Preliminary research suggesting that some diabetes patients may be injecting medicine that has partially disintegrated is causing
concern even as serious questions are raised about the research itself.
The study author, a pharmacist, bought vials of insulin at a number of pharmacies and found that on average the vials had less than half of what was listed on the label and none met a minimum standard.
The study tested just 18 vials of insulin — far too few to be definitive — and questions have been raised about the methods used to test the insulin. Insulin makers, patient advocate groups and diabetes experts say if the findings were accurate, diabetes patients would be getting sick.