Coordinating medication through specialty pharmacies is somewhat of an artform for chronic illness patients. Unless you deal with managing this monthly, you may be unaware of the endless time and energy that goes into making sure all the ducks are in a row to keep everything on schedule with your gastroenterologist, insurance, and pharmacy.

A few weeks back, I received a letter in the mail explaining that beginning January 1, 2022, my Humira would be handled through a different specialty pharmacy. As soon as I saw the letter my first gut reaction was that I was being switched to a biosimilar. Upon further reading, I learned that Alliance RX Walgreens, my specialty pharmacy, will now be Accredo (through Express Scripts).

What now?

As a patient who has been on Humira since July 2008, this is the fifth time I have had to switch specialty pharmacies. Previously, it was because I switched employers and had different insurance. This time around my husband’s insurance switched specialty pharmacies. And even though this is far from my first rodeo—as a person who depends on a biologic every 2 weeks, I worry about a lapse in my medication, so I’m being proactive by communicating the change with my care team.

The letter stating the change said everything for my Humira would automatically be switched over, as long as there were refills remaining. I wasn’t sure if I had refills.

Communicating with your care team

With the New Year holiday being this past week, I went ahead and wrote my GI on the Patient Portal. Here’s the correspondence so you see how it all played out from the back end (no pun intended!)

Hi Dr. G and team,

Wanted to give you a heads up that I received a letter that beginning Jan. 1 my specialty pharmacy that I go through for my Humira prescription will switch from Alliance RX Walgreens to Accredo (Express Scripts).

The letter states that my prescription will transfer automatically as long as I had refills on file with Alliance. I just wanted to make sure that was the case and that there was nothing we needed to do on our end to ensure a smooth transfer.

My next Humira injection is Monday, Jan 10–so I’ll be scheduling a delivery next week.

Thanks!

Natalie

Good morning, Natalie,

I updated your chart (removed Alliance Rx and put in Accredo) as your specialty pharmacy. I did send in a new prescription for your Humira to Accredo this morning that way they would have it. It does look like your prior authorization previously expired. I have notified Lori so that she is aware that a new auth may be required. I did want to verify with you that your insurance coverage will remain the same going into the new year?

Thank you for the heads up, we always appreciate it.

Thanks SO much. Yes, my insurance coverage is the same (has not changed). Appreciate your follow up!

Natalie

You’re very welcome. That sounds great, I have notified Lori so that she is aware that your insurance will remain the same, that way she can work on that new prior auth if it’s needed.

Perfect, thanks so much! Do you know if Accredo will contact me next week to schedule delivery or if I contact them the first go-around?

Natalie,

I would suggest contacting them. Lori is aware that we will likely need a new prior auth but you contacting them to schedule delivery will also initiate that process (if needed).

Will do– that’s helpful to know. I’ll plan to call them on Monday to get the ball rolling. Thanks for all your help, have a Happy New Year!

When someone receives medication from a specialty pharmacy know they are on the phone coordinating delivery every month, making sure prior authorizations, insurance, and drug savings cards are all in check. It’s like a never-ending homework assignment that’s constantly looming. Many specialty pharmacies have apps to help “simplify” the process for patients, but I’ve found that the times I’ve tried to use apps in the past, I still receive a phone call about ordering my Humira and never know if my online order even went through. Call me “old school” but I still prefer to order my medication over the phone each month for the past 13-plus years. Find what works best for you and stick with it!

As you can see, it’s helpful to have a care team that responds promptly on the Patient Portal and helps you navigate the ins and outs of ordering your biologic. Rather than being unsure and worried about when and how I’ll receive my next Humira delivery, I now feel confident that it will be a seamless transition. I highly recommend grabbing the reins and checking so you don’t end up in a situation where you’re scrambling to get your medicine on time. Being proactive saves everyone involved a lot of headaches.