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Last month, Alto celebrated the well-deserved promotions of many Altoids across the company. Among those promoted is Elnaz Moshfeghian, who is now Alto’s VP of Strategic Planning & Business Operations. Elnaz shares more about her new role, what she’s most excited about at Alto, and advice she has for those looking to make a career pivot.  

Catching up with Elnaz Moshfeghian, Alto’s new VP of Strategic Planning & Business Operations | Alto

Last month, Alto celebrated the well-deserved promotions of many Altoids across the company. Among those promoted is Elnaz Moshfeghian, who is now Alto’s VP of Strategic Planning & Business Operations.

Elnaz joined Alto in 2016 as a software engineer and when we last connected with her in 2020, she shared her thoughts on building a career in engineering. Since then, Elnaz has pivoted to a truly cross functional, strategy-focused role, where she applies learnings from her engineering experience with her ability to identify opportunities for growth. 

Below, Elnaz shares more about her new role, what she’s most excited about at Alto, and advice she has for those looking to make a career pivot.  

To start, congratulations on your new role! You joined Alto 6.5 years ago, and so much has changed both within the company and the industry at large. Can you tell me a little bit about your journey at Alto? 

I’ve always been attracted to problems that are cross functional and can be solved by bringing together different teams - pharmacists, technicians, logistics, dispatch, sales. I really enjoyed it as an engineer, given that when I joined there were no product managers. We all had to figure out what we were going to build and build it ourselves. I loved working with teams, which is why I pursued the manager track. I noticed pretty quickly that the most interesting and challenging problems rarely came down to technical decisions, but more-so to people and priorities. 

As I grew in my engineering career, and got to lead teams solving problems, I was always searching for how to expand my understanding and impact across the business. I had the opportunity to shift into a strategy and operations role, which allowed me to shadow the CEO and learn a great deal while also identifying the company’s key priorities, understanding how they're doing, and ensuring that they stay on track. The new role allows me to use everything I’ve learned over the last 6.5 years at the company while at the same time, learning a lot from a seasoned leader like Alicia on how to run a business. 

Your previous experience was in engineering, and you didn’t work in healthcare or pharma before joining Alto. What has been the biggest surprise to you since joining the company? 

There are a lot of different hands in healthcare; it's a really complex space and there’s a lot at stake. I’m always mystified by how hard it is to align different parties’ incentives to result in the right outcome for patients. It underscores the importance of Alto’s mission: to fulfill medicine’s true purpose — to improve quality of life — for everyone who needs it.

Tell me a little bit about your current role. What are you most excited by? 

I’ve loved seeing how the different pieces of the company connect, and being able to connect the dots when we’re missing something. It’s been really fun to see how a little bit of communication and collaboration can go a long way. I also love thinking about how what we’re doing today could set us up for bigger things in the future, and how we build today in a way that opens a lot of doors for us down the line. 

In your opinion, what are the biggest opportunities for the company? 

There’s always an opportunity to be excellent at the basics. Are we consistently providing the best patient experience? Are we getting patients the best price? Are we saving time for prescribers and their offices? Those are problems that we’ve been solving for a long time, but it just gets more interesting and challenging as we’ve gone into new markets and therapeutic areas, and worked with different kinds of patients and prescribers than we used to. 

Something that I’ve always been intrigued by is - how do you bring more transparency around pricing to prescribers and patients at the earliest possible time, so that they can make the best decisions? It’s something that’s really missing in the industry. It’s not easy to do, and that’s definitely something I think a lot about - ‘How can we be the one who makes it easy for prescribers to know what they’re about to send to the patient, and for the patient to know what their other options are?’ Because a lot of times, what your insurance may cover and what your doctor may prescribe may not always be the best option. There might be other options, and I think a lot of people don’t know to ask about that. 

What are the biggest challenges in the pharmaceutical industry today? 

I think there’s been a lot of great activity from different patient advocacy groups and state governments to regulate the worst of what’s happened in healthcare. It’s been cool to see that take shape over the last five years. The challenge is that it’s very hard to write legislation and force some of these things, and so I’ve honestly gotten more interested in how do you write the right laws and approach regulation in a way that allows innovation to still happen and thrive, and still protects the patient at the end of the day. 

Back to your engineering roots – what advice do you have for young engineers?

