After the federal government abruptly announced it would start distributing monoclonal antibody drugs through states on a weekly basis due to a substantial surge in demand, state health departments had to quickly set up their own allocation systems.
For physicians and others administering monoclonal antibody treatments, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) responded by setting up a preliminary process to submit order requests for eligible patients. But the state agency warns that demand may outpace supply, leaving some requests unfulfilled.
“We know that this federal switch has caused shipment delays and cancellation, causing confusion and frustration for everyone,” DSHS wrote in a Sept. 17 email to health care professionals offering monoclonal antibody treatments. “We also know that supply constraints will become increasingly problematic in the coming weeks.”
Previously, physicians and other administrators were able to order the treatment at no cost through a supplier, AmerisourceBergen. But rising demand, fueled by the delta variant and low vaccination rates, prompted a federal policy change, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Now, DSHS has updated its Vaccine Allocation and Ordering System (VAOS) to allow physicians and health care facilities to directly submit their own monoclonal antibody order requests at no cost. As of Sept. 21, more than 200 practitioners ordering monoclonal antibodies had placed orders for 135,084 courses of treatment, DSHS Press Officer Douglas Loveday wrote in an email interview with Texas Medicine Today.
Physicians who are current VAOS users and who are registered with AmerisourceBergen can place orders for monoclonal antibody drugs.
DSHS is working to enhance VAOS to allow authorized professionals and facilities who do not meet these requirements to place orders, Mr. Loveday said.
In the meantime, physicians can send requests and initiate the AmerisourceBergen registration process by emailing therapeutics@dshs.texas.gov. DSHS also hosted a webinar about using VAOS to order monoclonal antibody treatment on Sept. 20 and has made a recording available.
HHS will allocate monoclonal antibody treatments to states according to their population, COVID-19 case and hospitalization numbers, and antibody treatment professionals’ adherence to reporting requirements, according to DSHS. Physicians must report monoclonal antibody use to the Texas Department of Emergency Management portal.
DSHS, in turn, will weigh a number of factors when considering requests for monoclonal antibody orders, including requesters’ use and reporting, geography, and estimated share of eligible patients. VAOS users can enter their requests at any time, and shipments will arrive throughout the week, according to DSHS.
Texas is the second-most populous U.S. state and currently leads the nation in both daily average number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, according to HHS and DSHS data.
Here are additional physician resources for monoclonal antibody treatments:
Federal Health Resources & Services Administration uninsured program fact sheet
Emma Freer
Associate Editor
(512) 370-1383