Fail First, and why we’re against it. Fail First, also called step therapy, is an approach to prescribing drugs that insists that the least expensive drug in any class be given to a patient first.  If it works, then ... good!  If not, then the next least expensive drug must be tried ... and so forth. Fail First is used by health insurers to control costs.  It is time-consuming from a physician and patient standpoint, is more expensive from a direct and indirect out-of-pocket cost perspective, denies patients the drugs they need when they need them, and allows payers to practice medicine without a license.

Creates additional barriers leading people to forgo needed medications. Can cause patients’ medical conditions to deteriorate, increasing the need for medical intervention in the future.  As a result, patients require increasingly costly medical care. Increases frustration and incidents of depression. Increases the risk of non-compliance and self-medication.

Five Reasons to Oppose the Medco/Express Scripts Merger February 2, 2012 TAKE ACTION!: CA Fail First Assembly bill (AB 369) Passes Committee and Heads to Floor on January 25, 2012 January 24, 2012 Insurance Companies' Cost-Cutting Costs Patients January 20, 2012 Battle over generic drugs leaves doctors, drug companies at odds January 8, 2012 EXCLUSIVE MAP: Track legislation by U.S. state January 1, 2012 Archive

Have you fallen victim to fail first practices by your insurance company? Has your doctor written you a prescription, only for you to learn that your insurance company mandates you try an older drug first? We want o hear your story. Call our toll free number to share your story and help us paint a more complete picture of fail first and its impact on you, the patient. Call (800) 411-5840 and follow the instructions on the voicemail. Share as much or as little information as you would like – and join the thousands of people around the country who have learned that fail first hurts.