5 ms·

The article fails to mention that you can get a vial of insulin (regular or NPH) without a prescription at Walmart for $25. Not generic, but inexpensive. The ra

The article fails to mention that you can get a vial of insulin (regular or NPH) without a prescription at Walmart for $25. Not generic, but inexpensive. The rapid acting and the once daily insulins are indeed very expensive, but $25 will get you the very best the early nineties had to offer, just like most drugs that were expensive name-brand drugs back then.

bbcbasic 12y ago
how many days worth can you get from a Walmart vial, out of interest?
- spinchange 12y ago
  28 days after it's opened according to the literature. I think the actual quantity in the vial would last longer, depending on dosage. (On the first vial of $25 Walmart Novolin N for a diabetic pet)
  - bayesianhorse 12y ago
    Just for clarification: Does Walmart sell an Insulin approved for human use? Animal insulin has been used for human use, and human insulin for use in pets... Insulin's amino acid sequence varies a little by species, but as far as I recall most mammal's insulins are interchangeable.
    - kgwgk 12y ago
      Walmart's store-brand insulin is Lilly's Humulin. It was NovoNordisk's Novolin until 2010.
    - spinchange 12y ago
      Novolin N is human insulin. Walmart pharmacies likely sell more than one brand/type, this was just the one my vet prescribed (although a formal prescription isn't necessary, you just have to ask the pharmacist for it). It was about $25, so I assumed it was the same stuff the parent comment was talking about.
  - coldpie 12y ago
    You can get by if you're desperate, but the 28 days isn't an underestimate. The dropoff is pretty fast after the four week mark. I don't understand why, but that's been my personal experience.
- rsheridan6 12y ago
  It's the standard size of a vial of insulin - 1000 units, same as the extremely expensive insulins referenced in the article and by other people in this thread. How long it lasts depends on how much you need to use, which can vary widely.

bbcbasic 12y ago

how many days worth can you get from a Walmart vial, out of interest?

spinchange 12y ago
28 days after it's opened according to the literature. I think the actual quantity in the vial would last longer, depending on dosage. (On the first vial of $25 Walmart Novolin N for a diabetic pet)
- bayesianhorse 12y ago
  Just for clarification: Does Walmart sell an Insulin approved for human use? Animal insulin has been used for human use, and human insulin for use in pets... Insulin's amino acid sequence varies a little by species, but as far as I recall most mammal's insulins are interchangeable.
  - kgwgk 12y ago
    Walmart's store-brand insulin is Lilly's Humulin. It was NovoNordisk's Novolin until 2010.
  - spinchange 12y ago
    Novolin N is human insulin. Walmart pharmacies likely sell more than one brand/type, this was just the one my vet prescribed (although a formal prescription isn't necessary, you just have to ask the pharmacist for it). It was about $25, so I assumed it was the same stuff the parent comment was talking about.
- coldpie 12y ago
  You can get by if you're desperate, but the 28 days isn't an underestimate. The dropoff is pretty fast after the four week mark. I don't understand why, but that's been my personal experience.
rsheridan6 12y ago
It's the standard size of a vial of insulin - 1000 units, same as the extremely expensive insulins referenced in the article and by other people in this thread. How long it lasts depends on how much you need to use, which can vary widely.