Anyone in US been able to fill Actavis Hydroxo script since shortage?

[mcg-woo]

Hello,

Wondering if anyone in the US has been able to fill a prescription for Actavis hydroxo since the nearly year-long shortage? Thanks in advance!

[Deejinsc]

Yes, I had it on file with Publix pharmacy for 9 months and was finally able to pick it up last week. It is manufactured in Portugal and distributed through Actavis. The box expires mid 2025 so I started it and will save my longer lasting ampoules from Germany. It really seems to jump start me, I was wired for a couple days! I wrote to Actavis and thanked them but also reminded them that many PA patients in the US are relying on this and to please make it regular stock.

[mcg-woo in reply to Deejinsc]

Thank you! I will try and fill mine. Do you feel like the Actavis works better for you than the German hydroxo? I am injecting cyano once a week and German Pascoe 1-2 times per week. I am symptom-free with only one injection per week on the Actavis hydroxo.

[scnuke]

Yes! I finally got mine filled last week through my local Walgreens. I received 6, 30ml vials since I inject twice/day. Hopefully they have production back up to par and we will not have to deal with the shortage again. Having the German supplier as an emergency backup is good, but the cost is significantly higher. $86 .vs $130 for a 90-1ml vials of hydroxo from Amazon.de plus another $90 for 3, 30ml vials of cyano from CVS with my Rx.

[mcg-woo in reply to scnuke]

Thank you so much for this information! I have been suffering and hoping to be able to obtain it. It’s great having the German hydroxo as a back up, but I find it doesn’t work as well for me as the Actavis even though it’s supposed to be a slightly higher dose 1500 versus 1000? I am symptom-free on a weekly Actavis injection but had to switch to cyano with the shortage and have some loading doses of German Pascoe to try and get rid of resurfacing symptoms. Do you find the Actavis works better for you than the German hydroxo? Really curious about why this might be? Thank you!

[scnuke]

I have just gotten my first Rx of the Actavis last week after having to use the Pascoe for the last year, so it's a bit early to tell if there will be any difference. Time will tell. At the least it will help my bank account feel a bit better. I am just recovering from another bout of Covid so I am not at my best right now.

[mcg-woo in reply to scnuke]

Thank you for your response. Did you do well using the Pascoe over the past year? Any symptoms resurface and did you have to adjust your injection schedule?

I just picked up three vials of the Actavis hydroxo yesterday evening and what a relief! I have to say it’s difficult not to go into ration mode. It’s so tempting to use the vial longer that 28 days after what we’ve been through over the last year. I just wish we would not have these shortages in the US. I do have Pascoe as a backup with expiration dates in 2026.

Thanks again!

[scnuke in reply to mcg-woo]

Since my injection routine is twice/day, I was using the Pasacoe in the morning and a leftover supply of cyano in the evening. I don't think I did as well as I normally did, but that may have been more due to using cyano. Now, since I use 2 ml of the hydroxo every day, I never have to worry about going past the 28 day limit. If you were to do daily injections, you also would not have any waste. Doing 30 days would not be a problem. I know some poeple use the multi-use vials well past the recommended limit, but I spent too much time on hospital quality control teams to let myself do that. Let's hope the shortage is over, for good. If your Actavis is not covered by insurance (most isn't) make sure you use the GoodRx discount card. It saves a good amount of money and buying in quantity saves even more. One 30 ml vial is $28 at Walgreens and six was $88 in my area. Best of luck.

[mcg-woo in reply to scnuke]

Appreciate your reply and help! Yes, I agree. I was not able to function on a weekly injection of cyano and had to supplement using the Pascoe hydroxo. I have never injected more frequently than weekly until this shortage set me back.

I am going to try two weekly injections of the Actavis until I feel better. I would like to be in full remission again just on the weekly Actavis dose. I guess I’m worried that if I inject more frequently that I will never be able to go back to a weekly schedule? I also really hate to inject and want to just do it enough to be symptom-free

It does pain me to throw away 26ml per month of the Actavis but I know that’s what I need to do. Insurance covers my Actavis rx at 3 vials/90 day supply at $22.50, so I’m fortunate.

Thank you again! I’m so happy to have a stock of the Actavis on hand. I felt like skipping away from the pharmacy counter last night with it!