Oushk maintenance - they want me to restart at 2.5mg despite having been on 15mg for months. Very stressed.

[MJMaude]

Would appreciate any help/advice please. I started on Mounjaro in late Oct 24 with Med express. Went up through the doses and lost weight happily. Changed to Oushk towards the summer as I was getting below the BMI for a new starter and wanted to know I'd have maintenance options. Generally was ordering with a few weeks to spare so would sometimes have a pen or even two unopened ahead.

Got to the time when the price change came in an suddenly found I was having an absolute nightmare ordering. Put through requests with both oushk and med express as it was so difficult I thought I might not get any and got three pens then creating something of a stockpile. By November I still had 4 pens unopened in the fridge (was on 15mg by then as had been over a year. Approaching but not at goal). Had a maintenance consult (I was about 10lb above target) who said stick with the 15mg weekly and get back to them once at goal. I queried having problems reordering as there was likely to be a long gap. Was told to photograph my stockpile with a date and upload and this should avoid problems. I did this.

Jump to now - I have 2 doses left. The vast majority have been taken at the licenced 7 day interval. Last few I did extend to about 8-9 days as I no longer want to lose (Although the last 10 pounds were the slowest to come off!). For this reason I had a follow up consult last week. The pharmacist said don't continue to extend the interval but instead drop to 12.5mg weekly. I'm quite happy to do this and put through an order.

Pharmacist has declined it today and said I need to go back to 2.5mg due to the gap in ordering. This is despite me showing a picture with today's date, the open pen showing 2 doses in it and all prescribing details. I also uploaded the pic from November showing I had 4 pens then (with date on it). I have since sent pictures of the spreadsheet I keep with all my injection dates and doses and my account from Medexpress. I can evidence 14 pens bought since late Oct 24.

Sorry this is so long. I'm so so stressed though about potentially dropping back to 2.5mg. I have lost 9 stone and changed my life. Any advice?

Ok, interestingly I went on and ordered a pen this morning for the first available delivery date and they’ve emailed to say it’s been approved by the prescriber. My original pen that they’ve queried is still pending. Will see if it gets dispatched but looks hopeful for this one that due now on Thursday.

Sounds like the £15 a month is daylight robbery. But I also think the issue now is that due to cost everyone wants to microdose to save money. I’m down to 2mg a week but I want to use a 5mg pen not a 2.5mg as it’s half the cost. Clearly doing it that way is going mean you aren’t ordering every month, so the question to be asking is - if you take a say 10 week break can you take same dose again? And then order every 10 weeks. What about if it’s 20 weeks?

That’s reassuring and appalling at the same time. How can they say they keep detailed notes and check patient history when this sort of thing happens? I’m so relieved I’ve just switched prescriber.

So I have managed to convince them I am not some maniac who is hellbent on making myself sick and they have posted my 1.7 pen. I will switch next month tho as I think they were less than fair in how they have treated many people

Glad to hear you got it sorted with your pen @Doggymummar

I don't think you will be alone with considering other providers.

I wonder if they realise yet how their focus on social media / own forum where patients share their ordering/approval issues, alongside a lack of transparency if they do actually allow part dosing, using pens for longer, has left them wide open for this kind of negativity.

With Pharmulous, Swift Dr I assume patients just email/ask the pharmacy directly rather than making assumptions based on posts they've seen from other customers.

I had a consultation with Swift. I explained in was maintaining weight. Wanted to do in healthy sustainable way etc eating protein lifting weights but also wanted to titrate down. They were supportive but broadly said that once you get to the point that a 5mg pen lasts 7-8 weeks it’s time to move down to a 2.5mg pen. Also said they know people stretching 5mg and bigger pens longer. Either way, suspect with longer gap will have to order a 2.5mg pen but 7/8 weeks seems to be ok.

I've been with Oushk since the start but am now around BMI 25 and realised I left it just over 6 weeks between orders. So will see if they give me my 12.5mg.
The annoying thing is that I ordered a bit in advance and I won't know if they will approve it until just before dispatch, so I risk having no pen if it's refused.
I'm thinking of going elsewhere anyway as they are expensive.
Where else do people recommend that's cheaper and will do maintenance and accept new patients around the BMI 25 mark (with evidence of starting higher of course)?

