A Field Rep’s guide to Forus

Why Forus matters for Field Reps

As a Field Representative, you are a frontline resource for helping provider offices navigate medication access. We recognize the complexity of your role – troubleshooting access delays with limited visibility, juggling constantly evolving payer requirements, and coordinating with practices to ensure timely therapy starts. Forus is designed to support you in your mission.

Forus is a free platform for practices that automates every step of the medication access process: from PA generation and appeals to enrollments, pharmacy navigation, and all related follow-ups. This guide covers the questions field representatives encounter most often, helping you better support practices using Forus and introduce the platform to offices that may benefit from a smoother access process.

Who can use Forus?

Forus was designed to serve providers of all sizes - from private practices with 1-2 physicians to large multi-state physician groups and health systems - at no cost to providers. The platform is used by every role involved in the medication access journey, including physicians, medical assistants, and biologics coordinators, helping each team member streamline workflows across the practice.

Forus works across specialties. Our goal is to be an end-to-end resource for medication access, which is why we support any drug, any insurance, and any pharmacy – without restrictions.

You can read case studies from different customers here to see how Forus streamlines the entire medication access workflow.

Why should practices use Forus?

Thousands of physicians across specialties trust Forus for prior authorizations. Practices adopt Forus because it accelerates medication access, reduces administrative burden, and improves the patient experience – all at zero cost to the practice.

1. Accelerate Access: Through combining AI with human-in-the-loop support, Forus helps practices get PA approvals at least 2-3x faster.

2. Reduce Admin Burden: By automating every step of the medication access process, physicians can spend more time on care and less time on paperwork.

3. Improve Patient Experience: Forus finds the most affordable path for each patient and keeps them informed with real-time updates.

4. Free for Providers: Forus is free to practices and patients, with support from industry partners to integrate patient support programs and monitor access trends

How does Forus work?

Forus keeps prescribing simple for practices.

Step 1: Send any prescription to Forus to initiate the process.

• Prescribe through the EHR, just like normal. Forus supports any drug, insurance, and pharmacy.
• With EHR integration, Forus automatically extracts patient records and clinical notes. Otherwise, the practice uploads records to the Forus portal.

Step 2: Forus auto-generates the prior authorization form on the day of prescription.

• Forus identifies relevant information in clinical notes to automatically populate the appropriate PA form, flagging missing information to avoid incomplete submissions.
• Forus facilitates payer submission, and providers can check status in real time across all prescriptions in the Forus Portal.

Step 3: Forus powers all follow-ups, including appeals and other access paths.

• Denials & Appeals: If a PA is denied, Forus presents the denial letter and provides next steps for the provider to choose from. In the case of selecting to appeal, Forus generates an appeal letter for review and then submits it to the payer.
• Program Enrollments: Forus prepares manufacturer program enrollment forms based on drug and patient eligibility, typically requiring only review and signature from the provider and patient.

Step 4: Forus routes the prescription to the right pharmacy for the patient.

• Forus identifies the appropriate pharmacy for each prescription based on payer mandates, brand-specific networks, and patient and provider preferences.
• Note: Forus is not a dispensing pharmacy; instead, Forus enables access and then routes the prescription to the patient or provider’s preferred pharmacy.

At every step, Forus keeps patients in the loop with real-time updates via text until their prescription is ready to fill.

Forus FAQs

How does a practice get started with Forus?

New practices can sign up for Forus and try their first Rx in <1 day or book a demo to learn more from our team. You can also email providers@forus.com with any questions.

Can Forus integrate with EHRs?

Yes, Forus supports EHR integration for all major EHRs (athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, Epic, ModMed, etc.), as well as any cloud-based or API-supporting EHRs. These integrations allow Forus to pull records to support prior authorization submissions automatically, without manual uploads.

Note that EHR integration is not required to get started with Forus. You can use Forus for medication access support through any EHR via e-prescribing, and chart notes can be faxed or uploaded as needed when there is no integration in place.

How does Forus interact with practices and patients?

Practice teams use their Forus portal to view all prescriptions sent to Forus, track real-time status updates, and complete any clinical decision tasks that require provider input. Forus automates the administrative steps while keeping the practice updated.

With patients, Forus communicates directly via text message to request preferences and signatures and provide updates. Providers share Forus’ contact information during their visit so patients know we will be reaching out. If preferred by the patient, Forus can also communicate by phone or email.

How does Forus support enrollment processes?

Forus supports all major enrollment workflows, including hub enrollment, bridge programs, and patient assistance programs (PAPs), directly within the platform. Forus populates the relevant forms, so providers no longer need to navigate separate portals.

Forus partners with manufacturers at a corporate level on custom enrollment journeys. To learn more, contact us at partnerships@forus.com.

How can practices or patients contact Forus for support?

Providers can go to the Help Center in the Forus Portal (partner.forus.com/login) to ask questions about prescriptions, complete a tutorial, review the user manual, or schedule a training. Providers can also contact our support team at provider-support@forus.com.

Patients can call or text Forus at: (833) 463-5013.

What prescriptions can Forus support?

Forus can be used for any prescription requiring prior authorization, including biologics and other specialty medications, non-specialty branded medications, and generics.

Do you support practices that don’t e-prescribe?

At this time, Forus only offers support for electronic prescriptions (eRx) written through an EHR or e-prescribe tool.

How does a provider initiate a new coverage attempt?

Providers can initiate a new coverage attempt at any time by writing an e-prescription and selecting “Tandem Access Support (Forus)” as the destination.

How does Forus protect patient data?

Forus is fully HIPAA-compliant and SOC 2 Type II certified, with enterprise-grade data privacy and security. Forus also maintains rigorous technical, physical, and administrative safeguards to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of PHI.

Does Forus dispense medications?

Forus does not dispense medications. All prescriptions are sent to dispensing pharmacies, and Forus supports any pharmacy in the US. Dispensing pharmacies are selected based on payer mandates, brand-specific networks, and patient and provider preferences.

How does Forus notify provider offices when action is needed?

When a decision or other action is required, the provider office receives alerts and prompts in the Tasks tab of the Forus Portal. The provider office receives reminders in the portal if action is not taken. Users can also elect to receive reminders via email in Settings.

How does Forus notify providers when the hub sends a Missing Information Fax?

The provider office is notified through a Task in the Forus Portal that outlines the missing information and includes the original enrollment form.

What type of ongoing education is provided to offices by Forus?

Provider offices can always access the latest information by going to the Help Center tab in the Forus Portal, and email updates are sent out regularly to notify them of new features. Forus also has a dedicated provider partnerships team that offers ongoing training upon request.