A Snag in the Mounjaro Silk. January 1 Supply Not Enough for Demand!

A Snag in the Mounjaro Silk. January 1 Supply Not Enough for Demand!

Susan Maria Leach
Founder of Bariatric Eating
Author Before and After - Living & Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery (HarperCollins Publishers)

On The Importance of Being Both Flexible and Smart

Well here we are. The GLP1 Med shortage finally hit me on January 1, 2024. After over four months of smooth sailing without a single supply issue, CVS is out of my 12.5 dose of Mounjaro and does not expect it to be back in stock until mid January and they don’t have Zepbound in their computers yet. I had a feeling that this would happen and back in December asked my Mochi doctor to please allow me to get two refills at once so I did not have any issues for New Year. They sent in a script for 2 boxes, but CVS was not allowed to fill both, in addition, the Eli Lily voucher for $500 could only be used once in 28 days. So even if I pressed the issue, Id be paying $1500 for two boxes, instead of $500 each. After carefully reading the small print I realized a work around would be to have a script for 12.5 dose, another for 10.0 dose and I would be able to use a coupon for each since they are different prescriptions. On my way up in dose, I was able to get the box of 10.0 before 28 days had gone by on my 7.5 box. Aha!

However, Mochi said they were not allowed to give me two different dose prescriptions at same time. Foiled! I asked them to please set me up for the Tirzepatide compound in the 12.5 dose and I would hope that I could get it quickly enough to only be late on my injection by a day or few. That was my best plan given all circumstances.

However, since Suzi also excels at the bob and weave, she suggested that I check to see if were in fact restricted to using CVS (since they own Aetna, my health insurance provider.) AHA, the restriction was only implied and I may also use Walmart pharmacy. I drove to Walmart, asked the pharmacist to please check inventory for Mounjaro 12.5. OUT OF STOCK, but they had a fridge shelf FILLED with boxes of Mounjaro 10.0.

Since Walmart does not have working wifi and I was unable to use cellular for internet inside the building, I went to the car and sent a message to Mochi to ask for a 10.0 dose Mounjaro script to be sent to Walmart asap while they still had some, even though my dose should be for 12.5. They agreed with me that a step down in dose was better than having a gap of a week or two in meds.

In less than 24 hours I had a push notification from Walmart that my prescription was ready. Mochi is fantastic with their customer service, always speedy! Even though they use a messaging system rather than a live chat, I almost always get an immediate response in answer to my request. Walmart called me to inform that the script was high cost at almost $1000. I explained that I have been using the Mounjaro voucher from the Eli Lily website that reduced it by about half. He asked for the information so he could run that while I was on the phone. I gave him the codes listed under the HAS INSURANCE BUT COVERAGE IS DENIED section and within minutes I was approved for a price of $445, which was about $100 less than CVS. Yaaa whooooo. Score.

Ran down to Walmart and picked up my Mounjaro 10.0. While en route I received a notification that my Mochi lab order for compound lab version of Mounjaro, or generic Tirzepitide 12.5 was processed and would soon ship.

It appears that I will have a box of Mounjaro pens at 10.0 dose plus a vial of 12.5 generic Tirzepitide as back up.

I drove home and injected my Mounjaro 10.0 pen to the thigh. Mounjaro life is good and will continue as it has been. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

Susan Maria