Ridiculous, why do prescriptions for a drug like insulin have to be renewed? You need the drug indefinitely and I see no serious risks that could be prevented by writing prescriptions for only 3 months. What’s the worst that can happen? An overdose? We do that regularly anyway and one TDD could kill us, so you can’t prevent that.
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@Boerenkool in the US, you need to be an active patient of the Dr prescribing the drugs. The Feds say that you must be seen at a minimum of 1x yearly to be an active patient, even for something like insulin.
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Yup. Spent a lot of years in the inside of those offices just waiting for the appointment to be over. Very reminiscent of all the conversations (read: lectures) I had sitting across the table with my dad when he would give me all kinds of advice that really was only going to work if I cared… except that I didn’t. Not diabetes stuff— just general life stuff. Then someday it clicked, and I found I did want to do better. That was a very long way of saying that I had to arrive there on my own— no amount of appointments were going to change what I did.
And yet I can enjoy a good long lecture at the tops of my kids’ heads like no one’s business. But that’s different because I’m right. 
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That’s a big difference with my country. I only need a new prescription when switching pharmacies and then I can order new insulin whenever I need.
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This methodology to Rxs seems much more effective and efficient.
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I didn’t know this either! For a chronic disease it seems like that rule should be relaxed.
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Yes, for me it works very well. In theory a doctor could write a limited prescription for insulin, but hardly any does.
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Similar in Canada. Provinces may differ, but in Ontario, except for narcotics or if otherwise stated, prescriptions are valid forever. I get a prescription for something once, and when it runs out of refills, the pharmacy simply contacts the doctor’s office for a renewal. For example, I started using thyroid hormone about 35 years ago, and Humalog 23 years ago, and I have never had a new prescription written for either of them.
And if I switch pharmacies, whether in the city or between provinces, I can either ask the old one to transfer my records to the new one or I can ask the new one to get my prescriptions from the old one. I can even request that online. Easy-peasy.
Because I get a provincial grant for pump supplies, I do need to visit my endo a certain number of times a year, and get an A1c once or twice a year, because I have to reapply for the grant each year and those questions are asked.
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I’ve had those “lectures” from my spouse my pcp, my ortho, my Endo… Like someone with a substance abuse problem, nothing will change until I am willing to do the work. Life’s lessons that in my younger mind didn’t apply to me. With age comes wisdom? Or maybe I just gave up the willingness to argue and fight about inconsequential things and instead fight for me. @Nickyghaleb we may be a continent apart, but I think we may have some similar experiences.
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I’ve seen my endo every three months for almost my entire life. Twice I went six months between appointments. Both times my thyroid went out of whack during that time. So now I’m a little superstitious and wouldn’t be unhappy if I stayed at three months forever. 
Like @elver, I like the three-month follow-ups and tend to see them as supportive rather than punishment.
I have, at times, had appointments every six weeks. But thankfully here in BC, doctors can do virtual follow-up visits for things like blood work. So during those times, my doctor will still see me in person every three months and we’ll connect via e-mail about the blood work every six weeks.
It wouldn’t surprise me, if everything is stable at my next appointment, if my doctor goes to seeing me in person every six months and virtual visits in between those.
Aren’t virtual visits a thing in the US? I thought they were even bigger there than they are here. I wonder why doctors don’t seem to use those more often, especially for appointments that mostly focus on blood work and not physical signs/symptoms.
I get prescriptions written for one year at a time.
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@jen, they are but utilization is partially based on your insurance carrier. Some carriers heavily push video visits, and others not so much.
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