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Get ready for your SKYRIZI treatment
Starting on SKYRIZI
So, you and your doctor decided SKYRIZI is right for you. Now there are a few things you’ll need to know to help you prepare for treatment, understand your insurance coverage, and get started with SKYRIZI — whether treatment begins with an OBI or with infusions.
From prescription to treatment in 5 steps
Whether you’re starting SKYRIZI at home or at an infusion center, you and your care team will work together to make treatment go smoothly. These steps below will help you understand the important role you will play throughout treatment. You can also download a version of it here.
Talk to your doctor
SKYRIZI generally requires two prior authorizations (PA) from your health insurance company. Your doctor will find out if additional medical information is needed for the PA requests before submitting it to your insurance.
What you can do
- Provide your doctor with any information documents as soon as possible like your medical & pharmacy insurance cards, for example
- Confirm that your doctor has completed and submitted PA documentation for your infusions
Verify coverage
Once your doctor submits the PA requests, contact your insurance company to verify your coverage. If you're enrolled in Skyrizi Complete, your coverage will automatically be reviewed and verified. SKYRIZI infusions are typically covered through your medical benefit, while the SKYRIZI On-Body Injector (OBI) is covered through your pharmacy benefit.
What you can do
- Ask your doctor for a copy of all documentation submitted for the PA requests
- Keep notes on any conversations you have with your doctor or your health insurance company
- Follow up with your doctor and your insurance provider on the status of the PA requests
Before you receive your last infusion or your last OBI starter dose, follow up with your doctor or insurance provider on the status of the PA requests for your ongoing OBI treatment to avoid any delay in your treatment.
Begin SKYRIZI treatment
SKYRIZI treatment can start with 3 intravenous (IV) infusions or with 4 starter doses with the On-Body Injector (2 injections per dose), as prescribed by your doctor. If you start treatment with infusions, your doctor will let you know where you’ll receive your SKYRIZI infusions—this could be an infusion center, your doctor’s office, a hospital, or other location.
What you can do
- Schedule all of your SKYRIZI infusions or OBI starter doses in advance
- Refer to Start With the On-Body Injector page to learn about starting treatment with the OBI; if you started with infusions, refer to Infusion Support
- Plan ahead for time off from your daily schedule, and arrange transportation to and from your appointment, if necessary
- Keep track of your infusion dates in the Complete App
Get more tips to help you get ready for infusions from the Infusion Prep Guide.
When it’s time to pay for your SKYRIZI, use your Skyrizi Complete Savings Card to pay as little as $0 per treatment,* if eligible. Questions? Call an Ambassador† at 1.866.SKYRIZI (1.866.759.7494).
Work with your specialty pharmacy
Specialty pharmacies manage the handling and dispensing of specialty medicines like SKYRIZI. Once your specialty pharmacy receives your prescription and verifies your coverage, they will call you to confirm delivery and payment details.
What you can do
- Call your doctor to confirm that they have submitted the PA requests for your OBI. Also, ask them for the contact information of your specialty pharmacy
- If you don’t hear from your specialty pharmacy, call them to confirm your address and the delivery date for your SKYRIZI
- If SKYRIZI is delivered to your home, keep it refrigerated until the day of your appointment or in-home injection
When it’s time to pay for your SKYRIZI, use your Skyrizi Complete Savings Card to pay as little as $0 per treatment,* if eligible. Questions? Call an Ambassador† at 1.866.SKYRIZI (1.866.759.7494).
Continue with the SKYRIZI On-Body Injector
After your final infusion or OBI starter dose, you’ll continue treatment with the SKYRIZI On-Body Injector (OBI). Your first OBI injection will be at week 12, and then every 8 weeks after that, as prescribed.
If you already started SKYRIZI with the On-Body Injector, you’ll continue using it at a different dose, as prescribed by your doctor.
What you can do
- Have your healthcare provider show you how to properly inject before you start injecting on your own
- Use what you learn to begin injecting with the OBI at home or at your doctor’s office
- If you’re eligible for the Skyrizi Complete Savings Card, keep it handy when it’s time to pay for treatment
Get more information about how to stay on track with your prescribed treatment plan with the OBI Prep Guide.
*For eligible, commercially insured patients. Please see Terms and Conditions here.
†Ambassadors are provided by AbbVie and do not work under the direction of your health care professional (HCP) or give medical advice. They are trained to direct patients to their HCP for treatment-related advice, including further referrals.
For any questions about preparing for your upcoming infusion or injection, call an Ambassador† at 1.866.SKYRIZI (1.866.759.7494)
Specialty vs retail pharmacies
While all pharmacies can fill prescriptions, specialty pharmacies are different from retail pharmacies. Specialty pharmacies provide training on how to use medication and frequent communication with healthcare teams and caregivers.
You will need to get SKYRIZI from a specialty pharmacy.
Specialty pharmacies
Fill only specialty medicine prescriptions which are for typically long-term (chronic), complex, or rare conditions.
The prescription can be shipped to your home, a healthcare facility, or be picked up.
Often, the use of a specialty pharmacy is required by your insurance company.
Specialty pharmacies may also handle prescriptions that require more complex insurance approvals like a prior authorization.
Retail pharmacies
Medications from retail pharmacies may require fewer insurance steps than specialty medications and tend to be less costly than specialty medications.
They tend to fill prescriptions for medications that do not require special storage or medications that must be administered by a healthcare provider.
Prescriptions filled in retail pharmacies generally require less training on how to use these medications and less monitoring of side effects from the medication compared to prescriptions filled in specialty pharmacies.
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