Given the state of venture capital and the industry, a lot of engineers are going to earlier-stage companies, because there’s a little bit more investment and activity happening. I had to figure that out along the way - how do you operate as the third engineer on the team? Being anyone in an early-stage, small company - and an engineer especially - comes with its own unique challenges and skills. It’s not something there’s a ton of resources around. There’s a lot of resources about how to start a company, but not a lot for how engineers can grow their career at a company at that stage. So, my advice would be to seek out mentorship and cross functional peers from whom you can learn and grow. 

You pivoted from engineering to operations and strategy. What advice do you have for someone looking to make a career change? 

As an engineer, I’ve really focused on making an impact, whether that’s through building a product or shaping the business with what I know, with tech being the backbone. And I think that’s something we don’t talk about as much in engineering - how do you take your skills and really channel them for maximum impact and better understanding of a business? And for people who want to start their own companies someday, taking the path I did could be really valuable. It allows you to be a better entrepreneur and a better contributor if you can see the connection between engineering choices and the systems you’re building, and how they impact your customer and other parties. 

The other piece is being comfortable with wearing a lot of different hats. It’s what really helped my growth, and it’s counter to a lot of advice you get. People will tell you to go deep, get specialized and go down one path. You need to, to some extent; I absolutely had to figure out how to be a better engineer and a better leader. But the most growth for me wasn’t necessarily to stay in engineering – it was to take a turn. Hopefully, I can give colleagues a little more confidence who want to take a turn and increase their impact, growth and learning. 

Catching up with Elnaz Moshfeghian, Alto’s new VP of Strategic Planning & Business Operations 

Learn more about national medication shortages affecting people and pharmacist everywhere, what causes shortages, steps you can take if you are affected, and other frequently asked questions. Read on.

Medication Shortages, Explained | Alto Pharmacy

Few things are more frustrating — or frightening — than being unable to access the medication your doctor has prescribed. But it has become a common experience in recent years, as medication shortages remain a persistent healthcare challenge in the U.S. And if you take medication, you may be familiar with the panic of struggling to find enough of what you need.

Not only are these shortages incredibly frustrating and debilitating, they are also confusing and unpredictable, arising seemingly at random, and with little known about an anticipated resolution.

While Alto will always go above and beyond to bring you your medications without delay, these shortages are beyond our control, and we share your frustrations and concerns. To provide more clarity and context as to why these shortages occur — and why, unfortunately, there are few short-term solutions — we’ve compiled answers to some of the questions we hear most frequently.

Like every pharmacy across the country — as well as many around the world — Alto has been affected by medication shortages in the last few years. Each pharmacy’s stock fluctuates in tandem with demand, so if you call multiple pharmacies, it’s possible that one will have a greater supply of an affected medication than another on any given day. But ultimately, no pharmacy is immune to these challenges, and if a medication is in short supply, each pharmacy may feel the impact at some point.

If Alto currently does not carry your medication and you would like to transfer your prescription to another pharmacy, be sure to call that new pharmacy to confirm availability of your medication — medication shortages often impact most pharmacies within a specific region. 

The causes of medication shortages are complex, with multiple, and often intersecting, factors at play.

Any issues that affect the production of a medication may lead to reduced supply. This includes disruptions to manufacturing, like when Hurricane Maria damaged production sites in Puerto Rico in 2017.

Covid is another example of how a natural disaster or global crisis can disrupt medication production. The United States relies heavily on other countries for the raw ingredients needed to manufacture a medication.* This leaves us incredibly vulnerable to changes in workforce capacity or manufacturing activities overseas.

*As of 2019, only 28% of our country’s supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) — the substances directly responsible for a medication’s therapeutic benefits — were manufactured domestically.

Even when manufacturing circumstances are ideal, rising demand for a medication can lead to low supply. This winter’s difficult cold and flu season, with high cases of Covid, the flu, and R.S.V., contributed to a decreased supply of children’s formulations of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and several commonly prescribed antibiotics.

Adderall®, a stimulant used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is another medication whose demand has increased in recent years. Prescriptions for the medication increased by 15.1% in 2020, in comparison to a 7.4% increase in 2019. This comes after a surge in new ADHD diagnoses, which more than doubled between 2007 and 2016 and continue to rise. Worker shortages and production delays experienced by Teva, a leading manufacturer of Adderall, have added additional pressure and compounded the challenges.

