Hi Dr. Ladinsky!
I hope you are well. Thank you so much to you and your staff for handling the difficulties and roadblocks in my Dupixent re-approval with such patience. Josh from Westminster deserves tremendous kudos for his efforts in his attempts to coordinate the authorizations for the Dupixent. He has been in touch with me throughout the process as well. He is also a really nice guy (you probably know that already).
I would like to report some confusing and inconsistent treatment I have received on multiple occasions by the Pikesville office staff.
After seeing you in late December and renewing the Dupixent Rx, I wanted to start the med ASAP, before waiting for the medication from the pharmacy. The polyp was really interfering in my day-to-day life. However, the Westminster office didn’t have a sample. On 12/27/22, I called the main phone line to determine whether I can receive a Dupixent sample from Pikesville. They contacted the Pikesville office, and reported that per office staff, they had no samples. I suspected that wasn’t the case, as just a week or two before, the office staff acknowledged that they had the samples, but couldn’t provide them to me as my Rx had expired.
I called the Pikesville office directly, acknowledging that I had contacted them through the appointment line. Very politely and cordially, I asked if she could double-check if they maybe actually did have a sample. She came back reporting that they have one left. I asked if I could come in 15 minutes (I was that desperate!) and they acquiesced.
When I arrived, they told me that they have the sample, but would need to administer it in the office. I was surprised, as I have been self-administering the syringe since starting the medication, but I agreed. I waited in the waiting room for someone to call me. Then, someone came out, and placed a box of Dupixent (with two syringes) in my hand without saying a word. I assumed someone was going to call me back to administer the med, so I continued waiting. After waiting for a few minutes, a staff member asked if they could help me. I told them that I thought someone was going to administer the Dupixent, but she said I was “good to go”.
On Wednesday, Jan. 15th, Josh called me to let me know that he was sending a Dupixent sample that I could pick up at the Pikesville office. I came to the Pikeville office that day, around 4:45 PM. The staff said that they have the sample for me, but that they would have to administer the injection themselves. They said that they have to administer it because it was the syringe and not the pen. This, despite that 1) I have been self-administering the syringe since starting the medication with no difficulties (as you know I am a physician as well) and 2) the Pikeville staff has provided me Dupixent samples on two previous occasions, including on 12/27 (above) when they provided the Dupixent syringe samples for self-administration. I explained this to the staff however they insisted that they needed to administer the medication, so I let the MA (or RN?) administer the Dupixent.
Thank you for your time reading this. I’m confused by these inconsistent events, particularly as the staff seems to treat me rather coldly when I come, and I feel very unwelcome there. I know that it’s not on account of anything I said or did. Maybe there’s something you can do…maybe there isn’t.
Have a great rest-of-the-weekend and a great week ahead!
Yehuda Mond, MD
