NOVOLOG and HUMALOG

[nsxiboi]

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I have a retail pharmacy question.

I know that novolog and humalog are both rapid acting insulins. One pt was prescribed Novolog by an ER doctor, but it wasn't covered. ER Doctor couldn't be reached to get the change to humalog. Using our judgment, can we change it to Humalog without the MD's authorization and just document it?

Same thing goes for Humulin and Novolin. Are these interchangeable without the MD's authorization?

 

[ValeRx]

No, they are not generic equivalents of each other so they cannot just be changed by the pharmacist without consulting the prescriber.

 

[lactonerx]

no! completely different insulins even though they are both fast acting

that would be like... substituting azithromycin for clarithromycin because you are out of stock on clarithromycin

 

[farmadiazepine]

its the same **** ... an md is not going to change the amounts of units a person has to use when beginning either novolog or humalog if its the first time they use it. ..

as for changing without md approval, no don't do it. it's insulin, and if something happens, its all on you for changing it without authorization. don't say you contacted the md and documented it either bc hospitals have all the charts and such and if a hospital doc changes it, they usually are pretty good at updating their records.

don't change insulins without md approvals.. yea i wanted to do it before, but u gotta stop yourself.

and yea, its the same, forget it when people tell you its not

 

[jasonkido]

http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/insulin/about_insulin/insulin-chart

They are slightly different but you still need md auth. I work for long-term care and we have a clinical intervention center that substittues novolog to humalog and we have to get a physician to sign every time we want the change.

 

[PharmDstudent]

From hospital practice, only Humulin R and Novolin R are interchangeable.