# Scoring insulin in out-of-the-way places while traveling: our experience

**URL:** <https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/scoring-insulin-in-out-of-the-way-places-while-traveling-our-experience/6121>\
**Category:** Insulin\
**Created:** [January 15, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/scoring-insulin-in-out-of-the-way-places-while-traveling-our-experience/6121 "2019-01-15T14:34:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Michel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/michel/32/387_2.png) [@Michel](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Michel)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/scoring-insulin-in-out-of-the-way-places-while-traveling-our-experience/6121/1 "2019-01-15T14:34:48Z")

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We have been on the road since early June 2018 (that is 7 months already), and visited many regions and countries (probably about 15 or more), in Europe and Africa. Every place we went, we tested our ability to buy insulin without a local prescription.

So far, our success rate for buying insulin without a prescription has been 100%, in many different places: Orkney islands, French countryside, the capitals of Hungary and Czechia, a small village in the Moroccan backcountry, a country town in Spain… The only place where I have not been able to buy without prescription (to tell the truth I have not tried) has been in the US.

Our last attempt was this past weekend. We went hiking for a long weekend in the Alpujarras mountains (lower elevation part of the original Sierra Nevada, in Andalucia). We walked by a small village where we were spending the night, and found a pharmacy that was open that evening. They had insulin, but no Novolog cartridges: we asked if he could get us some. The next morning at 10am, we picked up five 3ml-cartridges for 43.60E, that is about exactly $50.

So, for the moment, on this trip, no-prescription insulin purchases = 100% odds of success!

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**Author:** ![Pianoplayer7008](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.fudiabetes.org/pianoplayer7008/32/1507_2.png) [@Pianoplayer7008](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/Pianoplayer7008)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/scoring-insulin-in-out-of-the-way-places-while-traveling-our-experience/6121/2 "2019-01-15T16:59:53Z")

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> [@Michel](#):
>
> So, for the moment, on this trip, no-prescription insulin purchases = 100% odds of success!

Sounds like success at no-prescription _and inexpensive_ insulin purchases, at least the one you mentioned. I just paid $150 for five 3ml cartridges.

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**Author:** ![mike\_g](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@mike\_g](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/u/mike_g)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 8:48pm UTC](https://forum.fudiabetes.org/t/scoring-insulin-in-out-of-the-way-places-while-traveling-our-experience/6121/3 "2019-01-15T20:48:03Z")

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Thanks for doing this. An interesting bunch of data points from outside of the US.

> [@Michel](#):
>
> The only place where I have not been able to buy without prescription (to tell the truth I have not tried) has been in the US.

I think this is only the case for the _dangerous_ analog insulins…Lily convinced the FDA of the need for prescriptions for analogs with the introduction of Humalog in about 1996. Regular insulin doesn’t require a prescription, in most places in the US.

I suspect at least a portion of the motive for requiring a prescription was to encourage insurance involvement, thereby allowing the drug prices to do exactly what they’ve done since 1996 - rise sharply, unseen, behind the screen of 3rd party payment.