Pharmacy couldn't fill - backorder again

Third month in a row my pharmacy told me they can't get my tirzepatide in stock, and I'm honestly at the point where I want to cry because I've worked so hard to lose this weight. I asked when they expect a shipment and got a shrug and a maybe next week. Has anyone else run into repeated backorders, and did you find any workable solution without going through sketchy channels? Would really appreciate hearing how others handled this.

Mine got approved on the second try after I added a note from my doctor about prior weight loss attempts with documented dates. I also referenced my BMI and any related conditions in the letter, which I think helped. Keep copies of everything you submit.

Same boat here a couple months back, and what finally worked for me was asking my regular pharmacy which dates they typically receive shipments and calling right when the truck came in. I also had my doctor send the script to a second pharmacy as a backup so I wasn't stuck waiting on one store. Took some persistence but I never ended up skipping a dose during the whole stretch I was chasing refills.

I hit the same wall last fall and my pharmacist actually helped by calling nearby branches in the chain to transfer my fill when one had stock. Took a few extra phone calls on my end too, but it kept me from missing more than one week during the worst shortage stretch. Worth asking if your pharmacy can do inter-store transfers before you panic.

Down 22 lbs myself so the thought of a gap scares me too. What saved me during a backorder stretch was having my prescriber send the script to a big box pharmacy across town while my regular one waited on stock, and I just alternated fills between them. Also second the calling-on-truck-day trick, it felt silly but it worked twice for me.

Multiple pharmacies holding the script is what got me through my own stockout stretch, worth doing before you actually need it. I also found smaller independent locations near me had better luck keeping tirzepatide on the shelf than the chains, so a quick round of calls might be worth it. Down 61 lbs and I get why a gap feels terrifying, but you have real options here.

Independent pharmacies were the answer for me too during my own shortage scare last fall, the little family-owned place two towns over had vials the chains kept striking out on. I also learned to ask the pharmacist directly rather than the front counter staff, they sometimes knew what was actually in the pipeline. Hang in there, the running and calling gets exhausting but it usually pans out.

Adding one more angle: my pharmacy let me set up an auto-notification so I got a text the second tirzepetide hit their system, which beat calling every day. Also worth asking your prescriber if a different formulation works with what they sent, since that widened my options during my own shortage panic. Thirty-five pounds down here too and I know exactly how much momentum matters right now.

Backorders burned me twice during my 49 lb loss and calling independents on a Monday morning was what finally landed stock for me. I also had my doctor send the script to two places at once so I wasn't stuck waiting on one shipment. The shrug-from-the-counter thing is so real, but it does usually resolve.

Ran the same loop last winter and what finally broke it was calling independents right when they opened, plus asking the pharmacist who actually handled the ordering rather than whoever answered the phone. Also had luck asking my prescriber to note the vial option on the script since one chain only seemed to get vials in. Down 56 lbs myself and the fear of losing momentum during that gap is real, but it does clear up.

Down 58 myself so I get the panic when supply wobbles. One thing that helped me was asking my pharmacy which wholesaler they order from, then having my prescriber send the script to a second pharmacy that used a different one -- my two spots never seemed to be short the same week.

Down 82 lbs and my appeal finally stuck once my doctor framed the loss as preventing the next round of expensive problems, not just treating the current ones. Also worth noting my denials kept shifting reasons between rounds, so I built a little chart matching each stated reason to a line of evidence. Tedious but it gave the reviewer nothing left to object to.

Down about 40 myself and the second pharmacy trick is what saved me too -- my chain went dry twice and my small town independent had it on the shelf both times. Transfer the script rather than starting over; no gap needed.

Only 13 lbs in for me so the stakes feel smaller, but even one late fill threw off my routine badly, so I can only imagine at your loss. I asked my pharmacist to check their distributor's expected delivery date instead of taking the front counter's shrug -- turns out the system showed a truck due in four days. Also worth calling a couple independents nearby; my chain was dry but one mom-and-pop had it sitting in the fridge.

Backorders wrecked my momentum early on too, and what finally worked was having my doctor send the script to a smaller independent across town while my chain stayed dry. Ask the pharmacist directly about their distributor delivery dates rather than the front counter -- the info is way better. Eleven pounds in, you've built real momentum, don't let a supply hiccup undo your routine.

Down 51 myself and I know that panic when the shelf is empty after months of progress. What worked for me was calling independents directly instead of waiting on my chain -- one across town had stock when my usual place went dry twice. Ask the pharmacist (not the front counter) about their distributor truck dates, that info is way more reliable.

Down 40 myself and I remember that sinking feeling when the chain kept striking out. My doctor moved my script to an independent across town and it turned out they had stock the whole time, while my regular place just never got deliveries. Worth asking a few smaller spots directly rather than waiting on the same pharmacy to maybe come through.

Down 53 and I had the same stretch of empty shelves last fall, so I get the frustration. What helped me was calling around right when stores opened, since the smaller spots seem to get their deliveries early and will actually tell you over the phone. Also worth asking if they can partially fill now and hold the rest, which kept me from skipping a dose entirely.

Only about 4 lbs into my own run so I can't relate to the long streak yet, but the truck-date tip upthread saved me once already when my chain struck out early on. Calling the smaller spots at open seems to be the move. Hope you land some stock before that next dose.

I hit the same wall twice last year and my pharmacy finally suggested transferring the script to their other branch across the county, which had it in stock. Also ask about a partial fill if the shelves are empty, since it kept me on track until the full supply showed. Down 29 lbs myself and not losing that momentum to a supply hiccup was worth the extra phone calls.