Your Patient Needs Lupron — And Your Office Doesn't Have It

It's a scenario that has become all too common: a patient arrives for their scheduled Lupron Depot injection and your practice can't source the drug. For patients on androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer, or women managing endometriosis or fibroids, a delayed injection is more than an inconvenience — it's a clinical concern.

This guide provides actionable steps your practice can take to help patients find Lupron Depot when your usual supply chain falls short.

Current Availability: What You Need to Know

As of early 2026, Lupron Depot supply is inconsistent but not in a formal national shortage. Key points:

• AbbVie continues to manufacture and distribute all strengths (3.75 mg, 7.5 mg, 11.25 mg, 22.5 mg, 30 mg, 45 mg, and PED formulations)
• Availability varies significantly by distributor, region, and strength
• The 7.5 mg and 45 mg formulations tend to have better availability than the 22.5 mg and gynecologic strengths
• Practices ordering through a single distributor are most likely to experience supply gaps

For the full shortage timeline and context, see our provider shortage briefing.

Why Patients Can't Find Lupron

Understanding the root causes helps you communicate effectively with patients and navigate the system:

• Single-source brand product: Lupron Depot has no generic equivalent. AbbVie is the sole manufacturer, creating a fragile supply chain.
• Buy-and-bill complexity: Unlike retail prescriptions, Lupron Depot is typically purchased by your office and billed to insurance after administration. When your distributor can't fill the order, the patient has limited options to "shop around" on their own.
• Distributor allocation: Distributors may allocate limited supply based on historical ordering patterns, purchase commitments, and account size. Smaller practices may receive lower priority.
• No patient self-administration (depot): Patients can't pick up Lupron Depot at a pharmacy and bring it in — it must be properly stored and administered by a healthcare provider.

What Providers Can Do: 5 Practical Steps

Step 1: Check Multiple Distributors

If your primary distributor (McKesson, Cardinal Health, or AmerisourceBergen) is out of stock, check whether your practice has accounts with secondary distributors. Some practices have found success working with specialty drug distributors that maintain separate Lupron allocations.

Contact your distributor rep directly — they can sometimes expedite orders or check warehouse availability that isn't visible in the standard ordering portal.

Step 2: Use Medfinder to Locate Nearby Supply

Medfinder for Providers allows you to search for real-time Lupron Depot availability at other pharmacies and practices near you. This can help you:

• Refer patients to a nearby practice that has the drug in stock
• Identify specialty pharmacies that may be able to fulfill the order
• Confirm availability before sending a patient on a potentially wasted trip

Share medfinder.com directly with patients so they can search on their own as well.

Step 3: Contact AbbVie for Samples and Support

AbbVie provides several support channels for practices experiencing supply difficulties:

• Sample requests: Healthcare providers can request 1-month samples of Lupron Depot 3.75 mg by calling 833-999-1779
• Medical information: 1-800-633-9110
• Patient assistance (myAbbVie Assist): Direct qualifying patients to 1-800-222-6885 or abbvie.com/patients/patient-support/patient-assistance

Step 4: Coordinate With Colleagues and Larger Practices

Oncology groups, large urology practices, and hospital-based clinics often maintain larger Lupron inventories. Consider:

• Establishing referral relationships with nearby practices that can administer Lupron when your office is out of stock
• Joining a local or regional prescriber network to share supply intelligence
• Contacting hospital outpatient pharmacies, which may have separate supply lines

Step 5: Order Proactively

The most effective supply strategy is anticipating need:

• Maintain a patient injection schedule and order Lupron 2-4 weeks ahead of appointment dates
• Track which strengths you use most and set reorder points
• Consider keeping a small buffer stock of your most-prescribed strengths when supply allows

Alternatives to Consider

When Lupron Depot is genuinely unavailable and a delay would be clinically harmful, these alternatives may be appropriate. See our detailed alternatives guide for more information.

For Prostate Cancer Patients

• Eligard (Leuprolide Acetate SC) — Same molecule, different delivery. 1-, 3-, 4-, and 6-month options.
• Orgovyx (Relugolix 120 mg daily oral) — GnRH antagonist. No injection, no flare, favorable cardiovascular profile.
• Trelstar (Triptorelin) — GnRH agonist IM depot. 1-, 3-, and 6-month options.
• Zoladex (Goserelin) — GnRH agonist SC implant. 1- and 3-month options.

For Endometriosis/Fibroid Patients

• Zoladex 3.6 mg — FDA-approved for endometriosis.
• Orilissa (Elagolix) — Oral GnRH antagonist for endometriosis pain.
• Myfembree — Oral GnRH antagonist combination for fibroids and endometriosis with add-back therapy.

For Central Precocious Puberty

• Fensolvi (Leuprolide Acetate SC 6-month) — Same molecule, subcutaneous.
• Triptodur (Triptorelin IM 6-month) — Alternative GnRH agonist for CPP.
• Supprelin LA (Histrelin implant) — 12-month continuous suppression.

Workflow Tips for Managing Lupron Supply

Incorporate these into your practice operations to reduce the impact of supply disruptions:

1. Maintain a Lupron patient registry. Know who's on Lupron, what strength they need, and when their next injection is due. This allows proactive ordering.
2. Designate a supply coordinator. Assign one staff member to monitor Lupron availability, manage distributor relationships, and troubleshoot shortages.
3. Communicate proactively with patients. If you know you're having difficulty sourcing a specific strength, contact affected patients before their appointment — not when they arrive.
4. Document alternative approvals. When switching to an alternative, document the clinical rationale. This helps with insurance appeals if the alternative requires separate authorization.
5. Track supply trends. If you notice a particular strength becoming harder to source, consider proactively discussing alternatives with patients before the situation becomes urgent.

Final Thoughts

Helping patients maintain continuity of Lupron therapy during supply disruptions is a team effort. By diversifying your supply sources, planning ahead, and having alternatives ready, your practice can minimize treatment gaps.

Leverage Medfinder for Providers to find Lupron in stock when your usual channels come up short. And share our patient-facing guide on finding Lupron with patients who need to take an active role in locating their medication.

The supply landscape for specialty injectables is challenging, but with the right systems in place, your patients don't have to miss a dose.