Sarah Howard (nee Tackett) has dedicated her career to supporting the T1D community ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Manager of Marketing at T1D Exchange.
I haven’t experienced delays because of product shortages, but the pharmacy I get things at is always behind. Even if I proactively call my refill in OR have it on auto-fill, I still have to make the phone call asking why it isn’t ready and they then move it to the front. If I didn’t call, who knows how long it would take.
Yes I have. I switched from my previous employers health insurance to Meditcare with Gap (G) in August. My first Medtronic ordter has taken a month and they cut the number of boxs from 4 to 3 for 3 months. That is barley enough to to cover 90 days. It took over a month to get the Doctor visit, C peptide test and info to Medicare. But the good news is it is less than half the cost of what the health insurance was running me. The old story, less for less. 😞
Not because of product shortages. But due to insurance rules I can only order my Dexcom supplies every 3 months. So I am out of sensors and the transmitter about 7 days while waiting for the new supplies.
I have had to change pharmacies because the distributor of my 1st pharmacy was having trouble supplying my FIASP. Similar problems have occurred with my blood pressuure medication.
No delays experienced but there have been substitutions of my preferred Tandem AutoSoft XC infusion sets with the Tandem AutoSoft 90’s which are very similar but more difficult to detach and reattach (e.g. for showering). We were advised several months back that this was being done because of product shortages.
For some reason the Freestyle Libre 2 reader is not available for purchase from pharmacies in Canada (even from the Abbott Canada website). I had purchased Freestyle Libre 2 sensors in April, and the only way to scan them is by their smartphone app, but my iPhone 6 is not supported. After numerous phone calls to Abbott customer care over the course of several months, I finally was able to get them to send me a Libre 2 reader in October. Now I’m a happy camper. Not sure if this is a supply issue… but it does seem strange that the Libre 2 reader is not yet widely available in Canada.
No delays over product shortages, but I have experienced delays in getting pump supplies, Dexcom sensors and insulin due to confusion/miscommunication about Medicare requirements.
I had lots of issues with Edgepark getting pump and Dexcom supplies since i went on Medicare. Long waits on the phone too. I switched to CCS medical and have had zero problems. Also they pick up the phone right away. .
I haven’t had supply chain issues, but I have had delays caused by Solara. After multiple cases of being without infusion sets, sensors, and/or a transmitter I finally switched to ADS and haven’t had any problem since (so far).
I had issues with Byram, they never sent the correct infusion set’s. EdgePark has never gotten my supplies wrong, thank heavens. The Tandem rep. knew me by first name because she saved me when Byram refused to send the correct ones – every single time.
MIO Advance infusions sets have been unavailable for months due to supply chain problems. I vastly prefer the over the previous model but I’m told they won’t be available until after the turn of the year.
Novolog 100 vial. 3 weeks late from Walmart. With recent availability of generic and according to Medicare guidelines to substitute without patient’s consent or knowledge to generic I was really waiting for generic. I was told back ordered. Insurance delays. Dr delays. Finally pharmacist said it was generic delayed. I asked what my prescription was actually written for and they said Novolog, but they were bound by law to sub generic. I was desperate to get my insulin and asked for Novolog I had always previously received because I was filling reservoirs with last vial and had been waiting 3 weeks and needed some insulin. Finally a fill in part time pharmacist said my Dr did not check the box for “no substitutions” on that prescription. Call Dr who wrote new prescription and finally got Novolog 3 of 4 vials that day. Horrible experience and treatment from pharmacy I’d gone to for 16 years. I checked websites that list drug delays and never found Novolog or it’s generic on a shortage list. I asked for any explanation how this could happen. Real shortage? Medicare coverage? A guideline does exist that says pharmacist are to sub generic for medicare customers. Running up to last reservoir fill was frightening. I made appointment to talk to walgreen pharm manager to better understand what really happened. I wanted them to see how desperate my situation was and know I was a real person who needed better help. I called/emailed every 5 days. Showed printouts of their Response emails said back order, then shortage, then insurance, then dr delay. I verified insurance and dr were not problem. Furthermore my dr office said they knew if no shortage. Walgreens didn’t know if others were having delays with insulin. My husband suspected since Medicare pays so poorly that Walgreens didn’t see me as a customer they wanted any longer. Wherever this perfect storm came from, I had never been so frightened. The Walgreens meeting ended with them admitting their explanations seemed like excuses and getting me at least one vial was always possible. Just not provided. Long, odd story.
When omnipod and dexcom stopped letting customers order directly from them and I had to start getting my supplies from a pharmacy it was a nightmare. The pharmacy got my omnipods a couple of times then told me they couldn’t get them anymore. I finally found a mail order pharmacy that would send me my omnipods but you have to pay for 3 months at a time and that is a couple thousand dollars because marketplace health insurance doesn’t cover diabetic supplies until you spend $6,000.00.
My supply problem is due to MEDICARE’S REDICULOUS requirements of having the notes on my doctor visit.
Not product shortages, Severe delay Dexcom G6 from Express Scripts horrible incompetence and lying. And CIGNA Express Scripts owner. Horrible.
I’ve had delays, but not because of supply shortages. My delays appear to be my supplier, Edgepark, and possibly Medicare.
None at all
I haven’t experienced delays because of product shortages, but the pharmacy I get things at is always behind. Even if I proactively call my refill in OR have it on auto-fill, I still have to make the phone call asking why it isn’t ready and they then move it to the front. If I didn’t call, who knows how long it would take.
