If I have a stash of pens what happens when I need to reorder?

[Donewiththisshit]

I have a stash, didn’t purposely stockpile but have been microdosing and continuing with a monthly order for fear of being cut off.
Now given recent events I’m pleased I have a stash and if I continue to micro dose I have enough to last more than a year!
If I don’t order any more in view of the shortages and impending price increases any guesses as to where I will stand in a year when I need more? I am worried no one will touch me.
I plan to be on this life long.
Anyone else in a similar predicament?

Well presumably under current rules you'll have to start again, so long as you meet the criteria from the pharmacies that support this. Before all this pricing shit, swift was supporting ad hoc ordering of 2.5 pens, presumably if your bmi and previous usage fitted with their guidelines. Who knows now, I too have a stash of pens and am under target officially, I'm going to use the pens I've got to get another stone off at least, it's not what I planned, I wanted to stay at this weight 8.8 and use a small dose to maintain. It's making me go under weight because I'm panicking about putting it back on and not being able to afford to maintain , and I know I'm not the only one.

Work out how to reduce the stash. Start ordering lower doses than you need now and use the stash to bridge the gap.

So if your current dose is 10mg and you have a 5mg in your stash, buy a 5mg and use both to get your 10mg.

It is not fully utilising the value of the medication you have in your stockpile, but there is likely no other way around it if you wish to keep an ordering history.

Alternative is to speak to some providers and ask for support to reduce your stockpile, but that is risky as all it takes is a GPhC inspection for them to tighten up their processes.

I have potentially 12-18 months worth of pens too. I'm so thankful for my decision last year to gradually build up a surplus, which didn't coincide with previous shortages or the recent price hike.

I intentionally ordered with a maintenance friendly pharmacy every 3-5 weeks, so that they would have a record of my weightloss journey and prescription history. I have used a few other pharmacies here and there, which also increased my stock level.

I'm at goal now so I told them I've titrated off and they confirmed that I can reorder within 12 months of my last order. (They don't know about my stockpile.) I accept that I'd need to go back to 2.5mg and will factor this in when/if I decide to reorder.

I'm currently reducing my dose by a few clicks each week, but not sure how well that is going to continue to go. I think I'll likely want to stay on a GLP1 long-term anyway for the myriad of benefits.

Are you at goal weight? What dose are you taking?

I wrote above how I bought myself 12 months grace, which I have in writing - provided the rules don't change.

I’m at goal taking 2.5mg every 7-21 days. Good idea to write to my supplier and agree the 12 month grace period and then reorder at a low dose in a year.

I wonder how many people stockpiled and now it affected supplying to other users?

Can you not just join Oushk’s flexi plan? £15pcm means you can order as and when you need to. Obviously the pen is an extra cost on top but this is their maintenance programme. It was the reason I switched to them from MedExpress who won’t prescribe under 23.5 BMI.

I wonder. Helpful.

I wonder why you think someone buying one every 3 or 4 weeks would cause others an issue, when there is no lack of stock? What's your insight on this to think patients are to blame?

The price hike came in so suddenly and without warning that the pharmacies were unprepared and can't keep up with prescribing for this sudden demand. Then their suppliers seem to be gate-keeping the stock and not supplying the pharmacies with the stock they need, presumably so that it can be sold at the new prices.

This is not on the patients/ consumers. There is plenty of stock, it's just that people want to buy it before the price rise on 01 September, which is hard for pharmacies to process at these unprecedented levels.

Also, some pharmacies have already raised their prices in anticipation. The stock is available and plentiful, just not at a price that's affordable or been budgeted for by most patients.

How can you have 12-18 months surplus I had 2 pens (plus my current pen) delivered in the past week and they all expire in January 2026?

If it's only a small surplus, order every 6 weeks and the stocks will gradually go down. I believe pretty much every pharmacy allows up to 6 weeks without any issue.

That doesn't sound like you are getting the newest stock. Is it from a heavily discounted supplier? I use Pharmulous.

I've ordered 6 pens in the last 6 months of various strengths from 5 to 12.5mg.

Expirations are Apr 26, Nov 26, and Feb 27.

I'm aware that March 27 expirations are around too.

Interesting , my pens are from pillsorted and pharmacy 2u , 10mg, 12.5 mg and 15mg all have same expiry of January 2026

glad for you though to have such a well stocked supply as I’m even happy to have 8 me of 16-24 of WLI or 20-24 w total supply

current info on restarting:

https://monj.co.uk/restarting-mounjaro-uk/

All my pens have a jam 2027 date