Important advice when dispensing insulin glargine products.
You may face a potential issue when dispensing generic prescriptions for insulin glargine products. Please ensure all dispensary staff are aware of the following information.
Licensed indications
Insulin glargine is an insulin analogue with a prolonged duration of action.
It is indicated for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in adults, adolescents and children aged 2 years and above.
New product - Abasaglar®
The insulin glargine product, Abasaglar®, manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly, was launched in September 2015 .
It is important to be aware of this product so your team dispense accurately and advise your patients accordingly.
Biosimilar product
Abasaglar® is the 'Boehringer Ingelheim Lilly Diabetes Alliance' biosimilar version of Sanofi's reference insulin glargine product, Lantus®.
A 'biosimilar' is a type of biological product that receives a Marketing Authorisation because it is highly similar to an already approved biological product.
This is known as the biological reference product. A biosimilar has been shown to have no clinically meaningful differences from the reference product [1].
Generic prescribing
Generic prescriptions can be met with either the Lantus® or Abasaglar® product ranges.
Prescriptions may be written generically as:
Insulin glargine 100units/ml solution for injection 3ml cartridges OR pre-filled disposable devices.
Dispensing procedure
It is important to ensure continuity of supply to the patient.
- Check with the patient which brand they have used previously.
- Make a record of the brand in the patient's PMR.
- Do not switch between products without first discussing with the patient and prescriber.
- Ensure the patient understands how to use the prescribed device.
If insulin glargine is newly prescribed for the patient:
- Determine if they have been trained on a particular device.
- Dispense the brand the patient is familiar with.
- If the patient is unaware which product they should be using, refer to the prescriber for clarification.
Abasaglar® insulin devices
Abasaglar® is available in cartridges for use in the HumaPen® Savvio™ and in pre-filled disposable KwikPen™ devices.
Abasaglar® is a black-triangle product subject to additional monitoring.
Report suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card scheme.
View the SmPC of Abasaglar on eMC
Video manuals
Pharmacy teams and patients may find these video manuals useful:
Further information
To discuss this further contact the Information Services team on 0800 783 5709* option 2.