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

When you prescribe Skyrizi, the prescription is only the beginning. For many patients, the path from prescription to first injection involves navigating prior authorization, specialty pharmacy requirements, and insurance logistics they've never encountered before. As the prescribing provider, your office plays a pivotal role in helping patients get Skyrizi quickly. This guide provides a structured workflow your team can follow from day one.

Step 1: Complete All Pre-Authorization Clinical Steps Before Writing the Prescription

Several clinical steps are required before or at the time of prescribing Skyrizi—and completing them before submitting the PA will prevent avoidable delays:

TB screening: Screen all patients for tuberculosis using IGRA (QuantiFERON-TB Gold) or TST before starting Skyrizi. Document results in the chart and include in the PA submission. This is a universal insurer requirement.

Vaccination update: Ensure age-appropriate vaccinations are up to date before initiating therapy. Live vaccines must not be given during Skyrizi treatment.

For IBD patients: obtain baseline liver enzymes and bilirubin (required for monitoring during induction)

Document disease activity scores quantitatively (PASI, BSA, CDAI, partial Mayo, ACR) in the chart before sending the PA

Step 2: Submit a Complete Prior Authorization the Same Day

Once you've completed pre-authorization steps, submit the PA immediately through the payer's provider portal. A complete PA submission for Skyrizi should include:

Patient diagnosis with ICD-10 codes and disease activity severity scores

TB screening results (positive or negative, with date performed)

Prior treatment history: list all prior biologic and conventional therapies with start/stop dates, dosages, and outcome (lack of efficacy, adverse event, contraindication)

Medical necessity letter from the prescriber citing relevant clinical guidelines (AAD, ACR, AGA)

Relevant clinical photographs or office notes documenting disease burden

Step 3: Enroll the Patient in Skyrizi Complete

On the day of prescribing, enroll your patient in Skyrizi Complete (1-866-SKYRIZI or by faxing the Skyrizi Complete Enrollment and Prescription Form to AbbVie). This program provides:

A dedicated Nurse Ambassador for patient support from first injection onward

Field Reimbursement Managers who know payer-specific PA requirements and can proactively support your team

A co-pay savings card (potentially $0/dose for eligible commercial insurance patients)

A bridge program providing Skyrizi at no charge during insurance delays or denials (for eligible commercially insured patients ≤63 years)

Step 4: Confirm the Correct Specialty Pharmacy and Route the Prescription

Before or at the time of PA submission, confirm the patient's insurance plan's required specialty pharmacy. Route the prescription directly to that pharmacy rather than asking the patient to navigate this themselves. Common assignments include CVS Specialty for Aetna plans, Accredo for Cigna/Express Scripts, and plan-specific pharmacies for other carriers.

For IBD patients receiving IV induction doses, coordinate with your infusion center or hospital outpatient infusion suite to schedule the first three doses (weeks 0, 4, and 8) as soon as PA is approved.

Step 5: Respond to Denials Quickly

If the PA is denied, initiate a peer-to-peer review immediately. Do not wait for the patient to file the initial appeal—provider-initiated peer-to-peers are faster and more effective. Have your staff call the insurer's PA department to schedule a peer-to-peer review within 24–48 hours of receiving the denial letter.

If the denial is for step therapy non-compliance, document explicitly why the required step therapy drug is clinically inappropriate for this patient. Common accepted justifications include: prior adverse events, contraindications, prior use and failure, or patient characteristics that make the required drug particularly risky.

Ongoing Monitoring: Keep Access from Lapsing

PA renewals for Skyrizi are required every 6–12 months. Your office should track renewal dates for all patients on specialty biologics and initiate renewal at least 30 days before expiration. Patients who have responded well to Skyrizi may be seen less frequently—make sure PA status tracking doesn't depend on appointment scheduling.

When Patients Still Can't Get Their Prescription

For patients who have PA approval but are still struggling to locate a pharmacy that can fill their Skyrizi prescription, medfinder for providers is a paid service that calls pharmacies on the patient's behalf and texts them the results—eliminating the burden from your office staff while getting patients the information they need quickly.

For a broader overview of the Skyrizi access landscape and current supply status, see Skyrizi Shortage: What Providers and Prescribers Need to Know in 2026.