High demand has also contributed to recent shortages of the diabetes medications Ozempic® and Wegovy®,  as they have been increasingly prescribed for weight loss.

Addressing increased demand is often easier said than done. Most generic manufacturers decide how much of a medication to produce at the beginning of the year, with virtually no flexibility, so it isn’t an option to simply make more. This is why there is often a seasonal pattern to shortages, with many intensifying at the end of the year.

In the case of Adderall, a Schedule II controlled substance, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) imposes strict production quotas to prevent misuse. With quotas based on estimates, our manufacturing system isn't prepared to respond to unexpected factors like the recent rise in ADHD diagnoses. 

Why are shortages happening more frequently?

Medication shortages are in the headlines more these days, but they are not a new occurrence. They have steadily increased since 2006, becoming a public health crisis in more recent years. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) reports that, at the end of 2022, ongoing and active shortages were the highest they’ve been since 2014.

The growing intensity of these shortages reflects the strain that Covid put on our entire healthcare system — which we still haven’t fully recovered from — along with other unpredictable healthcare patterns, like growing demand for ADHD medications.

Are certain medications more likely to be affected than others?

Ultimately, any medication can go into shortage, but some types are more prone to recurring supply chain issues.

Medication shortages frequently occur with commonly used (and low-profit) generic medications — like the antibiotic amoxicillin — as pharmaceutical companies have little financial incentive to produce more of them.

Some injectable generics are especially vulnerable to shortages. Fewer manufacturers make these medications, so any production disruption can become a larger issue.

The Adderall shortage illustrates that low stock of a single medication can create a class-wide issue. For many people with ADHD, switching to another medication has proven challenging, as alternatives grow scarce too. This is also the case with Ozempic and other diabetes medications.

Medication shortages are rooted in factors that are far beyond any one person’s control, and unfortunately, there is little we can do to prevent them. Industry experts have proposed solutions, including ramping up domestic production of key pharmaceutical ingredients and building a more resilient medical supply chain. These aren’t quick fixes, and government action is needed for meaningful progress.

What can I do to navigate a medication shortage?

While many medication shortages are unavoidable, there are steps you can take to potentially minimize their stress and impact.

You can track medication shortages on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration or ASHP websites to learn more about a medication’s supply.

To give yourself more time to figure out a short-term solution — such as switching to an alternative medication — refill your medication as far in advance as you can. In some cases, it may be possible to get a 90-day supply of your medication, though this isn’t always an option for controlled substances, and your insurance plan may also limit coverage of refills.

If your medication is in scarce supply, speak with your doctor about alternatives. In addition to taking a different medication, you may be able to switch to a different dose or formulation. Many medications require that you safely taper off of them, which is another reason it’s important to stay on top of refills and ideally learn about supply issues before the last minute.

If an alternative medication costs more or is not covered by your insurance plan, there are resources to help alleviate some of the burden, including coupons, manufacturer-sponsored copay cards, and patient assistance programs. Alto is here to support your savings investigations, and we also suggest reaching out to your insurance provider and verifying your plan’s details — they may be required to cover a branded option if a generic is unavailable.

Our team can answer any questions you have about your medications. We also offer same-day delivery and medication management tools like reminders and auto refills to make it as simple as possible to stay on track with treatment.

To learn more, reach out any time through secure in-app messaging or by phone at 1-800-874-5881.

This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

All third party trademarks (including logos and icons) referenced by Alto Pharmacy remain the property of their respective owners. Unless specifically identified as such, Alto’s use of third party trademarks does not indicate any relationship, sponsorship or endorsement between Alto and the owners of these trademarks.

Learn more about national medication shortages affecting people and pharmacist everywhere, what causes shortages, steps you can take if you are affected, and other frequently asked questions.

Egg freezing, a fertility preservation treatment that allows you to store unfertilized eggs for potential use in the future, has grown increasingly popular throughout the past decade. Between 2010 and 2016, the number of U.S. women who pursued the treatment increased by 880%. The trend has continued, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that 123,304 egg freezing cycles were successfully completed in 2020 alone.

What to Consider Before Freezing Your Eggs

While egg freezing is a worthwhile experience for many women and people assigned female at birth, it is a deeply personal decision. There are many factors to consider as you evaluate if it’s right for you, including your individual health, finances, and family building goals.

