Important Update: Aimovig for Migraine Prevention
According to Amgen Pharmaceutical, the overwhelming response to get Aimovig injection for migraine prevention has far exceeded their expectations. As a result, it is taking up to 4 weeks for patients to get their first shipment of Aimovig 70 mg injection once the paperwork has been processed. Our office began submitting Aimovig request electronically about 3 weeks ago to expedite processing of the prescription and enrollment form. Despite our electronic submission process, it is still taking 4 weeks for patients to receive the Aimovig.
Our office reached out to Amgen to see if there is another option while patients are waiting. We found out that we can send a prescription in to Newport Lido Pharmacy for processing. Newport Lido will do the prior authorization and if approved, patients may be able to get Aimovig for as low as $5 copay. The Aimovig can be shipped to you or you can pick it up from Newport Lido. Sending the prescription to Newport Lido does not take away the processing for the 2 free months that will come from enrollment in the Aimovig Ally program.
Another option is to go to www. GoodRx.com and get the best cash price for your first injection. My staff informed me Aimovig could be purchased for less than $600 at Costco and a few other retail pharmacies. Some of you may have Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and be able to use that to pay for your first Aimovig injection.
Some of you have expressed concern about the $25 processing fee that you paid our office. To clarify, this is to cover the staff’s time in the enrollment process and all the follow-up time tracking down orders now that Amgen is experiencing delays due to the overwhelming response. Amgen takes full responsibility for the delay that is occurring. For more information, visit the Aimovig Facebook page or see their own message below this announcement.
In summary, Aimovig is and will continue to be a good treatment option for migraine prevention for many of you. We look forward to a new era in migraine treatment.
Dr. Susan Hutchinson
July 3, 2018
Amgen Apology Per Their Facebook:
We’re excited about the launch of Aimovig, and judging by the overwhelming requests we’ve received, so are you. We know the wait times for some of you have been less than ideal, so we want to take a moment to let you know exactly how we are addressing this. Due to high demand, we have increased the size of our Aimovig Ally™ team, so we can process your requests faster. While we are upgrading our team, please bear with us. Once prescribed, getting you Aimovig as quickly as possible continues to be our number one priority.