Full Text of the
JDFI Position Statement on
Animal Insulin
I
am very pleased to have the
opportunity to share this with
you all. The instructions for
obtaining beef insulins are also
available on the HomePage
of the two sites I manage as
well as http://compassionateuse.com
and the CP
site which is linked from
both. If I can assist in any way
as you, friends, or family go
through the work to get the
forms filled out and filed,
please feel free to call
on me. I have posted to this
tripod site a form that you and
your MD may wish to use as a
sample to provide you the
required COM
letter for his signature and
don't expect that anyone will
have any difficulty in
generating the personal
certification (though I would
add a social security number as
proof of legal US residence) and
the site also contains a copy of
the required CP order form.
Please be aware that, based on
my experience in ordering from
CP:
R
(Regular) is called
"Neutral"
N (NPH) is
called "Isophane"
L (Lente) remains
"Lente"
SL (Semilente) is
not available
UL (Ultralente) is
not available, but many find
that PZI (Protamine
Zinc Insulin) works about as
well as a replacement
PZI is still
"PZI"
I
am apparently forbidden under UK
law from publishing the activity
curves for these insulins though
if requested, I will attempt to
find a way to do something to
help in this ticklish matter.
All
insulins are provided in 10cc
U100 solution or suspension
vials.
You
no longer need to provide CP a
prescription but you need to see
if your insurance will cover the
cost of the insulin plus the
import permit fees plus the
shipping fees The insulin is
roughly $30 per bottle at
current exchange rates (about
$1.60 per UK Pound Sterling),
the import permit charges were
recently drastically increased
by USDA, however they now cover
5 years instead of only one
year. Check the USDA information
at: USDA
Fees. The shipping charge is
roughly $60 per shipment at
current shipping rates (and
exchange rates) regardless of
the size of the shipment with
the still stringent FDA/USDA
limits we are subject to.
You
may now order a 6 month supply
of beef. I am going to continue
to do what I can to help us get
legislation that will allow us
to substantially reduce our
costs by enabling bulk shipping
and distribution, eliminating
the logistics problem that Rep.
Nethercutt cited when he
volunteered to write the
enabling legislation for us.
Thanks to those of you who took
the time to fax.
THE GOOD
NEWS!!!
JDFI
Position Statement on Animal Insulin
December
6, 1999
The recent decision
by US companies to discontinue
the production of beef insulin
has caused great concern among
some people with diabetes in the
USA who currently use this type
of insulin. JDFI recognizes that
most people who take
animal-derived (i.e. beef and
pork) insulins can be safely
switched to synthetic human
insulin.
However,
we also acknowledge that good
medical practice dictates that
decisions concerning the type of
insulin used by people with
diabetes should be made by the
patients and their physicians
and that, if animal-derived
insulin is deemed appropriate,
this option should remain
available to them.
In this regard,
JDFI will continue to provide
information on obtaining
animal-derived insulin
manufactured outside of the
United States to interested
patients and physicians. To
learn about the process and
procedure for personal
importation of beef insulin and
for more information on this
issue, please contact:
The
Insulin Dependent Diabetes
Trust U.S.
IDDT US
1720 Guess Rd., Suite 40
Durham, NC 27701-1165
Call Toll Free US: (888)
253-7144 (toll-free US)
Online:
http://diabetes.pair.com
or http://www.insulinchoice.org.