Informing yourself about the process is a critical first step. Here’s an overview of what egg freezing entails — physically, emotionally, and financially.

Egg freezing is an option for anyone interested in preserving their fertility for personal or medical reasons.

All people with ovaries are born with the total amount of eggs they’ll ever produce — about a million on average. Each person’s egg count decreases with time. While only one egg matures enough to be released from the ovaries during a typical menstrual cycle, thousands of follicles, or potential eggs, are lost each time your body prepares for ovulation. As a result, the quantity and quality of eggs start to steadily decline in the early 30s, with a more significant decline from the mid 30s on.

Though many women successfully conceive naturally after 35, there is a correlation between pregnancy rates and age. By allowing you to try to conceive at a later age with eggs collected earlier, successful egg freezing offers a more flexible timeline for family building, and, in many cases, peace of mind. While many pursue the process with clarity about their reproductive goals — and the intention of a future pregnancy — others are undecided about having children and simply wish to leave their options open.

Egg freezing is also an option for people whose fertility may be impacted by medical factors like the following:

Cancer treatment: Some cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and surgery of a reproductive organ, can impact a person’s fertility. For this reason, many women of reproductive age choose to freeze their eggs before starting treatment.

Other health conditions: Many individual health factors can influence fertility. Treatment for conditions like endometriosis or benign tumors may include removal of the ovaries. Women with a family history of ovarian cancer may pursue elective removal of the ovaries.

Gender-affirming surgery or treatment: The biological process of transitioning can permanently or temporarily impact a person’s ability to conceive. Many transgender men and transmasculine people freeze their eggs prior to hormone therapy or surgery. 

An egg freezing cycle is physically demanding, with self-administered injections and a minimally invasive procedure to retrieve your eggs.

In most cases the process begins with a transvaginal ultrasound, which allows your doctor to estimate your egg quantity. The following blood tests can provide additional information about the number of eggs in your ovaries:

The anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) test measures your body’s levels of a hormone associated with ovarian reserve. It is a good indicator of egg quantity, but not egg quality.

The follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) blood test measures your body’s levels of another hormone associated with your ovarian reserve.

Test results can also help your doctor predict your body’s response to fertility medications and tailor your treatment plan accordingly.

After the initial ultrasound and blood work, your doctor will prescribe stimulation medications to spur the growth of follicles, fluid-filled sacs in your ovaries that potentially contain an egg. These are some of the medications you may take during this stage:

These medications are typically taken as nightly injections.

Most ovulation suppression medications are typically introduced around days 5-10. These medications prevent premature ovulation — the body’s natural release of eggs from the ovaries — so that your doctor can retrieve as many eggs as possible.

These are some of the medications you may take at this stage:

Cetrotide/Fyramedel™ (ganirelix acetate)

While leuprolide is considered a suppression medication, it is typically started at least a week prior to stimulation medications.

Once your eggs have sufficiently developed, your doctor will schedule 1-3 trigger shots to give your eggs a final growth spurt and trigger release.

Medications used for trigger shots include:

If your body doesn’t respond to the stimulation medications or you have a decreased ovarian reserve, your doctor may add one of the following ancillary medications to your protocol to increase your chances of success.

Omnitrope® — a growth hormone whose main purpose is to help improve the quality of eggs

Microdose leuprolide injections — a lower dosage of leuprolide used to boost ovarian response to stimulation medications

The final step in a successful cycle is egg retrieval. In this minimally invasive procedure, your doctor will gently guide a thin needle through your vaginal wall and use suction to draw the eggs from the follicles. Your eggs will then be stored in a facility for however long you choose to.

While the retrieval itself takes 15 to 45 minutes, you should plan to be at the clinic for several hours. Many people find it helpful to have a friend or family member accompany them to the clinic for support before and after.

Each cycle typically takes 10-14 days from the beginning of medication use to egg retrieval. You will have regular doctor’s appointments for additional ultrasounds and blood work while taking stimulation and ovulation suppression medications. Your doctor may adjust medication dosages based on your hormone levels.

If and when you decide to use your frozen eggs, they will be thawed, fertilized with sperm, and implanted into your uterus through the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

For some women, it is a viable option to freeze embryos, or fertilized eggs. There are several reasons a person might opt to freeze embryos:

Some studies have found that frozen embryos have a higher thaw survival rate than frozen eggs. 

