Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Scott Wilkins on June 4, 2012 at 1:17pm

Probably to keep costs lower. Pharmacies make a killing! Their markup is massive. And I'd guess many insurances would not pay for this markup along with the high cost of many of the supplies.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Iam on June 4, 2012 at 1:47pm

True. Probably ~50%. But the shipping would be a lot less, which would eat a chunk out of the markup. Maybe not a whole box, but at least an "emergency kit" single reservoir + infusion set. Or better yet, pharmacies get their own brands, as they've started doing with BG monitors.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Miller on June 4, 2012 at 1:17pm

I concur. My Animas pump is being shipped to me June 15. I was surprised when the rep told me that I could order up to 3 months of supplies through her. I said I'd rather get them at my pharmacy, and she told me I can't do that.

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Permalink Reply by Penguin_Girl on June 4, 2012 at 1:59pm

I order my supplies through a pharmacy - I call the pharmacy when I need supplies and they order them from Animas. It takes a few days, but my insurance pays the pharmacy directly (so I don't have to claim it afterwards) and I also earn Air Miles on the purchase as I use the Safeway pharmacy.

I have seen infusion sets and reservoirs on the shelves behind the counter at the Costco pharmacy, but I don't know if those are ones people have ordered or if you can just walk in and get them.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Wittman on June 4, 2012 at 2:04pm

I think it is because each pump manufacturer has a proprietary lock on their particular pieces that it takes to use their brand of pump. True, there are supply houses that specialize in the distribution of pump supplies, but because they are so specialized and expensive, the pump companies don't want too many suppliers out there.

Actually, I kind of like buying directly from Animas. I have never had a problem with them, and I know the supplies they send will always be fresh. Animas has a drop ship plan, but I do not participate in it. I would rather order my supplies as necessary. that way I can control what I get.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Iam on June 4, 2012 at 9:09pm

But what if they send you wrong, or defective supplies? Wouldn't it be better to to just return them and get different ones, than to have to mail them back and wait several days for replacements? I'm a Medtronic guy, myself.

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Permalink Reply by nel on June 4, 2012 at 2:14pm

Residing in BC, Canada : the only way to receive supplies is through a Pharmacy ; I order when supplies run low ...BC Pharmacare will cover , after one has reached the Pharmacare deductable , according to one's income/taxes payable . Airmiles at BC 's Pharmacies are covered , if supplies/medications are paid by self/ Extended Health plan .The Pharmacy does NOT charge a dispensing fee on filling pump supplies orders etc. , however the cost may include this ?? It may pay off to shop around ?

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Permalink Reply by Brunetta on June 4, 2012 at 2:28pm

Sam, relatively speaking, in the USA,VERY few insulin dependent diabetics use insulin pumps. It is considered the "gold" standard of care for type one diabetes, and some, but not many, newly diagonsed type ones are put on the pump within 9 months 1 year after diagnosis . My experience from speaking to type 2's , the majority of diagnosed diabetics in the US, are almost never told of the possibility of pump usage. However , IMHO, these reasons lead to the pump being a minority treatment plan for most insulin dependent diabetics::
1. the expense,
2.unfamiliarity with pumps by treating physicians for a good majoirty of diabetics,
3.lack of healthcare/ insurance that would pay for even a portion of the supplies.
It is not deemed as profitable for pharmacies to stock such items. I do not even think that speciality pharmacies carry supplies specifically for pump usage..They may carry adhesives and the like; but nothing for just pump use, like infusion sets and reservoirs.. Probably not profitable enough to stock in quantity. You can get them from mail-order and internet sources, but I have yet to see such items in a walk-in drugstore in Columbus Ohio, where I live. Probably never will, unfortunately.

It would be Easier for us who regularly use such supplies; definitely yes. More profitable for the phamacies? Probably not. . Look at the mark-up, as other posters have noted, and the cost factor to the drugstore:Supply and demand.

God Bless,
Brunetta

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Permalink Reply by Sam Iam on June 4, 2012 at 6:04pm

200,000 - 300,000 of us including at least 10,000 T2's. About 8-10% of all T1's are pumpers. An expaniding market. Very interesting to hear that some of us do see them in a pharmacies. I also have seen third party infusions sets. Will probably try buying sets from one of those discount warehouses pretty soon.

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Permalink Reply by JohnG on June 5, 2012 at 4:45am

Your using a MM pump...why would you take the risk of using a third party infusion set, a couple of years ago Medtronic recalled over a million infusion sets because they found a tinny bit too much silicon lubricant on the reservoir connector which is also the pump vent. If this vent is blocked off the pump will build up pressure inside the case and this will cause the piston in the reservoir to move in order to equalize pressure inside the pump. This is a deadly problem. Medtronic needs to have control of their product at all times and they have no control over third party distributors.

The T1 market is flat and only changes  with world population but the T2 market is exploding at the seams. This expanding T2 market has already had some positive impact on the Pump and CGM market  as more and more T2's will get insurance approval everyday, this can only help the T1 market more company's are getting  into the pump market.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Iam on June 6, 2012 at 7:24am

Actually, incidence of T1 is increasing by almost 4% / year in the US in children under 5. Sure, we'll never catch up with the T2s, but we seem to be seeing something of a "T1 epidemic".

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-diabetes-cliffha...

I'm not planning on using a 3rd party infusion set. I had problems with the quick sets, but am quite happy with the Sure - T's. I might need to buy them from a cheaper source, though. Not sure if I agree with you about Medtronic's need to control their product. I think that part of the problem is that once you buy their pump, you're a captive market. Sometimes, they release very poorly designed products, or components. I'd be happy to see someone do better. When I called them about my pump failure, they acted shocked. When I checked here, It seems that most of our pumps fail every year or 2.

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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on June 7, 2012 at 7:42am

The problem is that MOST T2s cannot get insurance coverage for pumps because Medicare will not cover them, and most insurance companies follow Medicare guidelines. There are a LOT of T2s who could most surely benefit from pumps -- their insulin needs can vary a lot, too. But bureaucratic eyes are focused only on the bottom line.

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