Your Patients Can't Find Trelegy — Here's How You Can Help

As a provider, you've likely heard from patients who can't fill their Trelegy Ellipta prescription. The inhaler isn't on the FDA's formal shortage list, but real-world availability gaps are affecting patients nationwide. When a patient can't get their maintenance inhaler, the consequences — exacerbations, ER visits, lost work — fall on both the patient and your practice.

This guide gives you a practical, step-by-step approach to helping patients find Trelegy, navigate alternatives when necessary, and build workflows that keep your patients on therapy.

Current Availability: What You Need to Know

Trelegy Ellipta availability in 2026 is best described as intermittently inconsistent:

• No FDA shortage listing or GSK supply disruption notice
• Localized stockouts reported at major chain pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid)
• Independent and specialty pharmacies often have better stock
• Supply variability differs by distributor (McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health)
• No generic available; GSK is the sole manufacturer

The pattern is regional and transient — a pharmacy may be out this week and restocked next week. The challenge is that patients can't wait a week when they're out of their inhaler.

Why Patients Can't Find Trelegy

Understanding the root causes helps you guide patients more effectively:

1. Demand exceeds local supply: Trelegy prescriptions have grown significantly since the 2020 asthma indication. High-volume pharmacies sell through their allocation quickly.
2. Single-source manufacturing: Without a generic, all supply depends on GSK's production and distribution network. Any disruption cascades to the pharmacy level.
3. Insurance delays: Prior authorization and step therapy requirements create gaps where patients have a valid prescription but can't fill it until paperwork clears — during which pharmacy stock may change.
4. Patient timing: Many patients wait until they're completely out before requesting refills, leaving no buffer for supply delays.

What Providers Can Do: 5 Actionable Steps

Step 1: Check Availability Before Prescribing

Use Medfinder for Providers to verify pharmacy stock before sending the prescription. This simple step prevents the all-too-common scenario: patient drives to the pharmacy, waits in line, and learns the drug is out of stock.

Train your front-desk staff or medical assistants to run a quick Medfinder check as part of the prescribing workflow. It takes under a minute and saves your patient significant frustration.

Step 2: Diversify Your Pharmacy Recommendations

Don't default to sending every prescription to the same major chain. Maintain a short list of pharmacies in your area that consistently stock respiratory medications:

• Independent pharmacies with flexible ordering
• Specialty pharmacies that focus on respiratory or pulmonary medications
• Mail-order pharmacies through major PBMs (Express Scripts, OptumRx, CVS Caremark)

When a patient's usual pharmacy is out, you can immediately redirect to an alternative you already know about.

Step 3: Proactively Manage Prior Authorizations

If you anticipate a switch — whether to Trelegy from another inhaler, or from Trelegy to an alternative — start the prior authorization process immediately. Don't wait for the pharmacy to reject the claim and then react.

Many payers require step therapy documentation showing trials of ICS/LABA or LAMA/LABA combinations before approving Trelegy. Keep clinical documentation ready (FEV1 values, exacerbation history, prior therapies tried) so prior auths can be submitted quickly.

Step 4: Educate Patients on Early Refills

Counsel patients to request refills 7–14 days before their current inhaler runs out. This is especially important for Trelegy, where availability can change day to day. A simple reminder during appointments — or an automated message from your EHR — can prevent the "I just ran out" emergency.

Step 5: Connect Patients with Financial Assistance

Cost is a major reason patients don't fill Trelegy — even when it's in stock. Make sure your office has information on:

• GSK Trelegy Savings Card: $0 copay for eligible commercially insured patients
• GSK For You Patient Assistance Program: Free medication for qualifying uninsured/underinsured patients
• NeedyMeds and RxAssist: Databases of patient assistance programs
• Discount cards: GoodRx, SingleCare, and similar tools can reduce cash prices

For a patient-friendly resource, share our guide to saving money on Trelegy.

Therapeutic Alternatives When Trelegy Is Unavailable

When Trelegy can't be obtained, consider these clinically appropriate alternatives based on indication:

For COPD Patients

• Breztri Aerosphere (Budesonide/Glycopyrrolate/Formoterol) — single-inhaler triple therapy; twice daily; MDI device
• Breo Ellipta + Incruse Ellipta — same active ingredients as Trelegy in two devices; once daily each
• Generic Symbicort + Spiriva — most cost-effective triple therapy combination; twice daily for Symbicort, once daily for Spiriva

For Asthma Patients

• Breo Ellipta + Incruse Ellipta — dual-device triple therapy with the same ingredients
• Symbicort or Advair + Spiriva Respimat — ICS/LABA plus LAMA; Spiriva Respimat is approved as add-on for asthma
• Step down to ICS/LABA — Breo Ellipta or Symbicort alone, if triple therapy isn't strictly necessary

Document the clinical rationale for any switch in the patient's chart for insurance and continuity purposes.

Workflow Tips for Your Practice

Building Trelegy availability management into your practice workflow reduces the fire-drill dynamic:

• EHR alerts: Set up a prescription flag that reminds staff to check availability for Trelegy and other high-demand medications before e-prescribing
• Pharmacy contact list: Maintain a shared document with 3–5 pharmacies known to stock respiratory medications, updated monthly
• Patient handout: Create a one-page take-home sheet with Medfinder instructions, GSK savings card information, and alternative pharmacy options
• Prior auth templates: Pre-build authorization letters for Trelegy and its alternatives so staff can submit quickly when switches are needed
• Follow-up protocol: For patients switching off Trelegy temporarily, schedule a follow-up in 30–60 days to reassess and attempt to return to their preferred therapy

Final Thoughts

Trelegy Ellipta availability issues in 2026 aren't going away overnight. But with the right tools and workflows, you can dramatically reduce the impact on your patients. Start with Medfinder for Providers to check stock before prescribing, keep a roster of reliable pharmacies, and stay proactive with prior authorizations.

Your patients trust you to keep them breathing well. These steps help you deliver on that trust — even when the supply chain doesn't cooperate.

For the patient perspective, share our guide to finding Trelegy in stock, and for clinical context on the broader shortage picture, review our provider shortage briefing.