Embryos can undergo genetic testing, so you can learn of any chromosomal abnormalities before freezing them. 

You will also know that you are freezing an egg healthy enough for successful fertilization.

However, this option requires you to decide whose sperm to use early on in the process.

Your doctor may recommend that you stop taking hormonal birth control before your egg freezing cycle, as it may affect fertility assessment results as well as your body’s response to fertility medications. Non-hormonal forms of birth control, like a copper IUD, should not interfere with the egg freezing process.  

What else should I consider before freezing my eggs?

The egg freezing process affects both the mind and body, with physical and emotional side effects. While each person responds differently to the treatment, certain symptoms are common, including:

Injection site reaction (soreness, redness, or mild bruising)

Changes in mood such as heightened sensitivity, irritability, euphoria, or depression due to elevated estrogen levels

Alto’s fertility-trained pharmacists can help you navigate egg freezing side effects, with availability on nights and weekends.

Different injectable fertility medications require different administration methods. Most injections are administered subcutaneously around the abdomen. Intramuscular injections are typically administered in the upper, outer part of the buttocks, which can be more difficult to reach when self-injecting.

If your protocol includes intramuscular injections, consider asking for assistance from your partner, a friend, or a family member. If you need to self-administer, try standing in front of a mirror for a better view of the injection site. You can also ask a nurse or another clinic staff member to circle the injection site on your body so that you can find it more easily.

Like any medical procedure, egg freezing has the potential for some complications. Egg retrieval may cause bleeding and infection, though this is unlikely to occur in most cases.

One rare, but serious, complication of the process is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), an abnormal reaction to stimulation and trigger medications. It is characterized by pain and swelling in the ovaries and sometimes the abdomen. OHSS is treatable, but there are times when a doctor will recommend ending treatment and starting a new egg freezing cycle in the future.

While many women successfully conceive with frozen eggs, it’s important to remember that fertility preservation treatment does not guarantee a successful pregnancy. There are many steps between egg retrieval and pregnancy, including successful thawing, fertilization, implantation, and continued embryo development.

It may also take several cycles to retrieve your target number of eggs, which your doctor will advise you on. An average of 10-15 eggs are needed to achieve a successful pregnancy. Depending on your age and reproductive health, your doctor may recommend freezing more eggs to increase your chances of successfully conceiving.

Not everyone who freezes their eggs will use them. Some women go on to conceive naturally while others decide not to pursue parenthood. As part of your planning, consider what you would do with unused eggs or embryos. Your options include donating them to a person or couple experiencing infertility or to researchers, or having them appropriately discarded by a clinic or storage facility.

Donating eggs will require additional blood work and testing prior to your cycle. Ask your clinic for additional information if you are interested in this option.

Before deciding to pursue egg freezing, it’s important to know how you will pay for the treatment. Egg freezing costs are ongoing, including not only the fertility medications, testing, blood work, and procedures, but also storage fees and in vitro fertilization. (Many clinics store eggs for up to a year as part of the cost of an egg freezing cycle. If your clinic offers this service, you will need to select another storage vendor after a year.)

The total cost of egg freezing depends on various individual factors. Your reproductive health and your age can influence how many egg freezing cycles your doctor recommends. Egg storage duration depends on your personal family building timeline.

It may not be possible to predict the exact total cost of egg freezing, but identifying your reproductive goals and learning more about your reproductive health can help you arrive at a solid estimate. An initial consultation with a fertility clinic is often a helpful first step, providing additional insight into personal health factors.

Some health insurance plans offer partial or full coverage of egg freezing-related costs, including medications and IVF. Note that most insurance plans have separate medical and pharmacy benefits. In most cases, professional services provided by your doctor or clinic will fall under medical benefits, and fertility medications will fall under pharmacy benefits.

A growing number of employers offer egg freezing coverage as part of employee benefits, separate from health insurance. If your employer doesn’t currently cover egg freezing, don’t be afraid to ask. RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association has resources to help you start the conversation.

Some fertility clinics offer financing and payment plans to help you manage or lower egg freezing costs. As you explore your options for clinics, we suggest asking these questions:

Based on my specific treatment plan, what is the typical all-inclusive cost?

