35 Comments
Have you ever dropped a vial of insulin and had the vial crack or break open?
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Yes. And it’s sort of like burning a truffle, scratching the Hubble Space telescope, or bending a Giacomecotti Man Pointing. Sigh!
once in 46 yrs
I’m completely on a pump now, but I still get pens because I find them much more convenient and durable.
LONG ago….in a hotel bathroom on a Sunday morning! Very hard to find a pharmacy open to replace it.
Yes, but only 2 vials in my 35 years and they were decades apart.
Years ago, I was on a trip to Chicago and dropped two bottles (one brand new, another almost empty) on the bathroom floor. I had to call my doc’s emergency number back at home to have them call in a new prescription. I was on a shoestring budget and that extra $100 (no insurance) killed my entertainment for the weekend.
Oops, I typed “yes”, and meant to hit the “no” button. Sorry. please change my answer, if possible.
Thankfully had a back up vial, but did spend a few dazed seconds looking at the floor and thinking – there goes 300 bucks. Even contemplated trying to suck it up with a syringe to get some back…I know, stupid that I even considered using contaminated insulin, but this stuff is literally keeping us alive and is stupidly expensive to obtain in the US…even with insurance.
Only once in 41 years of T1D and occurred while in nursing school. One of the other student’s gave me some until I could get a vial from my endo.
I returned to a hotel room in London many years ago and found the remains of a vial on the bathroom counter with a note apologizing for the “mishap”. I called the concierge and he had a new vial in my hands less than an hour later.
Yes, because where is it you’re most likely going to be when you’re using vial insulin? A bathroom. And what do bathrooms almost always have? Tiled floors.
Fortunately I’ve only done it once. So far.
I dropped a vial and it broke while I was traveling for business. I had packed a spare bottle (phew!). However, this occurred 10 years ago. Now insurance has gotten so tight w insulin dispersal that I do t have a spare bottle.
Yes. I accidentally dropped and broke a new vial. Fortunately my pharmacy replaced it at no cost to me.
Wow, that was nice
Years ago (probably 30) I dropped one and it broke. No backup and I was working at a summer camp that was 30 mins from the closest pharmacy – and not my normal pharmacy. After some phone calls and the drive to town (had to borrow a car) I had the new vial. Since then whenever I open a new vial I keep it in one of those cushioned/insulated holders.
Oh the horror when I dropped and broke a vial. Amazon to the rescue, purchased clear rubber vial protectors for both regular and long acting insulin
Well really, I didn’t but my granddaughter did! Luckly had another vial.
Yes and it was most annoying, I dropped it on a tile floor in a hotel room. I had to take a taxi to a pharmacy an beg them to sell me a replacement. They wanted to speak to my west coast doctor from the east coast. I was not carrying a spare vial.
New vial off long acting when I was on a pump break. We’re had gone to a camp and had to give it medicine to The staff. I was transferring insulin and one vial fell ona cement floor and shattered. There was a gap in the tin and I said “and that’s why you always pack at least twice the amount you think you’ll need”.
YES, twice in 68 years. Twenty years ago visiting my daughter and her family in Chicago, I dropped the full vial of Lantus on the bathroom tile. We were on our way out to eat dinner. It took over 2.5 hours to get a replacement because the pharmacy insisted on the prescription info /insurance payment Second time was on a casino weekend trip, in state, but also many mile from home. I again dropped the vial on a tile floor. That time it was Humalog. We were directed to a Walgreens, a couple miles from the casino/hotel and very fortunately, that wasn’t as much of a hassle. They accepted my insurance card, put it through and I left with a new vial. Within the past 15 years everything has changed in regard to insurance pharmacy coverage and the price of insulin. Now I don’t travel anywhere without multiple supplies.
Yes, I dropped a vial while at a picnic in college in approximately 1965 and it broke. Probably Lente insulin. Hasn’t happened since.
YES! As a teenager, in the middle of a shift working concessions at a movie theater! From then on, I wrapped a rubberband around every vial — a cheap safety system! I’m glad insulin pens are more protected by all their plastic.
I’ve dropped a vile of insulin but thankfully it didn’t crack or break. Since then I purchased neoprene popsicle holders and made vile holders from them….
Vial🙄
I have dropped vials many times but have been SOOOO lucky to not have any break!! But, I definitely cringed when I heard the thunk as it hit the tile!
First thing in the morning I was opening a new box of pen fill vials. I pulled out the prescribing information bible from the box.
The blister pack of vials came out with it and hit the floor. Picked it up and looked okay. The first vial was chipped on the edge the plunger goes in but otherwise looked okay. I used it for a couple of days but started smelling insulin when I picked up the pen. Also a dose wasn’t having the expected effect. Remembering the chip I pulled out the vial and found a crack going up the vial. The label that wraps the vial was holding it together. I checked the other vials and found they were all leaking. I opened the next box standing on carpet.
Of course. Bathroom tile floor + 60 years of t1d = several broken vials.
Twice, first was a Vial of NPH so that hurt but back then prices were around $14 a vial so not so bad, second was a Vial of Novolog but since I was on Medicare the Loss was even less than the $14 NPH!
I had just opened my last vial before my refill and dropped it on the kitchen floor. It was also a Friday after 5 pm. I was insanely lucky to have already filled my pump cartridge so it could have been worse. I had to go through a few hoops but managed to get a new vial called in to my local pharmacy by the end of the weekend. My insurance said I was allowed one emergency prescription per year. I immediately got the silicone protectors and now every time I switch vials I’m as careful and focused as I can be.
I didn’t actually drop the vial. I inserted the syringe to add air so I could withdraw insulin and the bottle broke open spilling all the insulin. The pharmacy was skeptical but replaced the bottle.
Only one cracked vial in many decades. Didn’t realize vial had leaked most of insulin till 2 days later. I always keep at least one spare of each vial of Humalog and Lantus. In addition I can access a pharmacy within one hour during day via public transportation and within 2 hours at night. For a fee there’s home delivery.
Twice! Once when I was younger; I think my mother dropped it. The second time was after I got married and I dropped it. Both times the bottle shattered on the floor.
Yes I have dropped vials of insulin but no, they have never cracked or broken.
NO….. But in my early years I cracked a glass syringe when trying to sterilize it a glass bottle of alcohal when on a camping / skin diveing trip on Block Island,R.I. and the only pharmacy would not sell me a new one!!! BTW,, that was also the first time I ate raw fish!!
Yes, but it was approximately 50 years ago