A practical guide for providers on helping patients find Amitiza (Lubiprostone) in stock. Includes availability tips, alternatives, and workflow strategies.
You've prescribed Lubiprostone for a patient's chronic constipation, and they call back a few days later: "My pharmacy doesn't have it." It's a scenario that's becoming increasingly common. While Amitiza (Lubiprostone) is not in a formal shortage, pharmacy-level availability gaps mean your patients may need extra support to fill their prescriptions.
This guide provides practical, actionable steps you can incorporate into your prescribing workflow to help patients access Lubiprostone — or transition to an appropriate alternative when needed.
As of 2026, the Lubiprostone market includes both brand-name Amitiza and generic formulations following patent expiration in 2024-2025. Key availability facts:
Understanding the root causes helps you address the problem more effectively:
Unlike high-volume generics with dozens of manufacturers, generic Lubiprostone has a small production base. A single manufacturer's supply disruption can create widespread pharmacy-level stock gaps.
Most pharmacies use automated inventory systems that order based on recent dispensing volume. If a pharmacy hasn't filled a Lubiprostone prescription recently, it may not have any in stock. This creates a catch-22: the drug isn't stocked because it's rarely requested, and it's rarely requested because it's not stocked.
Prior authorization requirements and step therapy mandates delay treatment initiation, sometimes by days or weeks. Patients may interpret these administrative delays as shortage-related unavailability.
Some prescriptions specify brand-only Amitiza while the pharmacy stocks only generic, or vice versa. Ensuring your prescription allows generic substitution (where clinically appropriate) removes this barrier.
Write prescriptions for "Lubiprostone" rather than "Amitiza" and ensure the "dispense as written" box is not checked unless clinically necessary. This allows pharmacies to fill with whatever formulation they have in stock — brand or generic.
Use Medfinder for Providers to check real-time pharmacy stock before your patient leaves the office. This takes seconds and prevents the frustrating experience of patients being turned away at the pharmacy counter.
You can also direct patients to check stock themselves at medfinder.com.
Many payers require prior authorization for Lubiprostone. Proactive strategies include:
When chain pharmacies don't have stock, recommend:
Keep Lubiprostone samples in your office (if available from the manufacturer) to bridge patients while their prescription is being filled. If samples aren't available, have a plan ready:
If extended unavailability makes Lubiprostone impractical, consider these evidence-based alternatives:
For a patient-friendly comparison: Alternatives to Amitiza.
Consider incorporating these into your standard prescribing workflow for Lubiprostone:
Helping patients access Lubiprostone requires a proactive approach that extends beyond writing a prescription. By prescribing generically, checking availability at point of care with Medfinder for Providers, streamlining prior authorization, and maintaining a ready list of alternatives, you can ensure continuity of care even when pharmacy stock is inconsistent. Your patients are counting on you to help them navigate this landscape — these tools and strategies make that easier.
You focus on staying healthy. We'll handle the rest.
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