Your Patients Are Struggling to Find Restasis — Here's How to Help

If your practice prescribes Cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion for chronic dry eye, you've likely heard from patients who can't find it at their pharmacy. While Restasis is not in a formal drug shortage, the combination of generic market transitions, insurance formulary shifts, and pharmacy stocking changes has created real access challenges.

This guide provides practical, workflow-friendly strategies for helping your patients get their Cyclosporine prescriptions filled with minimal delays.

Current Availability Snapshot

As of early 2026:

• Brand Restasis (Allergan/AbbVie): Still manufactured and available, but increasingly less stocked at retail pharmacies as generics gain market share
• Generic Cyclosporine 0.05%: Widely available from multiple manufacturers at significantly lower cost ($85–$150 with discount cards vs. $350–$410 for brand)
• Alternative agents (Xiidra, Cequa, Miebo, Tyrvaya): Available with varying insurance coverage

The key takeaway: supply exists, but it may not be at the patient's preferred pharmacy. Proactive prescribing practices can bridge this gap.

Why Patients Can't Find It

Understanding the root causes helps your team address them efficiently:

1. Pharmacy inventory shifts: Many retail pharmacies have reduced or eliminated brand Restasis inventory in favor of generics or competing products
2. Insurance barriers: Prior authorization requirements, step therapy mandates, and formulary exclusions delay or block access
3. Patient confusion: Patients may not realize that generic Cyclosporine is the same medication as Restasis, leading them to report "Restasis is unavailable" when the generic was offered
4. Regional variability: Wholesaler allocation practices mean stock levels differ significantly between pharmacies, even within the same city

What Providers Can Do: 5 Practical Steps

Step 1: Prescribe Generic by Default

Write prescriptions for "Cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.05%" rather than "Restasis." This allows pharmacies to dispense whichever manufacturer's product they have in stock. Include "DAW 0" (substitution permitted) to maximize flexibility.

This single change can resolve the majority of availability issues your patients experience.

Step 2: Check Pharmacy Stock Before Sending the Prescription

Use Medfinder for Providers to verify which pharmacies near your patient currently have Cyclosporine in stock. Your front desk or pharmacy liaison can make this a standard step in the prescription workflow — it takes less than a minute and prevents the patient from driving to a pharmacy only to be told the medication isn't available.

Step 3: Streamline Prior Authorization

For patients whose insurance requires PA:

• Use electronic prior authorization (ePA) through your EHR when available
• Pre-document treatment history: note prior use of artificial tears, duration of dry eye symptoms, and any previous treatment failures
• Keep a PA template on file for Cyclosporine that includes standard clinical justification language
• Submit PA proactively at the time of prescribing rather than waiting for pharmacy rejection

Step 4: Educate Patients on Their Options

Many patients don't know that:

• Generic Cyclosporine is therapeutically equivalent to brand Restasis
• Discount cards can reduce generic costs to $85–$150 per month
• Tools like Medfinder let them check stock at nearby pharmacies in real time
• Mail-order pharmacies often have better availability and lower copays

Consider giving patients a brief handout or directing them to these resources:

• How to find Restasis in stock near you
• How to save money on Restasis

Step 5: Have an Alternative Ready

When Cyclosporine access is genuinely problematic, be prepared to pivot quickly:

• Xiidra (Lifitegrast): Different mechanism (LFA-1 antagonist), twice-daily dosing, may have better formulary coverage for some plans
• Cequa (Cyclosporine 0.09%): Higher-concentration Cyclosporine with nanomicellar delivery — consider for patients who need Cyclosporine but can't access the 0.05% formulation
• Miebo (Perfluorohexyloctane): Best for patients with predominantly evaporative dry eye or meibomian gland dysfunction
• Tyrvaya (Varenicline nasal spray): Ideal for patients who cannot tolerate any eye drops

For clinical comparison details, see our article on alternatives to Restasis.

Workflow Tips for Your Practice

Here are some ways to integrate these strategies into your daily operations:

• Add a stock-check step: Before sending prescriptions, have staff verify availability via Medfinder
• Maintain PA templates: Keep pre-filled prior authorization forms for Cyclosporine, Xiidra, and Cequa ready to go
• Create a patient FAQ sheet: A one-page handout covering generic equivalence, cost-saving resources, and how to check pharmacy stock can reduce callback volume
• Track formulary changes quarterly: Assign one staff member to review major PBM formulary updates each quarter and flag changes affecting your most-prescribed medications
• Consider preferred pharmacy relationships: Identify 2-3 pharmacies in your area that reliably stock Cyclosporine and establish them as go-to referral pharmacies

Final Thoughts

Patient access to Cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion is manageable with the right systems in place. By prescribing generically, checking stock proactively, streamlining PA workflows, and educating patients, your practice can minimize treatment gaps and keep dry eye patients on therapy.

For the broader clinical picture, see our companion article on what providers need to know about Restasis in 2026. And for cost-related guidance you can share with patients, visit our guide on helping patients save money on Restasis.