Your Patients Can't Find Their Insulin. Here's How You Can Help.

You prescribed Toujeo for a reason — stable blood glucose control, reduced nocturnal hypoglycemia, or the convenience of a concentrated U-300 formulation for patients requiring higher doses. But increasingly, patients are calling back to say they can't fill their prescription.

As a prescriber, you're in a unique position to help. This guide provides a practical, step-by-step approach to helping your patients find Toujeo in stock and stay on therapy — even when pharmacy shelves are inconsistent.

Current Availability: What You Need to Know

As of early 2026, Toujeo (Insulin Glargine U-300) is actively manufactured by Sanofi and available through major pharmaceutical wholesalers. It is not in a formal FDA shortage.

However, real-world availability has been uneven. The key factors driving pharmacy-level stock-outs include:

• Demand shifts following the January 2025 Semglee discontinuation
• Formulary changes that increased Toujeo prescription volume faster than inventory systems adjusted
• Regional distribution gaps — rural and smaller-market pharmacies are disproportionately affected
• Automated inventory systems at chain pharmacies that lag behind demand spikes

For a detailed timeline and analysis, see our provider shortage briefing.

Why Patients Can't Find Toujeo

When a patient tells you they can't find Toujeo, the issue usually falls into one of these categories:

Pharmacy-Level Stock-Outs

The most common scenario. The pharmacy simply doesn't have Toujeo on hand and may not know when it will be restocked. This is especially common at high-volume chain pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid) where automated ordering systems haven't caught up with increased demand.

Insurance and Prior Authorization Barriers

Some patients interpret a coverage denial or high copay as "unavailability." They may not distinguish between "the pharmacy doesn't have it" and "my insurance won't cover it." Clarifying this distinction is the first step in helping them.

Cost Barriers

Even when Toujeo is in stock, the cash price of $175-$550+ per month can be prohibitive for uninsured or underinsured patients. Many patients simply walk away when they see the price.

What Providers Can Do: 5 Practical Steps

Step 1: Direct Patients to Medfinder

Medfinder provides real-time pharmacy availability data for Toujeo. Rather than having patients call pharmacies one by one, your care team can search Medfinder and provide patients with a list of pharmacies that currently have Toujeo in stock near their location.

Consider incorporating a Medfinder recommendation into your discharge or prescription workflow — especially for patients on medications with known availability challenges.

Step 2: Recommend Independent and Specialty Pharmacies

Independent pharmacies often have more sourcing flexibility than chain pharmacies. They work with multiple wholesalers and can place special orders more readily. Specialty pharmacies focused on diabetes care are particularly likely to maintain consistent Toujeo inventory.

If your practice has relationships with local independent pharmacies, sharing those referrals with patients can save significant time and frustration.

Step 3: Enroll Patients in Savings Programs

Cost should never be the reason a patient doesn't fill their insulin prescription. Make sure patients know about:

• Sanofi Insulins Valyou Savings Program: $35 per 30-day supply for uninsured or cash-paying patients. No income requirements.
• Sanofi Copay Card: $0 copay for commercially insured patients (terms apply).
• Sanofi Patient Connection: Free Toujeo for eligible uninsured/underinsured patients who meet income criteria. Apply at sanofipatientconnection.com or call 888-847-4877.

Your office can help patients enroll during the visit — it takes only a few minutes and can mean the difference between adherence and non-adherence. Share our patient-facing savings guide: How to Save Money on Toujeo.

Step 4: Document a Backup Plan in the Chart

For patients on Toujeo, consider documenting a backup basal insulin and dose conversion in their chart. This way, if Toujeo becomes unavailable, you or a covering provider can quickly authorize a switch without requiring a separate office visit.

Common backup options with approximate conversions from Toujeo:

• Lantus (Insulin Glargine U-100): Start at approximately 80-90% of the Toujeo dose
• Tresiba (Insulin Degludec U-100 or U-200): Start at approximately 80% of the Toujeo dose, with titration
• Basaglar (Insulin Glargine U-100): Same conversion as Lantus

Important: These are approximate starting points. Individual titration based on blood glucose monitoring is always required.

Step 5: Prescribe the Unbranded Version

Sanofi offers an authorized generic (unbranded) version of Toujeo: Insulin Glargine U-300 SoloStar and Insulin Glargine U-300 Max SoloStar. It's the identical product — same formula, same pen, same manufacturer — just without the Toujeo brand name.

Some pharmacies may have the unbranded version in stock when they don't have branded Toujeo. It's also eligible for the same Sanofi savings programs. Consider writing prescriptions for "Insulin Glargine U-300" to give pharmacists maximum flexibility in dispensing whichever version is available.

Alternatives When Toujeo Is Unavailable

If a patient cannot access Toujeo or its unbranded equivalent, the following alternatives are clinically appropriate. All are long-acting basal insulins:

• Tresiba (Insulin Degludec): Ultra-long-acting (up to 42 hours), flexible dosing window, favorable hypoglycemia profile. Available in U-100 and U-200.
• Lantus (Insulin Glargine U-100): Same active ingredient as Toujeo at lower concentration. Widely available, with multiple biosimilars.
• Basaglar (Insulin Glargine U-100): Biosimilar to Lantus. Often the most cost-effective option.
• Levemir (Insulin Detemir): Long-acting insulin that may require twice-daily dosing. Less commonly initiated but remains effective.

For a patient-facing comparison, direct patients to: Alternatives to Toujeo.

Workflow Tips for Your Practice

Here are some practical ways to integrate Toujeo availability management into your clinical workflow:

• Flag Toujeo patients in your EHR so your team can proactively check on refill success at follow-up visits
• Create a patient handout with Medfinder instructions, savings program phone numbers, and your office's backup insulin plan
• Train front desk and nursing staff on how to respond when patients call about insulin access issues — a brief phone call can often resolve the problem without requiring a provider visit
• Keep samples on hand if your practice receives them — insulin samples can bridge patients for days or weeks during supply disruptions
• Set up e-prescribing for both branded and unbranded Toujeo so you can quickly switch if one version is out of stock

Final Thoughts

Insulin access isn't just a convenience issue — it's a patient safety issue. When patients can't fill their basal insulin prescription, the consequences include hyperglycemia, DKA risk, emergency department visits, and deteriorating glycemic control.

As a provider, you have tools at your disposal to help. Medfinder can streamline pharmacy searches. Sanofi's savings programs can eliminate cost barriers. And having a documented backup plan means your patients are never truly without options.

For more on the current supply landscape and clinical considerations, see our Toujeo shortage briefing for providers. For provider-specific savings resources, visit our guide on helping patients save money on Toujeo.