Safety alert issued over insulin injection prescribed to 30,000 diabetics: Patients must switch by December

Tens of thousands of diabetic Britons are at risk of running out of insulin by the end of the year, experts have warned.

Levemir, a once-or-twice-daily injection also known as insulin detemir, is set to be discontinued in December.

Manufacturer Novo Nordisk – behind powerful jabs like Ozempic and Wegovy – first announced it was pulling the drugs globally in September 2024 due to declining use.

However, data suggests the crucial injection is still taken by around 30,000 UK diabetes patients – both type 1 and type 2 – to control blood sugar levels.

Without insulin, sugar levels can rise rapidly and trigger a life-threatening condition known as ketoacidosis.

Now, health chiefs are urging that patients must be switched before the product is discontinued to prevent complications.

The Department of Health and Social Care has issued a ‘national patient safety alert’ urging NHS staff not to make any new prescriptions from Levemir.

But drug analysts have warned that not all diabetics will be switched in time.

Analysing data from integrated care boards (ICBs) – bodies that are responsible for NHS services across the country – data experts from firm RX-info said prescriptions dropped by around a third in three months.

This may not be quick enough to outpace the December withdrawal date, they warned.

‘The latest available data up to September 2026 continues to suggest there is insufficient switching to reach the December deadline,’ a spokesman told the Pharmaceutical Journal.

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, told the Daily Mail that switching insulin jabs is ‘straightforward’ but warned delays could have serious consequences.

‘Without switching to the alternative, patients can be at risk of high levels of glucose in the blood which can be life threatening,’ she added.

The biggest risk for diabetics without insulin is ketoacidosis, which is also known as a ‘diabetic attack’.

This happens when levels of harmful compounds called ketones build up in the blood, triggering a range of life-threatening complications. 

The NHS says symptoms can include feeling thirsty and needing to urinate more often than usual, as well as stomach pain, nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea and blurry vision.

Other warning signs include unusually deep breathing, fruity-smelling breath and feeling extremely tired, sleepy or confused.

Guidance from the charity Diabetes UK says anyone taking Levemir should contact a healthcare professional to request switching their insulin prescription as soon as possible. 

‘It is important now that your appointment is planned in time so you can switch to an alternative insulin before the end of the year,’ they say.

There are various alternative insulins diabetics can be moved to. 

However, like Levemir, these must be long-acting – meaning the drug provides a steady flow of insulin to control blood sugar, rather than short-acting drugs that deliver sudden spikes of the hormone.

The specific medicine used will depend on availability and NHS guidance.

Doctors have urged pharmacists and GPs to use a range of different drugs, so as not to put pressure on stock or cause shortages. 

Recommended alternatives include insulin glargine and insulin degludec, sold under brand names like Lantus, Toujeo and Tresiba.