Your Patients Can't Find Their Insulin — Here's How to Help

When a patient calls your office saying they can't fill their Semglee prescription, it disrupts more than their day — it puts their glycemic control at risk. Missed basal insulin doses can lead to hyperglycemia, DKA in Type 1 patients, and downstream complications that generate avoidable emergency visits and hospitalizations.

As a prescriber, you have more leverage than you might think to help patients navigate supply issues. This guide outlines practical steps your team can take to help patients find Semglee — or an appropriate alternative — quickly and reliably.

Current Availability: What You Need to Know

As of 2026, Semglee (Insulin Glargine-yfgn) by Viatris remains intermittently available across the U.S.:

• The 10 mL vial formulation has generally better availability than pens.
• The pre-filled pen (5-pack) experiences more frequent stockouts, particularly at chain pharmacies.
• Availability varies significantly by region, wholesaler, and pharmacy chain.
• Independent pharmacies and specialty pharmacies often have better access through alternative distribution channels.

For the full supply timeline and context, see our provider shortage briefing.

Why Patients Can't Find Semglee

Understanding the root causes helps you counsel patients and make better prescribing decisions:

• Formulary-driven demand spikes: PBM formulary changes can shift thousands of patients to Semglee simultaneously, outstripping local supply.
• Manufacturing complexity: Insulin is a biologic, not a simple generic. Production disruptions have longer recovery timelines.
• Distribution inequity: Chain pharmacy allocation algorithms may deprioritize locations with lower historical Semglee volume.
• Patient behavior: Many patients wait until they're completely out before trying to refill, leaving no buffer for supply delays.

What Providers Can Do: 5 Actionable Steps

Step 1: Check Availability Before Prescribing

Use Medfinder for Providers to check which pharmacies near your patient currently have Semglee in stock. This takes under a minute and can prevent the frustration of a failed fill. Train your MA or front desk staff to incorporate this check into the prescribing workflow.

Step 2: Route Prescriptions Strategically

Instead of defaulting to the patient's usual pharmacy, consider routing to a pharmacy confirmed to have stock. Key strategies:

• E-prescribe to confirmed pharmacies: Use real-time availability data to select the dispensing pharmacy.
• Suggest independent pharmacies: They often have better access through different wholesaler relationships.
• Recommend specialty pharmacies: Diabetes-focused pharmacies prioritize insulin stock.
• Consider mail-order: For stable patients, 90-day mail-order fills provide more reliable supply and reduce the frequency of potential stockouts.

Step 3: Leverage Interchangeability

Semglee is an interchangeable biosimilar to Lantus. This means:

• Pharmacists can dispense Lantus when Semglee is prescribed (and vice versa) without contacting you.
• Educating patients about this interchangeability can prevent unnecessary panic and callbacks.
• If you write the prescription generically as "Insulin Glargine," the pharmacist has maximum flexibility.

Note: Substitution to Basaglar, Levemir, or Toujeo still requires a new prescription from the prescriber.

Step 4: Prepare Backup Prescriptions

For patients who have experienced repeated Semglee stockouts, consider a proactive approach:

• Send a primary prescription for Semglee and document an alternative in the patient's chart.
• If your EHR supports it, add a note: "If Semglee unavailable, please contact office for Basaglar prescription."
• Some practices pre-authorize alternative prescriptions that can be activated with a quick phone call.

Step 5: Connect Patients with Cost Resources

Sometimes the barrier isn't just supply — it's cost. Even when Semglee is available, a patient's copay may be prohibitive. Connect patients with:

• Viatris Semglee Savings Card: Reduces copay to $0–$35 for commercially insured patients
• Viatris Patient Assistance Program: Free Semglee for qualifying uninsured patients
• Eli Lilly $35 cap: Applies to Basaglar regardless of insurance status
• Medicare $35 copay cap: Under the Inflation Reduction Act

Share our patient resource: how to save money on Semglee.

Alternatives to Consider

When Semglee truly isn't accessible, these are the primary alternatives:

• Lantus (Insulin Glargine, Sanofi): Same active ingredient, interchangeable with Semglee. Generally available but more expensive without discount programs.
• Basaglar (Insulin Glargine, Eli Lilly): Same active ingredient, different pen device (KwikPen). Requires new prescription. Strong availability and $35/month pricing.
• Rezvoglar (Insulin Glargine-aglr, Eli Lilly): Newer biosimilar with growing market presence.
• Levemir (Insulin Detemir, Novo Nordisk): Different insulin analog. May require twice-daily dosing for some patients. Useful when all glargine products are constrained.
• Toujeo (Insulin Glargine 300 units/mL, Sanofi): Concentrated glargine. Better for high-dose patients. Different pharmacokinetics — may need 10–15% dose increase initially.

For a patient-facing comparison, refer to alternatives to Semglee.

Workflow Tips for Your Practice

• Flag Semglee patients in your panel: Run a report identifying all patients currently prescribed Semglee. Proactively reach out to assess their fill success.
• Create a shortage protocol: Document your practice's approach to insulin shortages, including alternative prescribing ladders and patient communication templates.
• Train staff on Medfinder: Have your team bookmark medfinder.com/providers and check it routinely when processing insulin prescriptions.
• Use patient portal messaging: Send proactive messages to Semglee patients about availability changes, savings programs, and refill timing.
• Document substitutions: When patients switch insulin products due to supply issues, ensure the chart reflects the change with rationale for continuity of care.

Final Thoughts

Insulin access is a patient safety issue. The tools exist to navigate the Semglee shortage effectively — it just requires proactive effort from the care team. By integrating availability checks into your workflow, educating patients about interchangeability, and having alternatives ready, you can minimize disruptions to your patients' diabetes management.

Medfinder for Providers is designed to make this process faster and easier. Check it out, share it with your staff, and help your patients find the insulin they need.

For the full supply situation overview, see our Semglee shortage briefing for providers.