Table 5.
Insulin Preparations
| Drug | Onset | Peak | Duration | Comments | Cost (10-mL vial) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid-acting | |||||
| Insulin Aspart (NovoLog) | 10–20 min | 1–3 h | 3–5 h | Administer within 15 min before or immediately after meals | $94.25 |
| Insulin Glulisine (Apidra) | 25 min | 45–48 min | 4–5 h | $90.68 | |
| Insulin Lispro (Humalog) | 15–30 min | 0.5–2.5 h | 3–6.5 h | $89.99 | |
| Short-acting | |||||
| Insulin Regular (Novolin R, Humulin R) | 30–60 min | 1–5 h | 6–10 h | Administer 30 min before meals | $45.99-$49.99 |
| Intermediate-acting | |||||
| Insulin NPH (Novolin N, Humulin N) | 1–2 h | 6–14 h | 16–24+ h | Cloudy appearance | $46.99-$49.99 |
| Long-acting | |||||
| Insulin Detemir (Levemir) | 1.1–2 h | 3.2–9.3 h | 5.7–24 h (dose-dependent) | Don't mix with other insulins | $95.30 |
| Insulin Glargine (Lantus) | 1.1 h | None | 24 h | $97.73 | |
| Premixed | |||||
| 70% Insulin Aspart Protamine/30% Insulin Aspart (NovoLog Mix 70/30) |
10–20 min | 1–4 h | 24 h | Cloudy appearance; administer within 15 min before meals | $95.03 |
| 75% Insulin Lispro Protamine/25% Insulin Lispro Protamine (Humalog Mix 75/25) |
15–30 min | 2 h | 22 h | $96.89 | |
| 50% Insulin Lispro Protamine/50% Insulin Lispro Protamine (Humalog Mix 50/50) |
Not available | ||||
| 70% Insulin NPH/30% Insulin Regular (Humulin 70/30, Novolin 70/30) |
30 min | 1.5–12 h | 24 h | Cloudy appearance; administer within 30 min before meals | $46.26-$49.99 |
| 50% Insulin NPH/50% Insulin Regular (Humulin 50/50) |
30–60 min | 1.5–4.5 h | 7.5–24 h | $49.99 | |
Sources: Lacy CF, Armstrong LL, Goldman MP, Lance LL, eds. Drug Information Handbook. 17th ed. Hudson, OH: Lexi-Comp; 2008. McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; 2008. Cost: www.drugstore.com.