Inhalable insulin on the market
About one in 10 Greeks suffering from diabetes will be able to obtain inhalable insulin at Greek pharmacies as of next Monday, doctors said yesterday. Until now, diabetes sufferers had to take their insulin intravenously. The cost of the drug, to be sold in powder form, will be covered by the patient’s insurance fund. This form of the drug may be used by patients with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes (the first cannot produce the hormone insulin, the second do not process their naturally produced insulin properly). The patient places the powder in a special inhaler device and breathes it in through the mouth. The cost of the device, 117 euros, will be paid by patients. Inhalable insulin should not be used by smokers, those with breathing problems, pregnant women and minors, said Andreas Melidonis, head of the Tzanneio hospital’s diabetes clinic. Announcing a series of seminars on children’s eating habits, Melidonis revealed that one in three Greek schoolchildren eat fast food more than four times a week while 78 percent snack on pies and pizzas.