Yes I have. I switched from my previous employers health insurance to Meditcare with Gap (G) in August. My first Medtronic ordter has taken a month and they cut the number of boxs from 4 to 3 for 3 months. That is barley enough to to cover 90 days. It took over a month to get the Doctor visit, C peptide test and info to Medicare. But the good news is it is less than half the cost of what the health insurance was running me. The old story, less for less. 😞
I had my endocrinologist write an RX for changing site every 2 days. So now i get enough sets.
Not because of product shortages. But due to insurance rules I can only order my Dexcom supplies every 3 months. So I am out of sensors and the transmitter about 7 days while waiting for the new supplies.
Product shortages? No.
Medicare and insurance issues? No.
Postal service issues, lack of truck drivers for UPS and FEDEX? Yes.
I have had to change pharmacies because the distributor of my 1st pharmacy was having trouble supplying my FIASP. Similar problems have occurred with my blood pressuure medication.
No delays experienced but there have been substitutions of my preferred Tandem AutoSoft XC infusion sets with the Tandem AutoSoft 90’s which are very similar but more difficult to detach and reattach (e.g. for showering). We were advised several months back that this was being done because of product shortages.
Ditto.
Three day delay on insulin because pharmacy was out of stock
I have had a lot of problems with timely arrival from CCS. Idk if shortages were involved.
For some reason the Freestyle Libre 2 reader is not available for purchase from pharmacies in Canada (even from the Abbott Canada website). I had purchased Freestyle Libre 2 sensors in April, and the only way to scan them is by their smartphone app, but my iPhone 6 is not supported. After numerous phone calls to Abbott customer care over the course of several months, I finally was able to get them to send me a Libre 2 reader in October. Now I’m a happy camper. Not sure if this is a supply issue… but it does seem strange that the Libre 2 reader is not yet widely available in Canada.
Three day delay in getting CGMs due to 2 week power outage in New Orleans. Maybe a distribution problem rather than production shortage.
No delays over product shortages, but I have experienced delays in getting pump supplies, Dexcom sensors and insulin due to confusion/miscommunication about Medicare requirements.
I had lots of issues with Edgepark getting pump and Dexcom supplies since i went on Medicare. Long waits on the phone too. I switched to CCS medical and have had zero problems. Also they pick up the phone right away. .
I haven’t had supply chain issues, but I have had delays caused by Solara. After multiple cases of being without infusion sets, sensors, and/or a transmitter I finally switched to ADS and haven’t had any problem since (so far).
I had issues with Byram, they never sent the correct infusion set’s. EdgePark has never gotten my supplies wrong, thank heavens. The Tandem rep. knew me by first name because she saved me when Byram refused to send the correct ones – every single time.
I take Tresiba and Humologue and Costco pharmacy has had delay issues in getting either or both.
I was unable to get the infusion sets that I normally use and had to settle for different ones that I do not like.
Dexcom through diabetes Supply Is taking longer than it used to. By backup supply is seriously dwindling.
No, not due to supply shortages. Just because of shipping delays, once they’ve been shipped.
MIO Advance infusions sets have been unavailable for months due to supply chain problems. I vastly prefer the over the previous model but I’m told they won’t be available until after the turn of the year.
Novolog 100 vial. 3 weeks late from Walmart. With recent availability of generic and according to Medicare guidelines to substitute without patient’s consent or knowledge to generic I was really waiting for generic. I was told back ordered. Insurance delays. Dr delays. Finally pharmacist said it was generic delayed. I asked what my prescription was actually written for and they said Novolog, but they were bound by law to sub generic. I was desperate to get my insulin and asked for Novolog I had always previously received because I was filling reservoirs with last vial and had been waiting 3 weeks and needed some insulin. Finally a fill in part time pharmacist said my Dr did not check the box for “no substitutions” on that prescription. Call Dr who wrote new prescription and finally got Novolog 3 of 4 vials that day. Horrible experience and treatment from pharmacy I’d gone to for 16 years. I checked websites that list drug delays and never found Novolog or it’s generic on a shortage list. I asked for any explanation how this could happen. Real shortage? Medicare coverage? A guideline does exist that says pharmacist are to sub generic for medicare customers. Running up to last reservoir fill was frightening. I made appointment to talk to walgreen pharm manager to better understand what really happened. I wanted them to see how desperate my situation was and know I was a real person who needed better help. I called/emailed every 5 days. Showed printouts of their Response emails said back order, then shortage, then insurance, then dr delay. I verified insurance and dr were not problem. Furthermore my dr office said they knew if no shortage. Walgreens didn’t know if others were having delays with insulin. My husband suspected since Medicare pays so poorly that Walgreens didn’t see me as a customer they wanted any longer. Wherever this perfect storm came from, I had never been so frightened. The Walgreens meeting ended with them admitting their explanations seemed like excuses and getting me at least one vial was always possible. Just not provided. Long, odd story.
My father bought all the candy from me. I kept non-candy food items to eat as appropriate.
When omnipod and dexcom stopped letting customers order directly from them and I had to start getting my supplies from a pharmacy it was a nightmare. The pharmacy got my omnipods a couple of times then told me they couldn’t get them anymore. I finally found a mail order pharmacy that would send me my omnipods but you have to pay for 3 months at a time and that is a couple thousand dollars because marketplace health insurance doesn’t cover diabetic supplies until you spend $6,000.00.