How to Help Your Patients Find Arazlo in Stock: A Provider's Guide

Arazlo (tazarotene 0.045% lotion) is a clinically effective topical retinoid for moderate to severe acne — but many of your patients may struggle to fill their prescription. This guide gives dermatologists and other prescribers practical strategies to help patients access Arazlo, navigate insurance barriers, and maintain their acne treatment without unnecessary interruptions.

Why Your Patients Are Struggling to Find Arazlo

Arazlo faces several access barriers that are distinct from most generic acne medications:

• No generic alternative for the 0.045% lotion formulation, making all supply dependent on a single manufacturer
• Retail price of $564–$683 per 45g tube without insurance, deterring many patients from even attempting to fill
• Prior authorization requirements from many commercial and Medicare plans, often combined with step therapy requiring prior retinoid failures
• Pharmacy understocking because chain pharmacies use demand-based ordering and Arazlo has lower dispensing volume than generic retinoids

Step 1: Proactively Check Formulary Coverage

Before sending an Arazlo prescription to the pharmacy, verify coverage through your EHR's real-time benefit check (RTBC) or call the patient's pharmacy benefits manager (PBM). Knowing the coverage situation in advance lets you:

• Begin a prior authorization at the time of the visit, not weeks later when the patient calls in frustrated
• Counsel patients who lack coverage about the manufacturer savings card before they see the retail price
• Consider an appropriate alternative immediately if Arazlo is excluded from the patient's formulary

Step 2: Direct Patients to the Ortho Rx Access Savings Program

The Ortho Rx Access program (orthorxaccess.com) offers the following assistance for Arazlo:

• Commercially insured patients: Manufacturer copay card may reduce out-of-pocket cost to $0 after deductible is met
• Uninsured patients: Uninsured pricing programs may be available; worth inquiring at orthorxaccess.com
• GoodRx discount: Approximately $583 for a 45g tube with a GoodRx coupon (a $100 discount off retail)

Having printed or digital information about these savings programs readily available at checkout or in your patient portal can significantly improve adherence for cost-sensitive patients.

Step 3: Help Patients Find a Stocked Pharmacy

Rather than sending patients on a pharmacy scavenger hunt, recommend medfinder. medfinder contacts pharmacies near the patient's location to check which ones currently have Arazlo in stock, and texts the results to the patient. This eliminates the frustrating process of calling five pharmacies only to be told it's out of stock at every location.

You can incorporate this into your standard prescription workflow — add "If you have difficulty finding this medication, visit medfinder.com to locate a pharmacy with it in stock" to your printed or electronic after-visit instructions.

Your staff can also build a local reference list of independent pharmacies that reliably stock specialty dermatology products like Arazlo.

Step 4: Streamline Your Prior Authorization Process

Prior authorization is one of the biggest obstacles for Arazlo access. Here's how to streamline it:

1. Anticipate PA at the visit. Submit the PA at the time you place the prescription order, not after the pharmacy rejects it.
2. Document step therapy comprehensively. Note the specific retinoids tried (adapalene, tretinoin), duration and concentration of each, and the reason the patient needs Arazlo specifically (e.g., better tolerability of the 0.045% lotion vehicle for patients who experienced excessive irritation with other formulations).
3. Include Arazlo's pivotal trial data. The two Phase 3 trials (n=1,614) demonstrated statistically significant superiority over vehicle (p<0.001) at 12 weeks, with 55–60% reduction in inflammatory lesions. Phase 2 data showed equivalent efficacy to Tazorac 0.1% cream with half the adverse events.
4. Appeal denials promptly. If PA is denied, file an appeal with a peer-to-peer review request. Many initial denials are overturned on appeal when supported by adequate clinical documentation.

When to Switch to an Alternative Retinoid

If Arazlo remains unavailable after reasonable attempts, consider switching to an evidence-based alternative:

• Tretinoin (first-line; low cost; widely available generic) — best for most patients with moderate to severe acne and photoaging concerns
• Adapalene (0.1% OTC or 0.3% Rx) — best for tolerability; good option for adolescents, first-time retinoid users, or patients with sensitive skin
• Trifarotene (Aklief) — appropriate when truncal acne is a component; unique dual facial and body indication

Summary Checklist for Prescribers

• Check formulary coverage and initiate PA at the time of prescribing
• Provide patients with the Ortho Rx Access savings card information
• Recommend medfinder to patients who report difficulty finding stock
• Document step therapy and clinical rationale thoroughly for PA submissions
• Have a pre-selected alternative retinoid ready to prescribe if Arazlo remains unavailable after two weeks

For a full overview of patient savings options, see our provider-specific guide to helping patients save money on Arazlo. For real-time pharmacy availability, direct patients to medfinder.com/providers.