Voices Across America

Forced off a working therapy

Todd

State: North Carolina
Congressional District: NC12

Diseases

Immune Disease

Issues and Challenges

Todd has encountered: Non-Medical Switching

My Story

After several successful years on Humira, I developed antibodies to Humira subsequent to contracting Covid-19 in March 2020 followed by three months of near crippling arthritis as we determined Humira was no longer an option for me. My provider stabilized me on Cosentyx. Express Scripts has removed Cosentyx from its formulary and wants me to "try" other alternative medications. Express Scripts says that my company who is self insured determines insurance coverage, but of course my company charges Express Scripts with developing the formulary and abides by the formulary that is set up. They are each pointing at each other as the driver for this decision. I am stable on Cosentyx and it is unconscionable that from year to year a pharmacy would take away your ability to stay on a medication that has been working for you by having me risk switching from medication to medication in an attempt to play one medication vendor off of another for profit, while I may suffer finding (or not finding) another medication that maintains my quality of life.