Rationale of the Week | JR is out of lispro (Humalog) insulin and is panicking.
For last week’s practice question, we quizzed participants on JR is out of lispro (Humalog) insulin and is panicking. 42% of respondents chose the best answer. We want to clarify and share this important information, so you can pass it on to people living with diabetes and your colleagues, plus prepare for exam success!
Before we start though, if you don’t want any spoilers and haven’t tried the question yet, you can answer it below: Answer Question.
Question: JR is a 19-year-old, living with type 1 diabetes. They use lispro (Humalog) insulin in their insulin pump. They just heard from their pharmacy that lispro is in short supply and they don’t know when they will be getting in the next shipment. JR tells you they are almost done with their current lispro vial and is panicking, asking what they should do.
Answer Choices:
- Contact your provider to order lispro insulin in a prefilled pen to use for the pump.
- Ask provider to prescribe other rapid acting insulin that is available.
- If you can’t access your healthcare provider, and you need insulin for your pump urgently, you can purchase a vial of regular insulin over the counter.
- A & B
- All of the above.
Getting to the Best Answer
Answer 1 is incorrect. 7.8% chose this answer. “Contact your provider to order lispro insulin in a prefilled pen to use for the pump.” This answer is correct, but it is not the BEST answer. Since insulin pens are more readily available and it is the same insulin formulation and concentration, JR can use the insulin from a lispro insulin pen in their pump. However, there is a better answer, so, keep reading.
Answer 2 is incorrect. 21.35% of you chose this answer. “Ask provider to prescribe other rapid acting insulin that is available.” This answer is correct, but it is not the BEST answer. There are other rapid acting insulins such as NovoLog (insulin aspart) or the biosimilar insulin Admelog (insulin lispro injection) made by other manufacturers that are more readily available with the same insulin concentration. However, there is a better answer, so, keep reading.
Answer 3 is incorrect. About 7.4% of respondents chose this. “If you can’t access your healthcare provider, and you need insulin for your pump urgently, you can purchase a vial of regular insulin over the counter.” This answer is correct, but it is not the BEST answer. Regular insulin is available for purchase over-the-counter without the need for a prescription and is FDA approved for used in an insulin pump. However, there is a better answer, so, keep reading.
Answer 4 is incorrect. 21.6% chose this answer. “A & B”
Finally, Answer 5 is correct. 41.9% chose this answer. “All of the above.” YES, this is the best answer, all 3 options are correct. Of course, we encourage individuals to consult with their healthcare provider, since everyone responds differently to switching insulins. We wanted to raise awareness with this question, since many individuals with diabetes who use insulin lispro and Humalog vials for their insulin pumps have encountered shortages. We can reassure them that there are several options to get them by until lispro and Humalog insulin are back on the shelf. For more info, you can download our Insulin PocketCards.
We hope you appreciate this week’s rationale! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our Question of the Week and participate in this important learning activity!
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