I thought that insulin was the rapid one and not the long lasting one. I think a lot of people had put themselves into diabetic shock by using that one instead of the one they needed...because it was cheap.
This is the more modern insulin analog, insulin aspart (sold branded as "Novolog"). It is fast acting, and has a different treatment approach than traditional human "regular" insulin. Using it incorrectly or recklessly definitely risks a hypoglycemic incident, which can be fatal. Selling this under the ReliOn brand is new, and it is relatively affordable compared to the sticker prices for the branded versions (upwards of $300 for a box of 5 pens, vs. the $73 walmart is offering)
Walmart also sells, and has for a while, "regular" human insulin under their "ReliOn" brand, which is $25/vial. This is an older style of insulin, less flexible and reactive, and requires a more restrictive lifestyle to make it work . Not following this restrictive diet schedule and rules can put you at risk of a hypoglycemic incident, which can be fatal.
There are other kinds of insulin analogs, including a "slow acting" variety called insulin glargine (sold under the brand names Basaglar, Lantus, etc). It serves to smooth the overall curve of blood sugar on a given day. My own treatment regime includes both insulin aspart and insulin glargine. I do not believe Walmart sells any insulin glargine (yet?)
For what it's worth, as an additional piece of information, a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is another modern tool in the treatment arsenal. They are also incredibly expensive, especially without insurance, but have saved my life several times when I made mistakes or just had bad luck with a dose of insulin aspart, and went very low. Being able to see myself starting to go low, rather than simply reacting when it is too late and I am already affected, is a significant aid.
As someone with little actual knowledge of different insulin, I've been told that the cheaper one that Walmart sells is significantly harder to manager and you tend to end up going through lots of spikes & dips with it, which while enough to still live for some is pretty debilitating.
Hopefully California is planning on doing a different style of insulin that better manages that?
That's incorrect. For a long time, Walmart has sold an older, human insulin. This is a relatively new product which is an analog insulin. It's the same NovoLog that's widely prescribed just with the ReliOn brand stuck on it.
Unfortunately, this is true, and a lot of people struggle to manage their diabetes after switching to the Walmart brand. The stories I have heard generally occur to young adults who have to transition out of their parents' insurance plans.
This article is from 2019 and is out of date. It's saying that Walmart only sells human insulin which isn't true any more. ReliOn NovoLog is a modern, analog insulin and is exactly the same as "regular" NovoLog:
Walmart needs to either earn a profit or use the item as a loss leader to earn a profit elsewhere. A government can provide services without expecting them to be profitable. (See: roads, licensing, schools, transit, etc.)
There's no reason California couldn't say, "If you need insulin, and you live in California, it's available for free." Assuming that's what the taxpayers want.
> A government can provide services without expecting them to be profitable
Governments are just collections of people organized by incentives, just like corporations.
In corporations, the profit incentive pushes the organization to minimize the cost of production. At the same time, competition puts a ceiling in prices. Poorly organized, staffed and managed businesses go bankrupt.
In a government, there is no incentive to minimize costs. Next years budget is contingent on isi h all of this years. Leadership positions are politically appointed, not based on competency. Employees are not rewarded with huge bonuses or promotions for competing projects on time or ahead of schedule. Budgets can just be sink holes, as long as they are politically expedient and have the proper messaging. Better ideas are routinely stifled by political agendas, and investment is singular; one department gets all the funding and there is no competition.
Look at Venezuela as an example. When the government nationalized the oil industry, it completely fell apart. Production dropped off hugely.
https://theconversation.com/why-telling-people-with-diabetes...