Your Patient Needs Winlevi — Now Help Them Actually Get It

Prescribing Winlevi (Clascoterone) cream is the easy part. Ensuring your patient can actually fill the prescription is where the real work begins. As a brand-name-only topical androgen receptor inhibitor with cold storage requirements and frequent insurance hurdles, Winlevi presents unique access challenges that can lead to treatment delays, patient frustration, and ultimately non-adherence.

This guide provides a practical, step-by-step approach to help your patients find Winlevi in stock and start treatment without unnecessary delays.

Current Availability: What You Need to Know

As of 2026, Winlevi is not in a formal drug shortage. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries continues to manufacture and distribute Clascoterone cream 1%. However, pharmacy-level availability is inconsistent due to several factors:

• Limited stocking: Many chain pharmacies don't carry Winlevi in regular inventory because prescription volume at individual locations is low
• Cold storage: Winlevi must be refrigerated (36-46°F) before dispensing, which limits shelf space at some pharmacies
• No generic: Without generic competition, there's only one product from one manufacturer in the supply chain
• Insurance delays: Prior authorization and step therapy requirements mean some prescriptions never reach the "fill" stage, reducing pharmacy ordering incentives

Why Patients Can't Find It

Understanding the patient experience is important for providing effective support. When a patient takes their Winlevi prescription to a pharmacy, they commonly encounter:

1. "We don't carry that" — The pharmacy doesn't stock it and may not volunteer to order it
2. "We need to order it" — The pharmacy can get it but it'll take 1-3 days
3. "Your insurance requires prior auth" — The pharmacy runs the claim, gets a rejection, and tells the patient to call their doctor
4. "The cash price is $846" — Without insurance coverage, sticker shock leads to abandonment

Each of these scenarios can be prevented or mitigated with proactive steps from the prescribing office.

What Providers Can Do: 5 Actionable Steps

Step 1: Identify a Reliable Pharmacy Before the Patient Leaves

Don't leave pharmacy selection to chance. Use Medfinder for Providers to check which pharmacies near your practice currently have Winlevi in stock. Keep a short list of 2-3 pharmacies that reliably carry it and share these recommendations with patients at the point of prescribing.

Independent pharmacies near your practice and specialty dermatology pharmacies are typically the most reliable sources.

Step 2: Submit Prior Authorization Proactively

Don't wait for the pharmacy to trigger a PA rejection. If you know the patient's insurance requires prior authorization for Winlevi, initiate the PA process before or at the same time as sending the prescription. Include:

• Documentation of acne severity (IGA score, lesion counts)
• Previous treatments tried and failed (retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics)
• Clinical rationale for Winlevi (e.g., hormonal acne pattern, retinoid intolerance, male patient)
• Any relevant photos or clinical notes

Having a PA template specific to Winlevi can save significant staff time.

Step 3: Discuss Cost and Savings Options Upfront

Be transparent about Winlevi's cost so patients aren't blindsided at the pharmacy counter:

• Cash price: ~$846 per 60g tube
• Discount cards: Programs like SingleCare can reduce the price to ~$559
• Manufacturer savings: Check winlevi.com for current copay assistance programs
• Patient assistance: For uninsured patients, NeedyMeds and RxAssist may list applicable programs

Direct patients to our guide: How to save money on Winlevi.

Step 4: Provide Samples When Available

If your practice has Winlevi samples from Sun Pharmaceutical representatives, offering a starter supply serves two critical purposes:

• The patient can begin treatment immediately while navigating insurance and pharmacy logistics
• It confirms the patient tolerates the medication before they invest in a full tube

Step 5: Educate on Storage and Usage

Ensure patients understand Winlevi's unique storage requirements:

• Store at room temperature (68-77°F) once dispensed
• Do not freeze
• Discard 180 days after dispensing or 1 month after first opening, whichever comes first
• Apply a thin layer (~1 gram) to affected areas twice daily after cleansing

When to Consider Alternatives

If a patient simply cannot access Winlevi after reasonable effort, consider these alternatives based on the clinical scenario:

• Hormonal acne in women: Oral Spironolactone (25-200 mg/day) — the closest mechanistic alternative, though systemic
• Retinoid-responsive acne: Tretinoin or Adapalene — different mechanism but well-established efficacy
• Inflammatory acne: Dapsone gel 7.5% — topical anti-inflammatory with generic options
• Moderate-to-severe: Combination therapy (retinoid + benzoyl peroxide + topical/oral antibiotic)

For a detailed comparison, see our alternatives to Winlevi guide.

Workflow Tips for Your Practice

Integrating these steps into your clinical workflow doesn't have to be burdensome:

• Create a Winlevi prescribing checklist that staff can follow: verify insurance, initiate PA, recommend pharmacy, provide cost info
• Bookmark Medfinder for Providers on workstation browsers for quick pharmacy availability checks
• Maintain a PA template specific to Winlevi that can be customized per patient in minutes
• Track patient outcomes — if patients consistently report access problems with certain pharmacies, update your recommendation list
• Designate a staff member to handle Winlevi PA and access issues to build expertise and efficiency

Final Thoughts

Winlevi is a valuable addition to the acne treatment toolkit, but its real-world accessibility requires active provider involvement. By identifying reliable pharmacies, preparing insurance documentation in advance, and having honest conversations about cost, you can significantly improve your patients' chances of starting and staying on treatment.

For a broader overview of Winlevi's availability landscape, see our provider briefing on Winlevi availability in 2026.

Visit Medfinder for Providers to check real-time Winlevi availability near your practice.