CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - A temporary shortage of two popular insulin drugs has one local doctor very concerned.
Drugmaker Eli Lilly is claiming manufacturing issues could mean there will not be 10 mL vials of its life-saving Humalog and Insulin Lispro Injections on the shelves.
Dr. Rasa Kazlauskaite works at Rush University Medical Center and specializes in endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism. She says the shortage comes at a bad time, noting that insulin is essential for some patients.
“This is alarming, it’s already three years in a row that the deaths from diabetes have increased,” Kazlauskaite says.
The same insulin is available in a prefilled pen, but it's up to insurance whether they will approve it. There are also other insulin treatment options, including over the counter, but it comes with limitations, the doctor says. It can be disruptive and also frustrating to navigate, especially for older patients.
“[If] they don’t get insulin, they might end up not only in the emergency room but in intensive care, even dead,” Kazlauskaite says.
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