Stockpiling

[Comeoneileen22]

I have about 6 pens in the fridge, when I think that’s almost £1000 worth it seems insane. I’m just worried at some point I won’t be able to get it anymore! I’m near the maintenance stage and am with Oushk so hopefully not a problem going forward but I feel like I need a safety net 😬

There are suppliers that will give with a break even if BMI is under 23/24. Use them up and worry about it later.

Are the expiry dates ok for them? As it will take you 6 months to get through all of them. I don't have a stock pile, I buy a few weeks before I need to start using it.
I did read a few peoples fridges broke down and they had to use them within 30 days as they had warmed up and ended up binning most! I'm sure that's rare though!

Yes most of them are November 2026 so hopefully ok

I’ve never ended up with a stockpile and never quite understood how people do, I thought there was a minimum time between orders? Anyway I just order when I’ve taken my last dose! No need to worry about expiry dates 😂

I've got, I think, 10 of various strengths, for the same reason, as I started a year ago when maintenance was uncertain and stockpiling a bit more common.

I'm recently at goal weight, so have stopped ordering and just use in date of earliest expiry. I am quite comfortable at calculating the dose and drawing by syringe. I've not gone over 30 days so far, keep in the fridge and try my best to practice good hygiene methods with alcohol swabs, etc.

I keep detailed records in both Shotsy and a spreadsheet.

I'm happy to restart at a 2.5mg pen and have an extensive order history with a maintenance provider so hopefully will be able to order again if necessary. My provider suggested this should be possible within a year of the last order 🤞 .

I save every month for each pen so stockpiling wouldn’t be possible. Would like to though.

I am on 15mg and somehow have managed to stockpile 3! I re order when prompted but take 5 doses from each pen.

Still have about 30lbs to go and I am a slow user so I am sure I will use them eventually.

That's good then! I'm at my goal weight 15mg so hoping to taper down in a few months. I don't stockpile because I don't know how i felt about specific dose, being prediabetic they wore off quick for me but some lasted few weeks, some 2 pens, and also if I developed a health condition or severe side effect which meant I had to stop using it, would be a waste of money. Also I literally don't have enough space in my combined fridge freezer and I live alone so don't know how others find space!

I've started using up my stockpile (three pens in the fridge). I'm maintaining on 5mg, BMI is 22. Does anyone know which suppliers will prescribe after a few months break? I know Medexpress will, but not at my BMI, and they'll make me go back to 2.5mg.

I am hoping to come off it when I run out, but having a back-up option will make it much less scary.

I think if you stop you’d have to go back to 2.5mg.
look on Monj website - there are list of suppliers who will accept you back with a gap.

I have just restarted after buying my last pen in March from Chemist4U. They are happy re prescribe a maintenance dose up to 6 months after your last order. it should be arriving today as I really want it back.

I currently have 2 pens of 15mg that sit in my fridge unused at all times.
I am comfortable with that due to the shortages & plan to stick with the extra for a while but wouldn't want to increase the stockpile.
My provider Medicine Market Place have said that they realise people have stockpiles especially due to the higher dose shortages which they think is starting to ease up now & that they would allow gaps in prescribing as long as you provided them with evidence (photos of unused pens etc)
They said that one customer had taken photos but also included a Lidl receipt in the photo dated that day so MMP knew that the photos were recent.

Removed from the boxes they take up little space. I keep mine in a small tupperware box in the fridge door with some needles syringes and swabs, so all is to hand. The boxes are stored elsewhere flattened, in case I need them, but I take photos of the labels for reference too.

I do have 2 fridges though too, so no concern that PP has mentioned about spare pens getting warm if the fridge breaks down.

I probably wouldn't have stocked so many nowadays, but I quickly built up a stock within 3 or 4 months a long time ago when there was a lot of uncertainty about maintenance as the general stance from pharmacies was to quickly taper off or quit cold turkey.

I then continued ordering one every 4 or 5 weeks to keep a relationship with my chosen pharmacy. When there were shortages of 12.5 and 15, I was already approaching goal and had for some time been ordering 10mg or less.

I'm glad to have stopped ordering now though.

Ah I didn't realise the expiry dates were on the pen too. I guess a benefit of stockpiling could be taking advantage of any offers to save money and prices no doubt may rise in future, so you could benefit that way.
Like you say if maintenance regulations change, you will have a back up at least.