this thread is about buying Humalog from Canadian pharmacies.

I am a 39 y/o male, with type I diabetes since I was 14. I am in good control and healthy.

I am obsessive about my blood sugars; I figure out exactly how many units of humalog it takes to accommodate any meal; I have it estimated at about 4-5 units per 100 mg/dl of glucose.

I have recently purchased Humalog from Northwestpharmacy.com, a Canadian pharmacy. This is an international pharmacy which deals with more countries than just Canada and America; they have sources in Germany, UK, even Turkey. The two vials of Humalog I recently purchased were shipped from Turkey.

The reason I do this is simple: it is cheap. Northwestpharmacy.com sells Humalog at around $35 per 10 ml vial. This is much better than $150 per vial in America, and since my insurance has switched my deductible from $500 with prescriptions covered immediately to $3000 as a family with prescriptions not covered till deductible met in full, I am essentially paying full price and have no coverage for prescriptions. At 1.5 bottles per month, I just refuse to do it.

So, I have noticed that this Humalog from Canada via Turkey does not seem as potent. I am not worried about the product not being legit; I have found a legal injunction case letter, which I will post here, and the pharmacies in question, as well as the Turkish sources, are all legit according to the legal scrutiny of the letter. (--> http://oami.europa.eu/pdf/natcourt/Lilly.pdf <--) The injunction letter does not deal with Lilly being concerned with an inferior product sold in Turkey - the product is all good - but rather over a small subsidiary pharmacy not giving Lilly enough exposure for the product, making it appear as though the product is theirs, I guess. My worry does not have to do with the official or legit nature of the product in question. My worry has to do with the touchiness of the Lilly product when not kept cool ALL the time.

I know from using Humilin R most of my life, that product seemed to last well even at room temperature. Humalog is advertised the same: expires at room temp after 30 days storage. However even with American product, I know this is not true. I once went on a week long seminar, and I only had an cooler with ice. After a few days the ice was melted, and the contents, along with my Humalog, was at a warm room temp for the last half of the week. By the last day, that insulin was impotent; maybe at 1/4 strength (while there at the end of my stay I took 20 UNITS!, and it had little effect), so I threw it away when I got home.

The Turkish product I received was in a brown box, with the white styrofoam molding for cushioning, and cool packs inside. All the correct medical delivery procedures were followed. However according to packaging, delivery time was 5 days, AND ... the contents of the box was on the warm side of room temp when I opened it.

After using the Humalog with close monitoring, I am estimating this batch is at 50%, maybe 65% efficiency. I am sure that Humalog is quite sensitive to room, and especially warm, temperatures.

Nevertheless, at $35 a bottle, at %50 efficiency, it is still like $70 a bottle, which is cheaper than America. But hey, it is annoying anyway.

This is my two cents. You have to watch and be sure the pharmacy you are using is legit. But even then, be careful if you ever get a product that is not cool when you open it. NWRx will refund your order if you are concerned.

Nick