CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Allergy, asthma and immunology specialist Dr. Roopen Patel at Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center said he’s seen firsthand the impact of the discontinuation of an asthma inhaler. 

What You Need To Know

  • An asthma inhaler called Flovent has been discontinued

  • An allergy and asthma practice with 16 locations in the Charlotte area has had delays in filling prescriptions due to the change

  • A pharmacist in the Charlotte area, on the other hand, says the transition has gone smoothly

  • Manufacturer GSK is making a generic version of Flovent

Flovent is for people with chronic asthma, according to Patel. 

“The way it works is that people will use this on a daily basis to help prevent having an asthma attack of any inflammation on the lungs,” Patel said. 

Manufacturer GSK discontinued Flovent on January 1 and started making a generic version instead. 

Patel said the transition has been challenging.

“We had a scramble trying to find an alternate agent. It’s become a nightmare for patients, for doctor’s offices,” Patel said.

According to Patel, 90% of the patients at their 16 offices in the greater Charlotte area who used Flovent are not using the generic because their insurance doesn’t cover it. 

"Then we are having to call the insurance company to say what is the option, and then we submit that, and they say it’s going to cost $300,” Patel said. 

If there is another option that is covered, he said it’s a device that his patient doesn’t know how to use.

“Unfortunately what we are worried about is that patients are not going to pick their medications, and that’s going to lead to asthma attacks and emergency room visits,” Patel said. 

In his experience, he said filling a prescription went from a day to up to three weeks.

“We’re just going to keep trying and finding options that patients can afford on their insurance plans,” Patel said. 

On the other hand, Pharmacist Manager Sameer Shah at CareFirst Specialty Pharmacy said the transition has been smooth on his end. 

“It’s readily available. It’s easy to dispense, and we can easily switch to generic.” Shah said.