What is included in the treatment cost and what is not?

Is a year of egg storage included in an egg freezing package?

Can you provide a detailed list of procedures and costs?

What is the typical cost of fertility medications for my treatment plan?

Additionally, some fertility medication manufacturers offer patient assistance programs to alleviate the cost of these expenses. If Alto is your fertility pharmacy, you are likely taking medications manufactured by EMD Serono or Ferring Pharmaceuticals. Both manufacturers have programs that lower the cost of fertility treatment.

Learn how to apply for EMD Serono’s financial assistance programs.

Learn how to apply for Ferring Pharmaceuticals’ financial assistance programs.

Alto is committed to helping you save as much as possible on your fertility medications. Free same-day delivery makes it easy to manage last-minute changes to your treatment plan, preventing fertility medication waste. We also search for savings options and connect you with programs that require you to apply, like the patient assistance programs above.

A pharmacy partner for your fertility journey

Egg freezing can be a challenging journey, but Alto is with you every step of the way. To ensure that your treatment plan is followed correctly, we offer free same-day delivery of your medications and fertility resources like personalized injection guide videos and one-on-one consultations with fertility-trained pharmacists.

Interested in learning more about how Alto can support your treatment? Request a price quote online or reach out through secure in-app messaging or by phone at 1-800-874-5881.

While fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF) have become an increasingly common path to parenthood, helping millions of individuals conceive throughout the past four decades, they remain a significant financial investment.

How Alto Lowers the Cost of Fertility Treatment Through Better Medication Management

Fertility medications used to support egg production, retrievals, and implantations frequently factor heavily into the overall cost of treatment. An average IVF cycle costs between $10,000 and $15,000, with medications an additional $5,000 or more depending on factors like a patient’s age and health history and a clinic’s treatment approach. Unfortunately, a portion of these medications often go unused, as many fertility treatment plans involve last-minute medication changes unsuited for the traditional retail pharmacy model.

As part of our commitment to your financial well-being, we offer a medication management experience that reduces fertility medication waste to lower the cost of treatment, developed in collaboration with Progyny. Take a closer look at our approach.

IVF is a process in which eggs and sperm are fertilized and then placed into the uterus with the potential outcome of a pregnancy. Multiple medications are used on a precisely timed schedule to grow follicles — fluid-filled sacs in the ovaries that potentially contain an egg — retrieve eggs, and, finally, implant a fertilized egg into the uterus. 

Here’s a snapshot of a typical IVF medication schedule:

Days 1-4: stimulation medications such as Gonal-f®, Follistim®, Menopur®, or Low-Dose hCG to stimulate egg production, so that you produce multiple follicles

Days 5-10: continuation of stimulation medications and introduction of antagonists such as Fyremadel™ (ganirelix acetate) and Cetrotide® to prevent premature ovulation

Days 10+: trigger shots of leuprolide acetate, Ovidrel®, and/or Novarel®/Pregnyl® to stimulate final growth spurt and ovulation

After transfer: estrogen and progesterone to support successful implantation of the embryo

Fertility medications are complex, with nightly dosages dependent upon hormone levels measured through bloodwork and ultrasounds. Not only do medication protocols vary from one individual to another, they are typically adjusted throughout the course of a cycle as hormones fluctuate.

Unused medication during fertility treatment

To prevent any missed doses, providers typically prescribe all medications that could be needed in bulk at the beginning of fertility treatment. However, dosages often decrease once a cycle is underway based on a provider’s discretion, ultrasounds, and bloodwork.

At traditional pharmacies, patients undergoing fertility treatment might end up paying for unused medication, as all potential medications are filled upfront. This contributes to the $5.4 billion epidemic of medication waste in the U.S. — one that is particularly acute in fertility, leading some individuals to buy and sell excess medication to each other on social media sites.

Our approach to fertility medication management

Alto has partnered with fertility benefits manager Progyny on an algorithm-powered, app-based medication management experience that reduces unneeded fertility medications while protecting the integrity of time-sensitive and personalized treatment plans.

First, we collect fertility cycle information through the Alto app and run the data through the Progyny algorithm to determine exactly what medication volumes are needed for the next phase of treatment. We then prepare a custom order for just the medications that are immediately needed, which are then delivered directly to your doorstep by our courier team. 

