Re: No more shots at home

March 17, 2007

It is an FDA warning that was circulated to all physicians.

March 17, 2007

Gordon - read the recent posts about the new " black box " warning.

Provider and patient responses are varying. My doc is still letting

me inject at home.

Addy

Group co-owner

>

> Hello Jo Ann,

>

> My friend, Kathy, who has been on Xolair for almost 2 years,

recently

> received a call from her doctor's office saying she can no longer

> administer Xolair at home. The shot must be given in the doctor's

office

> and she has to wait 2 hours before leaving. The nurse said she can

give

> herself the shot but apparently the waiting is what's important.

As Kathy

> has had Type I diabetes for over 20 years, she is used to giving

herself

> shots. So that's one patient's story - a major change and a big

nuisance

> for her. What's happened to cause this change in policy?

>

> Best regards,

>

> Gordon

>

> > > > Hi everyone this is Jo Ann

> > > >

> > > > I would like to know how many of you guys are still

allowed to

> > > receive

> > > > home injection? How may of you where told by your

providers you

> > > are no

> > > > longer allowed to self adminster the drug. I wonder for

those

> > > > insurance

> > > > companies that only pay for the drug if the patient self

> > inject, I

> > > > wonder if they know will say you will have to go in to

your

> > > doctors

> > > > office to receive your treatments. If so how long do

you have

> > to

> > > wait

> > > > in their office.Just a few questions that came to mind.

> > > >

> > > > thank guys

> > > > Jo Ann

> > > >

March 21, 2007

Will they let you inject the drug yourself AT the doctor's office?

(This wouldn't change the 2 hour wait, but they shouldn't be able to

charge you to do that.)

Is there an appeal process with your insurance company to get them to

cover you getting your shots at the doctor's office b/c your doctor

will no longer allow you to give yourself the shots at home?

Addy

Group co-owner

self-injector

>

> I received a call from allergist/immunologist that I would not be

able

> to inject drug at home and that I would have to go to his office

and

> wait for the two hours after the injection.

>

> I have been using Xolair for last 3 years with good results. I

was in

> the emergency room and hospitalized prior to taking Xolair at least

4-5

> times a year and on prednisone in between those times.

>

> My insurance company will not pay for the doctor's office to inject

the

> drug, therefore I am left with a dilemna, do I continue the Xolair.

>

> And, I get the drug every other week, so that means 4 hours each

month.

>

> Any words of wisdom out there.

>

March 21, 2007

>

> I received a call from allergist/immunologist that I would not be able

> to inject drug at home and that I would have to go to his office and

> wait for the two hours after the injection.

>

> I have been using Xolair for last 3 years with good results. I was in

> the emergency room and hospitalized prior to taking Xolair at least 4-5

> times a year and on prednisone in between those times.

>

> My insurance company will not pay for the doctor's office to inject the

> drug, therefore I am left with a dilemna, do I continue the Xolair.

>

> And, I get the drug every other week, so that means 4 hours each month.

>

> Any words of wisdom out there.

That is very strange. The insurance covers the Xolair but won't pay to

have it injected at the Doctor's office?

This reminds me of when I self injected my regular allergy shots

several years ago. The insurance (not the same company I am with now)

would pay for the extract but when we filed the needles, they asked

what they were for and refused payment. Well DUH!

Well, my nurse wrote them a letter and asked them this question:

" What does he need needles for? How is he going to INJECT his

extract without needles? What do you expect him to do, take it

orally? " Needless to say, they wound up paying for them.

What I suggest is that you inform your insurance of the doctor's new

rules of caution. Also, take a look at the " Tips for Getting

Reauthorized for Xolair " in the files section of the group.

When dealing with insurance, you have to keep on plugging. Most

companies has higher ups you can appeal to. I have done this a few

times for certain things and they have changed their minds.

Maybe some of the things mentioned there might help.

