Out-of-control insulin prices

Q: Is there any way for me to bring down the cost of my insulin? It’s really gotten out of control and I’m on a fixed income. — Jenny F., Tampa, Fla.

A: The short answer is maybe. The cost of insulin in the U.S. has tripled from 2002 to 2013, and a lot of the blame rests with middle-level distributors, not just Big Pharma. There are patient assist programs (PAPs) from insulin-producing pharmaceutical companies like Lilly and Novo Nordisk that are worthwhile, but you have to take the initiative, and not everyone qualifies. You can access these from each company’s website.

Also, check out the Partnership for Patient Assistance at www.pparx.org. It says it “helps patients without prescription drug coverage get the medicines they need for free or nearly free.” You can apply to hundreds of private and public assistance programs at once. The Center for Primary Care and Prevention at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island offers a very helpful database of PPAs at www.RxAssist. org. The American Diabetes Association also can help, as can JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and others.

You also might outsource your insulin: prices for insulin are lower in other countries such as Canada, but if you order from them they may not have the formulation you require. Check with your doctor.

See about changing insulins: ask your doc if you can use a synthetic human insulin like Humulin R and Novolin 70/30. Although 85 per cent of U.S. prescriptions are for analog insulins like Lantus, Novolog or Humalog, these are often 10 or more times more expensive than the synthetic human insulins.

Clearly our model for prescription drug pricing needs to change. Spiralling drug prices and spiralling pharma profits cannot be sustained. According to the federal General Accounting Office: “pharmaceutical and biotechnology sales revenue increased from $534 billion to $775 billion between 2006 and 2015. Additionally, 67 percent of drug companies increased their annual profit margins during the same period — with margins up to 20 percent for some companies in certain years.”

So be aware of all the resources that are available, and find out what others taking insulin are doing. Where there’s a will there’s usually a way, but you need to take the initiative.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen at youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.