Health care providers in a few states have reported tadalafil shortages to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. Reports have come from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Washington state. Tadalafil is a drug to improve exercise ability for people with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The drug relaxes blood vessels in the lungs to allow blood to flow more easily.
Here are six steps to take if you have a prescription for tadalafil:
Be proactive. Take note of how much tadalafil you have, and find out when your next refill is coming up. If you’re due for a refill soon, contact your prescribing doctor and submit the refill to your pharmacy right away. If your insurance allows, ask your doctor to prescribe a 90-day supply to make sure you have enough to outlast the supply chain shortage.
Get an early refill. Some insurances offer exceptions that allow you to refill prescriptions before the next refill date. Ask your medical team whether you can start your refill process early. Note: If you’re eligible for an early refill, be sure to take only the prescribed amount.
Talk to your pharmacist. Tell your pharmacist that your prescription is for a life-threatening condition. Some states allow pharmacists to prioritize certain prescriptions if the stock is low. If the medication is out of stock, your pharmacist might be able to help you find another pharmacy to refill your prescription, including pharmacies that ship across state lines. If that’s the case, ask your prescribing doctor to write you a prescription for that location.
Try different pharmacies. While your usual pharmacy might not have your medication in stock, you can call around to different pharmacies, even ones outside of your immediate area, to see which may have stock left.
Tadalafil is one of a few PH medications that are sold outside of specialty pharmacies, so there are more options than usual to shop around. For example, grocery store pharmacies might have more in stock than stand-alone pharmacies. You also can try mail-order pharmacies, which differ from online pharmacies. Talk to your insurance company about whether they work with any mail-order pharmacies.
Talk to your prescribing doctor. If you’re still struggling to find a pharmacy that has your medication, talk with your provider about a treatment plan. Don’t cut back on medications or skip doses unless your care team changes your treatment plan.
File a consumer complaint if necessary and report shortages. If you believe you were unfairly denied a prescription fill or refill, file a consumer complaint with your state board of pharmacy. If pharmacies in your area don’t have your medication, report it to the Food and Drug Administration.
