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

For ophthalmologists and optometrists, ensuring patients can actually fill their post-operative medication is as important as selecting the right drug. A patient who can't get Lotemax (loteprednol etabonate) in hand the day after surgery faces real risk of uncontrolled inflammation and complications. This guide outlines practical systems and protocols to prevent those gaps and help your patients navigate access issues when they arise.

Why Lotemax Access Issues Happen in the First Place

Understanding the root cause of the problem helps you design the right workflow. Lotemax access problems break into three categories:

Insurance/formulary barriers: Prior authorization requirements, Tier 3–4 placement, and step therapy delays are the most common reason patients call your office the day after surgery saying they can't fill their drops.

Pharmacy stock gaps: Community pharmacies stock specialty ophthalmic products in limited quantities. If five cataract surgery patients are sent to the same CVS on the same day, stock can run out.

Cost shock: A patient who sees a $300+ price tag at the pharmacy window may leave without the medication and try to figure out their options later — often by calling your on-call line.

Build a Pre-Surgery Pharmacy Workflow

The most effective intervention is proactive: address pharmacy access before surgery, not the morning after. Consider building the following into your pre-operative patient workflow:

Pre-authorize at the same time you schedule surgery. Send the PA request to the patient's insurer as soon as surgery is scheduled. For most cataract surgery patients, the post-operative Lotemax prescription is predictable — don't wait until the day before surgery.

Provide a savings card handout at the pre-op visit. Include information about the Bausch + Lomb Access Program at every pre-operative consultation — both for patients who have uncertain insurance coverage and those who are uninsured. A brief printed insert can prevent a day-after-surgery call.

Build preferred pharmacy relationships. Identify 2–3 pharmacies in your area that reliably stock Lotemax gel, ointment, and/or Lotemax SM. Inform your front desk and surgical coordinators to recommend these pharmacies to patients. Walgreens and hospital outpatient pharmacies are generally the most reliable options.

Have a same-day substitution plan ready. For the minority of patients who can't fill Lotemax even with preparation, have a standard alternative (e.g., prednisolone acetate 1% QID) ready to send as a same-day electronic prescription. Don't make the patient wait 48 hours for a PA appeal to resolve.

The Bausch + Lomb Savings Programs: What Your Staff Needs to Know

The manufacturer offers two patient assistance pathways for Lotemax that your staff should be familiar with:

Bausch + Lomb Access Program (bauschcopayprogram.com): Commercially insured patients as low as $25/fill at Walgreens or other participating pharmacies; $35/fill at non-participating pharmacies. Uninsured patients as low as $69/fill. Register at bauschcopayprogram.com or call 1-866-693-4880.

Bausch + Lomb Part D Program (blpartdcoupon.com): Medicare Part D patients as low as $79/fill. Patients must opt out of using their Part D benefit for this fill. Register at blpartdcoupon.com.

These programs are accessed by the patient (not the prescriber), but your front desk can help patients register at the time of their pre-op visit — especially for elderly patients who may struggle with the online enrollment process.

Using Patient-Facing Services to Reduce After-Hours Calls

One of the biggest administrative burdens after surgery days is patients calling the after-hours line because they can't find their eye drops. Directing these patients to medfinder can offload this workload. Patients provide their medication, dosage, and location, and medfinder contacts local pharmacies to find which ones can fill the prescription. Results are sent by text — no hold music, no after-hours calls to your clinic.

Sample Language for Patient Instructions

Consider including language like this in your post-operative instruction sheet:

"If your pharmacy doesn't have your eye drops or tells you the cost is higher than expected: (1) Check your patient assistance card for savings; (2) Try Walgreens or [your preferred pharmacy] — they typically have this medication in stock; (3) Visit medfinder.com for help finding it nearby. If you still cannot fill your prescription by end of day, call our office immediately. Do not skip your drops."

Key Takeaways for Your Practice

Send PA requests when surgery is scheduled, not the day before

Provide savings program information at the pre-op visit

Maintain preferred pharmacy relationships for reliable stocking

Have a same-day alternative prescription ready for PA failures

Direct patients to medfinder to search for availability without calling multiple pharmacies themselves