How to Help Your Patients Find Perforomist In Stock: A Provider's Guide

When a patient calls your office saying they can't find Perforomist at their pharmacy, it creates a clinical problem that needs a fast, practical solution. This guide gives you the tools to proactively solve pharmacy access issues for your COPD patients — before they lead to dangerous medication gaps or unnecessary exacerbations.

Why Perforomist Access Is a Real Clinical Challenge

Perforomist (formoterol fumarate 20 mcg/2 mL inhalation solution) requires refrigeration, serves a niche patient population, and carries a high list price ($865–$1,484 per 30-day supply). These factors combine to make it one of the least reliably stocked medications at retail pharmacies. While not in an FDA-declared shortage in 2026, patients frequently cannot fill their prescriptions on the first try — or the second.

For your COPD patients — particularly the elderly, those with severe disease, or those who depend on the nebulizer because they cannot use inhalers — a gap in Perforomist therapy can be clinically significant. Uncontrolled bronchoconstriction leads to rescue inhaler overuse, emergency visits, and preventable hospitalizations.

Step 1: Designate a Preferred Pharmacy That Stocks Perforomist

The most efficient long-term solution is to identify one or two pharmacies in your area that reliably carry formoterol fumarate inhalation solution and direct your COPD patients there. Specialty pharmacies and hospital outpatient pharmacies are the most reliable sources. Call your local CVS Specialty, Walgreens Specialty, or hospital pharmacy to confirm they carry this product before recommending it to patients.

Step 2: Default to Generic Formoterol Fumarate in Your Prescriptions

When prescribing formoterol for nebulization, write the prescription generically (formoterol fumarate inhalation solution 20 mcg/2 mL) rather than brand-name Perforomist. This gives pharmacies the flexibility to dispense whichever manufacturer's generic they have in stock, which increases the likelihood of same-day fill. Document the substitution in your EHR as appropriate.

Step 3: Use medfinder to Locate In-Stock Perforomist

medfinder for providers is a service that calls pharmacies near the patient to find which ones can fill the prescription. Your clinical staff can submit requests on behalf of patients who are struggling. Results are sent via text, cutting the typical hours-long phone search down significantly.

Consider building this into your COPD patient workflow: when a patient is prescribed Perforomist, proactively inform them about medfinder as a resource if they encounter pharmacy access issues.

37,599+ patients found their medications in stock

37K+

Find Perforomist In Stock Today →

Step 4: Establish a Refill Protocol for Your COPD Patients

The most common preventable access problem is the patient who runs out before starting to look for a refill. Consider implementing the following in your practice:

• Send refill reminders at 21 days (one week before a 30-day supply runs out)
• Prescribe 90-day supplies when insurer allows, to reduce refill frequency
• Enroll eligible patients in mail-order pharmacy programs before they experience their first shortage
• Document a "preferred pharmacy" in the EHR for each Perforomist patient

Step 5: Know Your Alternatives in Advance

Don't wait for a crisis to have a plan. For each patient on Perforomist, document in the EHR which alternative you would prescribe if Perforomist became completely unavailable. The leading options are:

• Arformoterol (Brovana/generic) 15 mcg twice daily: Best nebulized LABA substitute; same delivery modality
• Revefenacin (Yupelri) 175 mcg once daily: Nebulized LAMA; different mechanism but strong data in COPD
• Inhaler LABA/LAMA: Only if patient inhaler technique can be reassessed and confirmed

Skip the calls, skip the stress.

Find Perforomist In Stock Today →

50K+

Medications
Found

99%

Success
Rate

6+

Hours saved
on average

Communicating With Patients About Pharmacy Access

At the point of prescribing or during annual COPD reviews, brief your Perforomist patients on what to do if their pharmacy doesn't have it:

1. Do not skip doses — call the office immediately
2. Ask the pharmacy about generic formoterol fumarate as an alternative NDC
3. Use medfinder to identify which area pharmacies have it in stock
4. Keep rescue inhaler on hand always — Perforomist is never a substitute for albuterol in an acute attack

Resources for Providers and Patients

medfinder for providers — locates in-stock pharmacies for your patients. Also see our

Perforomist shortage clinical update for providers for a full clinical overview.