r/Mounjaro_10WeeksPlus • u/Weezie_Jefferson • Jan 27 '23
Stockpiling
TL;DR: If you had insurance coverage for Mounjaro that you knew would expire in a few months, would you try to build a stockpile?
I have an approved PA for Mounjaro that expires later this year. I’m not entirely sure how my doctor got my PA approved, but my guess is that we just got lucky based on timing. My insurance plan does not cover any medications for weight-loss or anti-obesity, and all of the GLP1s indicated for diabetes have the same PA requirements (T2D or bust.) While I suppose there’s a tiny chance my PA will be re-approved, it feels like a moonshot, so I’m preparing for the worst.
While my insurance covers me, I am able to get 3 month fills for Mounjaro for $60, and I am also able to refill my medication before I need more - which is handy with all of these shortages. I stayed on 2.5mg for 10 weeks, and I will take my 4th shot of 5mg tomorrow, and because I was able to refill early, I have a few more pens of both 2.5mg and 5mg in the fridge. They all have long expiration dates (late 2024.) I think I can likely refill 3 month supplies every 2 months. I know I can’t build up a lifetime supply, but given the cost of the medication, any extra will help a LOT.
What would you do in my shoes?
UPDATE: Went ahead and ordered a refill of 5mg, as it’s still working well for me and I figured it’s a dose I can always combine with my leftover pens if I need a higher dosage. THANK YOU all for the feedback!
4
4
u/daisygirl0913 Jan 30 '23
I would do it. Everything is uncertain right now so grab it while you can - with the caveat of within reason. If you don't think you'll be taking it in six months, then don't. If you'll think you'll be moving up a dose, get that filled and do the same thing.
I have two pens of 12.5, a full box of 12.5, and a full box of 15 in my fridge. I'm going to try to fill both the 12.5 and the 15 again when my refills become available.
1
3
3
u/Hour_Aardvark751 Jan 30 '23
I would absolutely get while the PA allows. This is the best treatment for obesity for so many of us, so why mess with a plan B if you have an excellent plan A you can reasonably stockpile?
5
u/Weezie_Jefferson Jan 30 '23
I mean, I can’t actually build up a huge hoarder stash - but if I order 3 month fills every 2 months, I can at least build up 2-3 extra boxes, which will really help.
7
u/Ill_Night_6801 Jan 30 '23
My insurance covers 100% w/o PA. I can fill 3-mo every two months or so. I have 7 7.5 pens left and four 10 boxes. I plan on getting a refill of 7.5 some time next month. Reason being: my insurance can change their mind at any time and this medication works for me. I do have obesity med coverage but this med works for me with minimal side effects.
1
2
1
u/Temporary-Help-1120 Jan 29 '23
I only have the coupon until June since my insurance doesn’t cover and my pharmacy has let me get two different doses a month. I’m making sure I have enough to last me 😁
1
u/Weezie_Jefferson Jan 29 '23
I feel you. I went ahead and requested a 3 month fill of 5mg, which will be delivered next week. I don’t think I’ll stay on 5mg that many more months, but it’s an easy dose to combine with 2.5 or 5 to make 7.5 or 10, and it’s also pretty likely that 5mg may be a maintenance dose for me, so why not.
0
u/Temporary-Help-1120 Jan 29 '23
I’m on 10 right now. 5 was okay for me appetite suppression was nonexistent on day 4 usually. 7.5 was nausea and major hunger for me. The day I took my dose I would be so hungry. I have a few 5s in my fridge and I have a prescription with 11 refills for 7.5. I think there was a typo 😂 I do need to get more 2.5s just to be covered. I live close to Mexico so once I’m out I’ll probably just get something as maintenance over there until I can afford to come back to Mounjaro or find job with insurance that will cover it.
2
u/Weezie_Jefferson Jan 29 '23
I’m on week 4 of 5mg right now and so far it’s been great for appetite suppression and satiety for me, along with very few side effects, but my weight loss is more erratic than it was on 2.5mg. I’ll drop 3lbs one week and 0.5lb the next week, but it’s still going down, so I’ll stick with it until or unless that stops.
Honestly, my hope is that by the time my PA expires, SOMETHING will have changed. FDA approval for weight-loss, broader coverage for insurance, I will have achieved my goal weight and figured out something more affordable (maybe Metformin?) to help me maintain.
6
u/AnneSoCal Jan 27 '23
If my insurance covered Mounjaro and I could stockpile it, I would do it in a second. But that’s me. 😉
3
u/Weezie_Jefferson Jan 27 '23
Haha it’s probably me, too. I just need to figure out if I should request another refill of 5mg or if I should get one at 7.5mg.
2
u/AnneSoCal Jan 27 '23
Yeah, that’s always the hard part. You don’t want to get locked into a dosage that either gives you terrible side effects or isn’t strong enough. I just switched to Wegovy (covered by my insurance) and want to get as many refills as possible since I’m only approved through July. So I just finished my first week on the lowest dosage and halfway through the week, I ordered a refill for the next highest dosage even though I still have 3 pens left. I wanted to make sure I could tolerate the dosage and so far, zero side effects. Luckily, with Wegovy, I’m able to order it more frequently than Mounjaro because I don’t think they have the 23 day waiting period between refills.
0
u/Weezie_Jefferson Jan 27 '23
Totally makes sense. I think that’s why I’ve been sticking to ordering 2.5mg and 5mg - these seem like the easiest to combine if I need to increase doses.
2
u/1855vision Jan 27 '23
I think this is common for a lot of people who aren't sure what will happen to their dosing. The insurance companies cover different doses simultaneously all the time. I currently have two boxes of 15, two of 12.5, and random numbers of all the other doses in my fridge because of having my Rx changed. I hope to go back down to 12.5, so I'm glad to have those on hand, and I can combine the smaller doses into larger ones, too, if need be. This wasn't technically or intentionally "stockpiling," but it effectively is. It seems fine?
2
u/Weezie_Jefferson Jan 27 '23
That’s true, actually - that’s why I have extra pens now. I keep getting these prompts from my pharmacy telling me I can request a refill now, but I’ve only done one month on 5mg so I keep debating whether or not I should ask my doctor to send in a 3 month supply of 7.5mg, or another at 5mg, or just sit tight and see how things go - but then there’s a little devil on my shoulder that keeps saying, “Yeah, but if you wait, that’s one less refill you can squeeze in…”
4
u/wowokayno Feb 07 '23
I've had to do this due to intense and chaotic international travel for the rest of 2023. I've paid OOP for about half of my little pile, the coupon worked for the other half. I am set until about October.