Doug

Group founder

Doctor NEVER has let him self inject

Loosing his doctor at end of the month

March 21, 2007

I hear you. Received my shots in the office but never waited. I have

serious back problems and two hours in those crummy office chairs....

I will be limping around the rest of the day. Is the 4hrs a problem

because of your work schedule? Nan

On 3/20/07, arbarj2 <arbarj2@...> wrote:

> I received a call from allergist/immunologist that I would not be able

> to inject drug at home and that I would have to go to his office and

> wait for the two hours after the injection.

>

> I have been using Xolair for last 3 years with good results. I was in

> the emergency room and hospitalized prior to taking Xolair at least 4-5

> times a year and on prednisone in between those times.

>

> My insurance company will not pay for the doctor's office to inject the

> drug, therefore I am left with a dilemna, do I continue the Xolair.

>

> And, I get the drug every other week, so that means 4 hours each month.

>

> Any words of wisdom out there.

>

March 21, 2007

I self-inject at my doc's office supervised by a nurse. I suppose he could do

all the work and I could sit there but he is actually being paid by my doc's

office on a research grant. In canada, Xolair is distributed through a network

of FREE injection clinics so all you have to do is get your meds paid for by

your insurance. The mixing and admin is covered by Novartis who fund the

organization who runs the injection clinics (eg they pay the nurse). When I

started my shots (I was the second patient in my province), they even asked me

where it would be convenient for them to set up a clinic as I was the only

patient! Odd that there is such inter-country differences in procedures.

ps Any one had shots only separated by 1 week? I missed my dose last week, I am

going today and then again next week.

__________________________________________________

March 21, 2007

I have been self injecting since August of 2005. My insurance paid

for the Xolair, a mixing machine, and the visit for the injection

(until I was allowed to self inject.) I was having my Xolair

delivered to my home once per month. No clue what they will do now

that the FDA has changed their views on Xolair self injections.

I just can not believe the stuff I'm reading. It looks like the FDA

and some of the HMO's have really screwed us this time. I'm

wondering if Genentec/Novartist " Xpansions " will be able to help us

all out?! I was at Xolair Speaker Summit in NM the 10th and

11th..wondering if it was the same one that a few others have

talked about. I had mentioned " Xpansions " to a group of people I

was with and they looked at me like I had two heads. An Xpansions

rep was in the room, took me aside after and asked me if they could

do a phone interview after this conference was over. ( I'm still

waiting for that phone call!) If and when I get a call, I will ask

for suggestions on what we should do about not being able to self

inject, not having insurance coverage for the injection-but having

coverage for the medicine.

If some of you reading this have no idea what I am talking about:

Xpansions is a program for Xolair users. One of the things Xpansions

has to offer is SPOC ( single point of contact, which has a nurse

24-7 who can answer questions you have about your Xolair

injections. They also have a program for Xolair patients who can't

afford their medications. If you are on Xolair and have not signed up

to belong to Xpansions, I suggest you do so. You can find out more

information about SPOC at www.xolair.com or www.xpansions.com

( one thing I noticed that is if you do a google search for xpansions

you may also end up at some band's website! LOL!!)

: I did once miss an injection. I called my nurse and she said

wait till the next one when it is scheduled. I was a bit surprised

because they usually say take a med a soon as you realize that you

have forgotten to take it. I didn't notice any difference by

skipping a dose. (NOT that I would recommend that to anyone on

Xolair)

I do know someone, who was in NM when I was there, who hadn't taken

his Xolair in 2 months. His insurance would only pay for 4 months

worth in a 6 month period!!! He ended up having an asthma attack

Sat. night of the conference and had to go to the ER. He had NO

idea about Xpansions and SPOC. If he had known, he wouldn't have had

to miss two months worth of Xolair or have ended up in tithe ER in

NM!.

Thanks for taking the time to read my novela on Xolair!! Stay well

AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!!!

