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 Trelstar?
Triptorelin, sold under the brand name Trelstar, is a medication used to treat the palliative symptoms of prostate cancer.
The male reproductive system includes the prostate gland, which is located immediately under the bladder and is about the size of a walnut.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Prostate cancer frequently develops slowly and stays within the prostate gland, but it can also metastasize to other areas of the body, including the spine. Among cancer deaths in men in the United States, prostate cancer is the second-leading cause.
Trelstar is not a cure for prostate cancer. However, it is a palliative, meaning that it is intended to alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life for patients with the disease.
How Does Trelstar Work?
Although the specific origin of prostate cancer is unknown, it is known that testosterone promotes the formation of tumors. The action of Trelstar is to lower the blood testosterone level. Although it doesn’t help to decrease prostate cancer tumors, it can sometimes stop the growth of the tumors entirely by reducing the level of testosterone in the blood.
Trelstar is comparable to the body’s own naturally occurring hormone, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). LHRH is released to reduce blood testosterone levels when they get too high. 300 ng/dl of testosterone in the blood is considered normal for most males. The blood testosterone level can be reduced with Trelstar therapy to 50 ng/dl. It is sometimes referred to as a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist since it reduces both the production of testosterone and the level of the hormone in the bloodstream.
Trelstar slows the growth of tumors and lessens prostate cancer symptoms such as painful bones, involuntary weight loss, and difficulty urinating by competing with testosterone, which is the hormone that causes these symptoms.
Copay and Financial Assistance
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
Directions for Use
Trelstar is administered as an injection into a muscle, typically the buttocks. For this reason, it is usually administered by a doctor or nurse in the setting of a healthcare facility. The dosage and frequency of injection vary based on how advanced the cancer is. Examples of possible dosages and frequencies are as follows:
- 5 mg every 6 months (24 weeks)
- 25 mg every 3 months (12 weeks)
- 75 mg approximately every month (4 weeks)
These dosages are examples; your doctor will let you know the exact dosage and frequency of administration.
As long as you are receiving Trelstar injections from your doctor, you will have to make regular appointments. If you miss an appointment for a Trelstar injection, call your doctor as soon as possible to see if you can reschedule the appointment.
Eventually, your doctor could determine that you can administer Trelstar injections on your own. In that case, you will receive instructions about where to administer the medication and how to inject it into a muscle. You will receive powdered medicine and a vial of liquid diluent to mix it into for every dose of Trelstar you are supposed to take. As directed by your doctor, dispose of the vial and the syringe you use to administer the injection after you give yourself the shot. Before using the drug, make sure you know how to mix it properly and store it at room temperature.
Trelstar Side Effects
- Trouble sleeping
- Flushing (i.e., reddening of the skin)
- Muscle aches
- Loss of appetite
- Loss of sexual drive or ability
- Leg pain
- Joint pain
- Malaise
- Fever
- Hot flashes
- Diarrhea
- Decreased testicle size
- Chills
- Vomiting/nausea
- Unusual weight gain or loss
- Fatigue
- Unusual bleeding or bruising
- Trouble breathing
- Tingling of the upper or lower extremities
- Stomachache
- Changes in heart rate
- Pounding in ears
- Pale skin
- Nervousness
- Back pain
- Loss of consciousness
- Increased urination
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.
Get Started in Minutes
Fill out your information and one of our specialists will call you ASAP.
How Much Can You Save?
Speak with a copay assistance specialist
(877) 778-0318
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