How Assistance Works
Streamlining our patient’s specialty pharmacy experience with unmatched full-service convenience
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1. Check Your Coverage/Benefits Verification
Our team of expert billers finds the best avenues of coverage that minimize out-of-pocket costs.
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2. Transfer Prescription to AmeriPharma®
We process your prescription by working with your previous pharmacy or prescriber, making the transition quick and easy.
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3. Prior Authorization
Our team of specialists obtains approval from your insurance companies within 24 to 72 hours.
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4. Copay Assistance & Financial Aid
We secure financial aid and decrease copays, out-of-pocket expenses, and high deductibles. To date, AmeriPharma® Specialty Care has secured $55 million in financial assistance for our patients.
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5. Nursing Care Coordination If Needed
AmeriPharma® puts your schedule and home environment first when scheduling and coordinating one of our specialized nurses for your in-home infusions.
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6. Delivery Coordination
Medications are always delivered in strict compliance with the specific requirements for shipping. Next-day and overnight cold-chain deliveries are coordinated around your schedule.
What Is Tolcapone?
Tolcapone (pronounced TOLE-ka-pone) is an oral prescription drug sold under the brand name “Tasmar.” It is prescribed to certain adults with Parkinson’s disease who experience movement problems, such as stiffness, tremors, and difficulty moving, when their regular Parkinson’s medications wear off.
Tolcapone (Tasmar) is used as an add-on treatment with levodopa/carbidopa when the effects of these medications wear off between doses, causing Parkinson’s symptoms to return. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Tolcapone (Tasmar) in 1998.
FDA-Approved Uses
Tolcapone (Tasmar) is FDA-approved as an adjunct treatment to levodopa/carbidopa for adults with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease who experience motor fluctuations. Because of the risk of serious liver injury, it is generally reserved for patients who have not responded adequately to, or are not appropriate candidates for, other adjunctive therapies.
Tolcapone (Tasmar): Mechanism of Action
Dopamine levels in the brain decline in patients with Parkinson’s disease as the brain cells responsible for producing this neurotransmitter gradually die. As a result, patients gradually lose control over their movements.
When patients take levodopa, a medication that the body converts into dopamine, it increases dopamine levels in the brain and improves movement problems. However, its effects may wear off between doses as the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) breaks it down, causing symptoms to return.
Tolcapone (Tasmar) helps improve movement and coordination in people with Parkinson’s disease by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. It is taken alongside levodopa to help prolong the effects of the medication. Tolcapone works by blocking an enzyme called COMT, which breaks down levodopa. By slowing this process, more levodopa remains available to reach the brain, helping patients manage Parkinson’s symptoms for longer between doses.
Drug Form
Tolcapone (Tasmar) is available as 100 mg and 200 mg oral tablets and can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription. This medicine should be stored in tightly closed containers at a controlled room temperature of 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F).
How Tolcapone Copay Assistance Works
AmeriPharma® Specialty Pharmacy alleviates financial burdens for patients and their families
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Advanced software locates funding sources to match you with top-dollar foundation programs
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One of our copay assistance specialists will assist with the application process
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Automatic updates will be sent to you and your physician on the status of the funding
Dosage and Administration
The recommended dosage of Tolcapone (Tasmar) for adults with Parkinson’s disease is 100 mg three times a day. The first dose of tolcapone is taken with your first daily dose of levodopa/carbidopa. The second and third doses of tolcapone are taken 6 and 12 hours later.
In some cases, your doctor may increase the dose to 200 mg three times a day, but only when the additional benefit outweighs the increased risk of liver damage. Tolcapone should generally be discontinued if substantial clinical benefit is not observed within 3 weeks of starting treatment.
Tolcapone must be taken orally (by mouth) with or without food, as prescribed by your doctor. Take the prescribed dose exactly as directed by your doctor.
What to Avoid
Avoid alcohol while taking tolcapone unless your doctor advises otherwise, as it may worsen dizziness or drowsiness. Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how tolcapone affects you, as it may cause dizziness or sudden sleepiness.
Tolcapone Side Effects
Possible side effects include:
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhea
- Uncontrollable movements
- Muscle spasms
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Sleep disorders
- Excessive dreaming
- Somnolence (sleepiness)
- Confusion
- Hallucinations such as seeing things that are not there
- Orthostatic hypotension (dizziness on standing)
- Urine discoloration
Serious side effects include:
Tolcapone carries an FDA boxed warning for severe liver injury, including potentially fatal liver failure. Other serious side effects may include:
- Allergic reactions
- Liver injury (common symptoms include persistent nausea, fatigue, lethargy, anorexia, jaundice, dark urine, pruritus, and right upper quadrant tenderness)
If you develop symptoms of an allergic reaction or liver injury, seek medical attention immediately. Your doctor will check your liver function before treatment, every 2 to 4 weeks during the first 6 months, and periodically afterward. Regular monitoring does not completely eliminate the risk of serious liver injury.
Insurances Accepted
We accept Medicare, multi-state Medicaid, Medi-Cal, Blue Shield, and most private insurances. Call us to find out more about your coverage.
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