@Oceangrey can you cancel and order for soonest delivery to get under the six weeks?

@Oceangrey I am currently using 5mg for 8 weeks, hence the stockpile. If I could order one pen from Swift or Pharmulous then have a break for a few months to use up some pens, then order 2.5mg, that would be ideal.

I only have 3 pens which have only happened in the last 6 months + if I order another one from new provider = 4, but now using for 8 weeks each that’s 8 months stock! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I need someone who allows a longer break and supports returning maintenance patients.

voy are offering smart dosing and 3 or 6 month plans, I’ve considered going back to them. They send you pens and ask you to click count but they don’t say which strength pens so it’s hard to establish the price comparison.

Don’t think they allow gaps though which I’d like to use up at least some of the pens @FurForksSake

This six week malarkey, can I check is it between orders or between delivery? If I order every six weeks but do longer delivery dates, would that be ok with oushk? I use a 5 pen for more than the five doses.

I believe that they want them delivered every six weeks, they got cross with me as I pushed out the delivery date of mine and I am pretty certain that was what pushed me outside their window.

a prescriber has now approved (apparently) the 12.5 I originally ordered and a 10.5 for third week of April so I’m on a more regular regime. I’m happy enough to stockpile as they’ll be dropping to the smaller pens with only four doses soon and I’m tapering so I’ll be happy enough to take 2.5 hopefully by Christmas. I’ll have been on it 2.5 years by then!

Swift will allow up to a year’s gap but first pen after gap has to be 2.5mg…

I recently joined oushk on the flexi plan, told them i have used all my pens and was coming off mj. In reality I am using up my stockpile to go down to 2.5mg. I will then order 2.5mg from them when i need to, which won't be for several months.
Its worth the £15 a month for me because i havent purchased a pen since August, before the price hike.
I have never purchased a pen from oushk, but when i need to, will order one then hopefully move to a cheaper provider.

Can get same on Swift without the £15 a month.

Ah i thought it had to be within 12 months of last order and i am not sure when i will order again.
Will have a look at swift

@MrsMiagiI really resent paying the £5 to join the flexi plan for 6 months then £15/month, then another £5 in 6 months time to join for another 6 months. That is £100 of my hard earned cash for doing nothing and even though they say it, there is no more guarantee of being prescribed again than I would be with another provider.

If I do want to order again I don’t get a maintenance discount, unless I pay another £5 to join another made up conti plan, and if I just want a pen or two as I am partial dosing, I need to pay another £5 to go back on flexi.

It is just way too much hassle and cost….

When you put it like that.... I hadn't realised it was only 6 months at a time.
I have booked a consultation with swift dr. My BMI is 21.3 but I am overweight once i hit BMI 23 so not much under.
Hopefully they will take me on

@MrsMiagi you are quick boomy your consultation! I’ve been think about it for weeks and not done anything 🤦🏻‍♀️. Let us know how it goes!

Yes 12 months last order.

Thank you. I dont mind mind ordering in August but will see what they say. I just want to use up my stash and have the option to order again whem i am ready. Seems so simple but not so easy to do!

So I have had my consultatuon with Swift. It was a full 20 minute proper discussion, nor like the rushed time with Oushk. If prdering goes as smoothly as the consultation i will be very pleased.
I am going to order, then I jave a year to order again so will cancel my plan with Oush once I get the order with Swift confirmed. No more £15 per month!

Thanks for the update @MrsMiagi sounds good. I been procrastinating about ordering for ages, did the video Swift needs last weekend, and your post has just convinced me to just get on and order a pen from them.

So I have just ordered with the monj discount. Hopefully they accept my video from a few days ago and that gets me in as a customer for future ordering. I haven't booked a consultation as I don't really have much I want to ask.

Good luck with it! I wanted the consultation because I felt I needed to explain that I haven't ordered a pen since August as I know that will be an issue for many suppliers. They are GP led so I get the impression they will work on a case by case basis, perhaps more so than others. I was honest that I am taking 6.25mg from a 10 pen.
The proof will be in the ordering though; will do that in the next few weeks