Kathe

>

> I self-inject at my doc's office supervised by a nurse. I suppose

he could do all the work and I could sit there but he is actually

being paid by my doc's office on a research grant. In canada, Xolair

is distributed through a network of FREE injection clinics so all you

have to do is get your meds paid for by your insurance. The mixing

and admin is covered by Novartis who fund the organization who runs

the injection clinics (eg they pay the nurse). When I started my

shots (I was the second patient in my province), they even asked me

where it would be convenient for them to set up a clinic as I was the

only patient! Odd that there is such inter-country differences in

procedures.

>

> ps Any one had shots only separated by 1 week? I missed my dose

last week, I am going today and then again next week.

>

> __________________________________________________

>

March 21, 2007

Mixing machine? What mixing machine? Please elaborate.

> >

> > I self-inject at my doc's office supervised by a nurse. I

suppose

> he could do all the work and I could sit there but he is actually

> being paid by my doc's office on a research grant. In canada,

Xolair

> is distributed through a network of FREE injection clinics so all

you

> have to do is get your meds paid for by your insurance. The mixing

> and admin is covered by Novartis who fund the organization who

runs

> the injection clinics (eg they pay the nurse). When I started my

> shots (I was the second patient in my province), they even asked

me

> where it would be convenient for them to set up a clinic as I was

the

> only patient! Odd that there is such inter-country differences in

> procedures.

> >

> > ps Any one had shots only separated by 1 week? I missed my dose

> last week, I am going today and then again next week.

> >

> > __________________________________________________

> >

March 22, 2007

Please make an appointment with your physician. Sit down with him and discuss

the fact you have had it for 3 years without incident. That you understand the

FDA requesting no more home injections. You feel as a rational & intelligent

person that the risk is very low since you know how to mix it correctly and

administer it. You have an epi pen at home and contingency plans to call 911

and get to the hospital if you have a reaction and have to use the epi-pen.

Tell him you'd be glad to sign a waiver to self inject holding him and

Genentech/Novartis harmless if God forbid you ever had a reaction. Physicians

are " running scared " because they don't want to be sued since the FDA is

recommending office injections only. That is the only advise the physicians I

spoke with last weekend could give.

Pat

---------------------------------

Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate

in the Answers Food & Drink Q & A.

March 22, 2007

There could be another reason why doctors are not letting people self

inject anymore. Who is paying their malpractice insurance? Both of

my allergists have the hospital they work out of paying theirs, and

Risk Management says signing a waiver is worthless.

At this allergist office, out of the 5 people that self injected,

there is only one person that was " given " a waiver. She is on a

ventilator at home. Gets 2 shots per month and the permutations to

get her to the office are horrific (though it can be done).

Per my allergist.....thus Sayeth Risk Management Drones.......

(this is at my allergist office)

Why no more self injections (I don't have to worry...blah..I never

self injected) and no exceptions given..........

Having no reactions isn't good enough. FDA says reactions can occur

the 1st or 50th injection.

Being bunched that you must burn 2hrs + of your life because the FDA

says so, isn't good enough.

Having a pissed off boss because you are now using more time off of

work isn't good enough.

A waiver is as good as toilet paper. You / next of kin can not

legally sign away your rights to sue.

Any semi-good malpractice attorney knows this.

If my doctor violates the 2 hour/no self injection rule, he could loss

hospital privileges and start paying for his hospital insurance

himself.

I can not even leave early. That would be leaving AMA (against

medical advise), and I had to sign a form stating that any leaving

AMAs would constitute a discontinuation of Xolair. My allergist would

still treat my asthma, but I could no longer get the shots.

It's total BS. If anaphylaxsis is that much of a worry, we'd all get

getting our shots in the 23 hour short stay unit of the hospital,

hooked up to a heart monitor. THANK YOU YOU GUTLESS WONDERS AT THE

FDA.....

I'm in a grumpy mood because I did get my shot today, and waited like

the good little sheep that I am, for the whole two hours.

Nan--->who should be grateful I can get the injection at all

On 3/21/07, MommaA <mommaa@...> wrote:

>

> Please make an appointment with your physician. Sit down with him and discuss