September 20, 2021

ADPH provides an update on the ordering of monoclonal antibody doses

MOBILE, Ala. — The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has asked that information about ordering and tracking monoclonal antibody doses be shared with medical personnel in Mobile County.

ADPH’s Pharmacy Division will send a “ReadyOp” survey link out to existing monoclonal antibody providers each week (probably on Tuesdays). The providers must respond with the number of patients they anticipate treating the next week (the deadline will probably be Wednesday evening).

ADPH will receive from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the number of vials allocated to Alabama and determine how many will go to each facility. It is expected that requests will exceed our allocation. ADPH then tells the drug wholesale company Amerisource how much to send to each facility.

“During this transition, our highest priority will be to ensure that the ordering process for monoclonal antibodies is in place, so Alabama healthcare providers can be sent needed products as soon as possible,” said State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris.

The increased incidence of the Delta variant of COVID-19 has caused a substantial surge in the use of monoclonal antibody products. Monoclonal antibody treatments help those at high risk for serious COVID-19 illness, individuals who have recently tested positive for the virus, or people who are close contacts of persons who have tested positive for COVID-19. Monoclonal antibody treatment builds rapid immunity to the virus and helps prevent hospitalization, but they are not a replacement for COVID-19 vaccination.

ADPH emphasizes that it is critical that non-hospital providers (including long-term care facilities) accurately report utilization through the TeleTracking data collection process while hospitals report through the Alabama Incident Management System (AIMS). Utilization is used to determine how many vials are allocated to Alabama, and it will be used by ADPH to determine how many vials, if any, are approved for that provider.

Providers that do not report utilization will be given a lower priority because reporting is so critical in determining the state’s allocation. Non-hospital providers that need assistance with a TeleTracking account should send an email to hhs-protect@teletracking.com.