in the dish. After trying different behavior modification techniques (tin foil on the counters, sticky tape, motion sensor traps, a squirt bottle), nothing has worked so I just have to keep him out of the kitchen and feed him seperately from Bandit in the bedroom. After Bandit is done eating, I started saying "time to let the monster out!" and it's been sticking.

 

He's just a growing boy! And a cute growing boy!!

I'm so sorry. It sounds like you've been through difficult times, as well.

I live minutes from your friend's place. I'm in Short North/Italian Village. When I was renting, their business was probably 4 blocks from me. That said, I know exactly where it is and don't remember seeing any sign. I'm going that way this afternoon to run some errands. I'll try to be more observant!