You will receive multiple deliveries throughout the course of your cycle, determined by your specific dosing, trigger schedule and other inputs from your clinical team. This approach allows you to manage your medications as your IVF cycle progresses, giving you more control over the total amount of medication that you fill.

Additional financial resources for fertility medications

Alto is committed to helping you save as much as possible on your fertility medications. In addition to our personalized medication management approach, we’ll automatically search for savings and connect you with programs that require you to apply directly, including patient assistance programs from fertility medication manufacturers.

If Alto is your fertility pharmacy, your fertility medication protocol likely includes medications manufactured by EMD Serono or Ferring Pharmaceuticals. EMD has several programs that lower the cost of fertility treatment, including the Compassionate Care program, which offers income-based assistance for fertility medications that aren’t covered by insurance, and special opportunities for military veterans and cancer survivors.

Ferring Pharmaceuticals also offers financial assistance programs to offset the cost of fertility medications, including the HeartTomorrow program for individuals who elect to freeze their eggs, and special opportunities for military veterans and cancer patients.

Read Managing the Costs of Fertility Treatment for more on Alto’s financial support for fertility treatment and medications.

Choose a flexible and reliable pharmacy partner

Fertility treatment can be challenging, but we’ll be with you every step of the way. To ensure that your treatment plan is followed correctly, we offer fast, reliable delivery of your medications and fertility resources like personalized injection guide videos and one-on-one consultations with fertility-trained pharmacists.

In addition to local service offerings at our brick-and-mortar locations, we’re serving more patients throughout the United States through our mail order service. We offer free FedEx next-day delivery of all fertility medications and supplies to patients served via mail order.

Interested in learning more about how Alto can support your fertility treatment? Request a price quote online or reach out through secure in-app messaging or by phone at 1-800-874-5881.

Alto’s board of advisors was formed in 2020 to deliver strategic guidance as we work toward a better healthcare system for all. With diverse leadership experience in the industry, our board of advisor members ensure that our efforts are both impactful and efficient, with services grounded in the highest standards of operational excellence.

Meet the Newest Members of our Advisory Board | Alto Pharmacy

Today we’re thrilled to welcome three new members to the board of advisors: Adam J. Fein, Harry Leider, and Brad Fluegel. Their passion and expertise will no doubt be an asset as we focus on reaching even more patients — and delivering even more comprehensive care — in service of our mission.

Read on to learn more about their backgrounds in the industry and join us in giving them a warm welcome!

Adam J. Fein, PhD, is the CEO of Drug Channels Institute, a leading source of industry research about pharmaceutical economics and the drug distribution system. Widely published in academic and industry publications, he also heads the Drug Channels website, praised by readers for its comprehensive and witty coverage of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), medication pricing, and other industry topics.

Delivering medications to our patients at the lowest price possible is central to our mission. Dr. Fein’s deep expertise in pharmacy economics supports our ongoing commitment to improve adherence rates by way of more affordable medication options and total price transparency.

“The pharmacy industry has entered a period of structural change. There’s a tremendous need for the cost transparency, efficiency, and commitment to patient well-being that Alto delivers. I’m thrilled to support Alto in building innovative solutions to foundational issues within the industry,” Dr. Fein said.

Dr. Fein holds a doctoral degree in managerial science and applied economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Harry L. Leider, MD, MBA brings more than 25 years of experience as a senior healthcare executive to our board of advisors. Since 2018, he’s served as Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Gelesis, an innovative biopharmaceutical company.

In addition to his current leadership in the biotherapeutic space, Dr. Leider has broad experience in telemedicine, retail healthcare, laboratory medicine, and payor strategies, as former Chief Medical Officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Ameritox, and Care Improvement Plus.

Dr. Leider shares Alto’s commitment to driving lasting change within the healthcare system for better patient health. With both clinical expertise and executive experience, he’s spent his career designing programs, services, and intellectual property that improve health outcomes.

“Alto’s pharmacy model brings us closer to a future where everyone can receive the highest standard of care and is equipped to manage their health. I’m personally inspired by Alto’s bold vision for healthcare and look forward to what we can accomplish together,” Dr. Leider said.

Dr. Leider has served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business and holds five patents in laboratory medicine.

