Expanding Access to Anti-Amyloid Therapy: The Case for Primary Care Prescribing

This episode, titled 'Expanding Access to Anti-Amyloid Therapy: The Case for Primary Care Prescribing,' featured panelists discussing the following critical questions:

How are you enhancing Alzheimer's disease care in a rural setting?

What role do you see for primary care providers in utilizing anti-amyloid therapies?

Led by the moderator, the expert neurology and primary care panelists examined the realities of delivering Alzheimer's disease care where specialists are scarce. Joshua Oaks, MD, described practicing in a rural area with 6- to 12-month neurology wait times, and shared how a patient's insistence led him to research and independently initiate amyloid-targeted therapy himself, illustrating how a motivated primary care physician can close access gaps. Dylan Gallacher, PA-C, and Jennifer Woodward, MD, MPH, argued that with streamlined diagnostic handoffs and adequate team-based support, primary care is capable of taking on anti-amyloid prescribing, drawing a parallel to how diabetes and heart failure management evolved into a shared specialist and primary care model. Scott Joy, MD, MBA, FACP, cautioned that infusion logistics, prior authorization staffing, and the need for navigators, pharmacists, and social workers remain real barriers, with both Dr. Joy and Dr. Woodward calling for updated reimbursement codes to support the added time primary care must invest.

Throughout the conversation, the experts provided a comprehensive reflection on the field and the factors that may shape how clinicians approach care moving forward.

In the next episode, 'Symptomatic Therapy Meets Disease Modification: Mapping the Alzheimer's Treatment Continuum,' panelists continue their discussion on Alzheimer's disease and highlight where lifestyle interventions, symptomatic medications such as cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, and disease-modifying therapies fit together across the treatment continuum.