Medication shortage

[PeteLG]

Brothers-in-Blue,

Good morning, I could use some of your advice on an issue currently facing and assume others are enduring.

I have been on Abiraterone (Zytiga) with prednisone since September 2020 provided by BioPlus delivered by FedEx out of Florida. My residence is in South Carolina. Zytiga was to arrive 17 February (weather delay), then 18 February (stuck in Indianapolis) then 20 February (via UPS), then 23February and still no medication. Supply of Zytiga ran out 20 February.

Yes, I am concerned about the Zytiga supply and should I be taking the full 5mg prednisone bid?

(No answer back from oncologist office I will call again today! )

Lab tests are due this week before my Eligard shot.

(Wondering the lab results will be effected, me being off Abiraterone for so long?

Am I the only one of the group with this issue?

If not what is your experience with medication delay and with BioPlus?

Do you recommend a specialty pharmacy and shipping firm?

[noahware]

I cannot comment on the issue of the medication itself, but only on the shipping issue. Bad weather in the FedEx hub of Memphis has resulted in backups and delayed freight movement unseen in the company's history (far worse than holiday "peak" volumes). Everything goes through Memphis, and it just isn't going. UPS also brought its Louisville "Worldport" hub to a full stop for the first time ever.

So I wouldn't rush to blame any particular shipper for delayed arrival of anything last week and this week, because the delays are out of the shippers' hands and are truly historically unprecedented. I don't know about others on this forum, but there must be thousands of others experiencing similar delays in receiving crucial expected shipments, because the total number of delayed parcels must number in the millions.

[johnscats in reply to noahware]

Continue with steroids until your zytiga arrives you can't just stop the charity I work for is shipping double supply to people so they won't run out best of luck

[Hidden]

In the future, reorder at 14 days supply so you have a good buffer to withstand shipping delays. I would continue with the 5mg. It's a small dosage and it takes awhile for the adrenal.gland to return...of course if your MO says different his word takes precedence over anything on this site.

[PeteLG in reply to Hidden]

Update: Due to FedEx problems, BioPlus is sending another shipment today by priority UPS.My insurance required ordering between 7-10 days; weekend, Federal Holiday, weather combined for a perfect storm.

Pete

[Hidden in reply to PeteLG]

Ok. I can order at 14 days. Do you order at 10 days? If not, are you planning to in the future?

BTW, I use cvs speciality. Not that you would/could switch.

[GoBucks]

I was off Zytiga for 7 weeks due to liver numbers rising. I am back at a 3/4 dose(750mg). I have been <0.01 the whole time. (3 years) So the 7 week layoff did not hurt.

[Yogi8]

Sorry I can’t help no experience with this situation. Good luck. I can’t believe you have not heard back from your oncologist.

[6357axbz in reply to Yogi8]

My MO has no knowledge of my Covid vaccinations so didn’t expect to hear from him.