Lazy or efficient?
I think efficient… right?
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Yes, you’re right… not lazy at all 
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Just re-fill the cartridge, and re-use the tubing. Just change the cannula. Then, you save all the insulin plus the cost of the cartridge. perhaps 20-25 units insulin left, that you save.
I was once on flight when my reservoir went empty. Oh heck! Change my set in the tight airplane washroom? Time to be creative. I remained on my seat. Pulled out my pump, removed the cartridge, refilled it with insulin. And reconnected with the tubing, still full of insulin. I did not replace the cannula. I’m good for a few hours before touchdown.
Note: always have your supplies with you close-by when flying.
So today I let my reservoir go down to zero, and test out what was left. Prior to test, I got the 2 warnings for Low Res. (Mine is set for 20 units, so Low Res alarm at 20 and 10. Time can be used instead of units, but I prefer units.)
No alarm when it hit 0, but I knew when to expect it.
It didn’t really show 0, just — on status units left, with no bars on the syringe icon on main screen.
So I disconnected and did 3 sets of bolus=3 and observed what came out onto a small plate. Each 3 unit blob on the plate appeared about the same size. Bolus history confirmed 3 sets of 3 units delivered.
Then I tried another 3 unit bolus. it started, but then No delivery alarm appeared and it stopped. A much smaller amount came out compared to the first ones. Bolus history showed .3 units delivered
I tried another bolus, same result, No delivery alarm again, and a tiny bit of insulin came out.
History showed .25 units delivered
One more bolus, and it gave No delivery immediately, and nothing added to bolus history.
So… just under 10 units insulin was available after the Second LowRes alarm, and icon went blank, no units left on status.
fYI…I use MM 523 pump, with 1.8ml reservoirs, average 18-20 units per day.
If really in a pinch, there is still insulin in the tubing. Didn’t test it, but wonder if I had filled reservoir with AIR, inserted back into pump, and then try bolus. Would the air be able to push insulin through ? Would the amount be accurate?
Typically I change my reservoir within 12 hours of the second low res alarm/warning, since I have 10 units showing at that point. (And now I know I have about 10 more). I have on occasion pre-filled a reservoir to take with me when leaving the house, or take insulin bottle and syringes, when not sure how long I will be out or what I may be bolusing for foods.
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You’re awesome. This is just the kind of information I’m looking for… and was hoping to get it without experimenting. 
[quote=“MM2, post:24, topic:4125”]
have on occasion pre-filled a reservoir to take with me when leaving the house
[/quote]
Great idea…
What is “AIR”?
What we breathe.
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Oh, that’s funny. Yes, it is. Thought it was an acronym…
That’s a scary but good idea. But it would be difficult to make it work. The obvious way to pull the reservoir plunger back would involve rewinding the pump, and then it would require a prime until the pump actually felt the plunger, and pressing on air might not give enough pressure to trigger that sensor. As an alternative I suppose it would be possible to unscrew the reservoir from the pump, pull the plunger back 2u, and then screw the reservoir back into the pump to try to push 2u of air into the tube. In that case, it would be useful to know how far down the tube a 2u delivery should push the bubble. I expect it’s around 1 or 2 inches; it could be determined when filling an empty tube by giving fixed primes of 1u and watching how far down the empty tube the insulin moves.
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So the No delivery alarm really meant there wasn’t near enough to get the bolus, but even that had almost .5 unit of insulin left… I don’t ever plan on running it down to 0, let alone the no delivery, but these things are good to know.
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I’m just going to hope I’ll never have needed to know…
i am so happy for you and wish we all could be so lucky. my co-payment alone is $200. and thats just for 2 vials of NovoLog.
And ours is currently $25. Gotta love insurance. One size fits…what am I saying, its more like baskin robbins unlimited choices and unlimited price variations.
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Yeah, my copay used to be that. But I’ve reached my oop maximum already.
Seems like I have one disaster per year to push that oop over the max.
my co-pay used to be $40 a month, but i am on Medicare and i have reached what is called the “donut hole” and that is where you pay a greater % of the total cost of the insulin. it lasts until the next January. total PITA and sucks big time. 
it’s still a few years for me until medicare, but the donut hole concept has always amazed me. Anyway, I found this related to 2018 changes. Not sure if it helps you.
Coverage Gap (donut hole):
begins once you reach your Medicare Part D plan’s initial coverage limit ($3,750 in 2018) and ends when you spend a total of $5,000 out of pocket in 2018.
In 2018, Part D enrollees will receive a 65% Donut Hole discount on the total cost of their brand-name drugs purchased while in the donut hole. The discount includes, 50% discount paid by the brand-name drug manufacturer and will apply to getting you out of the donut hole (or TrOOP), however the additional 15% paid by your Medicare Part D plan will not count toward your TrOOP.
For example: If you reach the donut hole and purchase a brand-name medication with a retail cost of $100, you will pay $35 for the medication, and receive $85 credit toward meeting your 2018 total out-of-pocket spending limit.
Medicare Part D beneficiaries who reach the Donut Hole will also pay a maximum of 44% co-pay on generic drugs purchased while in the coverage gap (a 56% discount).
For example: If you reach the 2018 Donut Hole, and your generic medication has a retail cost of $100, you will pay $44. The $44 that you spend will count toward your TrOOP or Donut Hole exit point.
I also know some get insulin for pump under Part B (as DME supplies)