From skeptic to superuser: An allergy & rheumatology practice’s transformation with Forus
A skeptical practice administrator tried Forus for one prescription, and never looked back. Today, the small Houston practice routes every specialty prescription through Forus.
When Himanshu Patel, the Practice Administrator at Allergy and Rheumatology Specialists of Houston, first heard about Forus, he didn’t believe it.
“Everybody talks a big game. Let’s just try one prescription and see what happens.”
What followed was a complete shift in how his small team manages specialty medications and prior authorizations (PAs) by turning to Forus as a core operating platform for the practice.
The challenge: slow starts, manual work
Before Forus, specialty medication access was defined by different obstacles and delays.
- Specialty pharmacies took anywhere from 2-7 days just to notify the practice a PA was required
- Remote staff juggled 10-15 active PAs at a given point in time, bouncing between payer portals, calls, and faxes
- Appeals required custom letters and more time-consuming follow-up
“It would take almost three weeks before patients got their first dose. Time was our biggest issue.”
With only one prescriber and a small hybrid team, every delay hurt both workflow and patient experience.
Forus as a command center (and the first prescription that changed everything)
Himanshu didn’t expect Forus to work the way it was described. So he tried just one prescription the same afternoon his onboarding call ended.
“The approval came back in two days. We’re like okay, send another one."
Within that week, the practice sent 30-40 prescriptions through Forus. The first denial was another turning point:
“Forus asked if I wanted to file an appeal, and the letter they generated was better than what I would’ve written."
From there, Forus became part of his daily workflow. He scans Forus first thing every morning for PA updates, clinical decision points, and signature requirements. Staff monitor tasks in the portal to coordinate next steps and reach out to the Forus team if needed.
From skeptic to advocate
Himanshu now routes 100% of specialty pharmacy prescriptions through Forus and recommends it widely to peers.
Here’s the impact he attributes directly to Forus:
- Start times dropped from ~3 weeks to under 7 days
- Appeals handled automatically
- Higher practice capacity, even without adding staff
- Smoother patient experience, including updates and affordability support
“You guys have done exactly what you said you would. I definitely recommend Forus – any practice, small or large, would benefit.”
What began as a cautious experiment has led to a transformed command center, with Forus as one of the most reliable tools at the practice.
Supporting your practice
If your allergy, rheumatology, or specialty practice is ready to streamline prior authorizations and accelerate access to therapy, sign up your practice for Forus today or book a demo to learn more.