Drawing on more than three decades of healthcare experience, Brad Fluegel is a strategic advisor to organizations, entrepreneurs, and other industry participants. Most recently he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Healthcare Commercial Market Development Officer for Walgreen Co, where he managed all commercial healthcare activities, from sales and contracting to biopharma relationships and market planning.

Previously, Brad oversaw Walgreens’ corporate strategy and business development as Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer. He also led Elevance (then Wellpoint)’s strategic planning and corporate communications as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer.

His expertise in strategic planning and operations will allow us to deliver an exceptional patient experience as we continue to grow.

“Since 2015, Alto has proven itself to be a leader in the rapidly evolving digital pharmacy space. It’s a privilege to support their efforts to redefine what’s possible in healthcare, and together we can deliver industry-leading care to more patients,” he said.

Brad earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor of arts in business administration from the University of Washington. He also serves as a lecturer at the Wharton School of Business.

Dr. Fein, Dr. Leider, and Brad join three other advisory board members: Dr. James Hildreth, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Meharry Medical College; Jennifer Kent, previously the Director for the California Department of Health Care Services; and Ajay Khatri, previously Alto’s Chief Strategy Officer. 

Dr. Hildreth, Jennifer, and Ajay have offered invaluable guidance as we’ve grown throughout the past two years, and we couldn’t be more grateful for their partnership and support.

Learn more about Dr. Hildreth and Jennifer’s healthcare experience.

Visit alto.com/careers to learn more about our open roles and join us in delivering industry-leading pharmacy care.

Meet the Newest Members of Our Advisory Board

Resources for Affording HIV Medication

The HIV treatment and prevention landscape continues to evolve, with many effective medications. Antiretroviral therapy (ART), the frontline treatment for HIV since 1997, is a combination of medications that lower the amount of HIV in your bloodstream. When taken as prescribed every day, ART can help individuals with HIV achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load. As a result, more than half of all those living with HIV in the U.S. are not at risk of transmitting the virus to others.

On the prevention front, PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, can lower risk of sexual transmission of HIV by 99% when taken daily and reduces the risk of getting HIV from intravenous drug use by about 74%.

For many individuals, cost is a barrier to both starting and continuing to take ART and PrEP as prescribed. Fortunately, HIV prevention medication and treatment continue to become more accessible, with generic PrEP options and expanded health insurance coverage of PrEP and ART. In addition, the following resources, including patient assistance programs and copay savings cards from medication manufacturers, can help reduce the cost of HIV treatment and prevention medication.

Read on to learn more about eligibility for these programs, and revisit our previous post on state-funded PrEP drug assistance programs.

Many pharmaceutical companies have patient assistance programs (PAPs) to offset the cost of prescription medications for individuals without insurance or with insufficient insurance coverage. If Alto is your pharmacy partner for HIV treatment or prevention, your medication protocol may include medications manufactured by Gilead, which offers the PAP outlined below.

If your medications are manufactured by a different company, contact them directly to learn about any available financial assistance including PAPs.

Gilead's Advancing Access® Patient Assistance Program

Gilead's Advancing Access Patient Assistance Program provides medication free of charge to individuals without insurance who meet program eligibility criteria. There are several ways to learn if you are eligible:

Call 1-800-226-2056 (Monday-Friday, 9 am to 8 pm EST)

Print the enrollment form and submit it via fax

Copay savings cards from pharmaceutical manufacturers can help offset the cost of prescription medications for individuals with insurance. If Alto is your pharmacy partner for HIV treatment or prevention, your medication protocol may include medications manufactured by Gilead or ViiV Healthcare, which offer the copay savings cards below.

If your medications are manufactured by a different company, contact them directly to learn about any available financial assistance including copay savings cards.

Gilead’s Advancing Access copay savings card

Blog

Catching up with Elnaz Moshfeghian, Alto’s new VP of Strategic Planning & Business Operations

Medication Shortages, Explained

What to Consider Before Freezing Your Eggs

How Alto Lowers the Cost of Fertility Treatment Through Better Medication Management

Meet the Newest Members of Our Advisory Board

Resources for Affording HIV Medication

A Guide to Ferring Pharmaceuticals’ Fertility Medication Savings Programs

Fertility Preservation Options After a Cancer Diagnosis

A Financial Planning Guide for Egg Freezing

Fertility Options for Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals

A Guide to Common Asthma Medications

Using Your Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device

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