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

You prescribe Besivance (besifloxacin 0.6% ophthalmic suspension) to a patient with bacterial conjunctivitis, and within an hour, they're calling back: their pharmacy doesn't have it. Sound familiar? For many eye care providers, this has become a routine challenge. This guide gives you practical, actionable strategies to minimize those callbacks and get your patients treated faster.

Why Besivance Is Difficult for Patients to Fill

Besivance is a brand-name-only ophthalmic suspension. With no generic equivalent available (patents estimated through November 2030) and a retail price of $230–$350 per bottle, pharmacies stock it conservatively. The result is frequent localized out-of-stock situations at individual pharmacy locations, even though national supply is not disrupted. This is particularly common at smaller independent pharmacies and non-specialty chain locations.

Step 1: Recommend medfinder Directly to Your Patients

The single most effective thing you can do for patients who struggle to locate Besivance is to refer them to medfinder. medfinder calls local pharmacies to check current stock and texts results to the patient. For a patient with an active eye infection who is already uncomfortable, not having to make 10 calls themselves is a significant quality-of-life improvement.

Consider adding a handout or after-visit summary instruction that says: "If your pharmacy doesn't have Besivance, visit medfinder.com to find a pharmacy near you that does."

Step 2: Route Prescriptions to High-Stock Pharmacies

Work with your front desk or prescribing workflow to identify pharmacies in your area that reliably carry Besivance. Walgreens is a participating pharmacy in the Bausch + Lomb Access Program and tends to maintain better stock of this medication. Independent pharmacies near ophthalmology practices often stock specialty ophthalmic drugs more reliably than general-purpose chains.

When sending electronic prescriptions, route Besivance to these known-stocking pharmacies by default. If your EHR system allows preferred pharmacy settings, update it accordingly.

Step 3: Maintain an Office Sample Supply

Registering for the Bausch Sample Vault program allows you to receive free Besivance samples. These can be dispensed directly to patients who present with bacterial conjunctivitis, allowing them to start treatment immediately while they pursue their prescription. For practices that see significant conjunctivitis volume, this is a practical and patient-centered approach.

Step 4: Educate Patients on the Bausch + Lomb Access Program

Many patients don't realize that the Bausch + Lomb Access Program can reduce their out-of-pocket Besivance cost to as little as $25 per prescription (for commercially insured patients). This program is available at Walgreens and other participating pharmacies, up to 6 fills per year. Patients activate at blsavings.com or by calling 1-866-693-4880.

Note: Patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, or VA cannot use manufacturer copay cards. For these patients, consider the Bausch and Lomb Patient Assistance Program (call 866-316-7263) or guide them toward a therapeutic alternative.

Step 5: Streamline the Prior Authorization Process

Prior authorization is required for approximately 30% of ACA enrollees and 80% of Medicaid enrollees. To minimize delays:

Keep a standardized letter of medical necessity on file that explains the clinical rationale for Besivance (novel compound, DuraSite formulation, broader resistance profile vs. generics).

For step therapy plans, document any prior treatment with generic alternatives if applicable.

Assign a staff member to manage PA submissions proactively for known PA-requiring plan types.

Step 6: Have an Alternative Ready

For patients who truly cannot locate Besivance in a clinically appropriate time frame, have a backup prescription ready. Generic moxifloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution is the most pharmacologically similar option and is universally available at $15–$40. If you use electronic prescribing, you can send this as a "preferred alternative" note or simply call it in when the patient reports unavailability.

Building a Consistent Workflow for Besivance Patients

A practical workflow for your practice might look like this:

Prescribe Besivance and send to your preferred high-stock pharmacy.

Give the patient a Bausch + Lomb Access Program card or direct them to blsavings.com.

Tell the patient: "If that pharmacy is out of stock, use medfinder.com to find a nearby pharmacy with it in stock."

If still unavailable, offer to call in generic moxifloxacin instead.

The Bottom Line for Providers

Besivance access issues are manageable with the right workflow. By routing prescriptions strategically, maintaining office samples, leveraging manufacturer savings programs, and pointing patients to medfinder, you can dramatically reduce prescription abandonment and keep patients on their prescribed therapy. For more clinical context, see our post on Besivance availability — what providers need to know.