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A national patient safety alert has been issued, reminding clinicians that patients using Levemir (insulin detemir, Novo Nordisk) must be switched to an alternative by the end of November 2026.
Levemir, a long-acting insulin analogue used as a basal insulin for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, is due to be discontinued from the end of December 2026, and a firm which analyses data on medicines use has warned that not all patients will be switched from the drug in time.
The patient safety alert, issued on 1 October 2026, says that no new patients are to be initiated on any Levemir product — and any patients presenting with a prescription should be referred back to their prescriber.
Patients already taking Levemir products must be switched to an appropriate alternative, with examples listed in the alert. However, the alert advises that local teams should check the current supply situation regarding these alternatives and aim to diversify prescribing “to reduce the risk of precipitating a supply disruption of alternative products”.
The discontinuation of Levemir was first announced in August 2025. However, analysts Rx-info found that the reduction in use since that time “looks to be falling short of a fully managed exit by December 2026”.
In a post published on its website on 23 September 2026, Rx-info said that in April 2026 there had been 1.27 million recorded defined daily doses (DDDs) issued across primary and secondary care in England. By July 2026, it said, this had reduced by one third to 870,000 DDDs.
A spokesperson for Rx-info said: “While we can see a reduction in the use of insulin detemir across all ICBs [integrated care boards], our predicted rate of reduction suggests that without an increase in the rate of patient switching, only some of the ICBs will have moved all patients to the alternatives by the date of discontinuation.
“The latest available data for primary care is for July 2026. Rx-info has collected data for secondary care use in August and September 2026, and this activity continues to suggest there is insufficient switching to reach the December deadline.
“Rx-info would echo the guidance issued in the National Patient Safety Alert that any clinician involved in the care of a patient still receiving insulin detemir should take the steps recommended in the National Patient Safety Alert, that are appropriate to their role, to facilitate the efficient and timely switching of patients to one of the recommended alternatives.”
Hannah Syed, diabetes specialist pharmacist at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “The discontinuation of Levemir is a significant change for many people living with diabetes who are established on this insulin.
“It is important that pharmacy teams recognise this is a product discontinuation rather than a temporary supply issue, and support patients to switch to an appropriate alternative promptly and in a planned way.
“As an ICB, we have been working closely with providers and using every opportunity to reach clinicians to raise awareness and support safe transition planning. Pharmacy teams also have a key role in providing clear counselling, reassuring patients, and ensuring they understand any changes to their insulin regimen or device.”
NHS England was approached for comment.
