As Exubera (inhaled human insulin) appears on the market later this month, health care providers are going to be getting questions from diabetic patients regarding its use and efficacy.
Today, I attended a webcast about just that. The webcast lasted about an hour, and had a live question and answer period at the end. There are four more webcasts scheduled, two on July 27th, and two on August 9th.
The main points pharmacists should take away from the webcast are:
- The medication is available in 1-mg and 3-mg blisters, and is titrated by weight by the milligram.
- Three 1-mg blisters are not the same as one 3-mg blister.
- Inhaler devices should be replace yearly, while the “release unit” must be replaced every two weeks.
- The inhaler should be cleaned weekly.
- Exubera is a meal-time insulin, and should be taken 10 to 30 minutes prior to meals.
I strongly suggest every healthcare provider, whether you’re a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or technician, view this webcast. Click the link below to sign up.
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