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    Question about Avonex Customer Support...

    Has anyone here experienced Avonex Customer "Support", or lack thereof? Is it just me, or do they appear to not have a clue about what's going on when you call in for any type of help?

    Just wonderin'.


    #2
    Their answers are very scripted. I find that anytime I ask a tougher question, they put me on hold for a moment (presumably to ask a supervisor), and frequently come back with a long-winded non-answer.

    Once a few years ago, I asked the call-taker if she or anyone else there actually had MS. She said no. Seems to be Biogen (and other companies) would be well served to find people who actually have the disease to staff these support lines.

    I understand they have to be very careful about giving advice or saying anything that can be construed as such, so I won't fault them for attempting to provide some service, which they do. I've come to realize that the customer support line has value, even if it is limited in scope. The same could be said about internet forums, which have value, but where some people are giving advice when they shouldn't be. (That's true here to a degree, but much more prevalent elsewhere.) We just need to use all the tools we have available, and sometimes we recognize that a Phillips screwdriver will work better than a flathead.

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      #3
      I've found them to be very good, but I suppose there's always the possibility of getting that "one" person.

      What did you experience? I'd call back, but call back early so that you get someone who's sharp.

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        #4
        Thanks for your replies TLC and Big A!

        Yes I agree TLC that it would behoove these companies to have a more personal knowledge of this disease. And I agree...we have to use all the tools we can. Ohhhh, but man oh man, I don't have ENOUGH tools in my belt to deal with Biogen! Ha!

        Big A....they just absolutely cannot seem to get their act together. IE: they have supposedly sent out by FedEx Overnight THREE authorization forms for me to sign to give my daughter consent to speak on my behalf. Not one of them have arrived and they seemingly have no clue where they are. (And STILL can't seem to figure out how to get one to me.) So after that fiasco we spoke to two different representatives explaining that I still have not received the form and they EACH told us that they would email one instead. Well of course, they didn't do that either. So then yesterday another representative said that was illegal for them to do. And yet, they still can't get FedEx Overnight to "work". So, I'm left with no way to get this authorization form.

        And then yesterday they told me that they have been trying to get in touch with my doctor's office since Monday, leaving msgs, sending faxes, etc. concerning a date on a paper, BUT when I spoke with the neurology office they said that wasn't so.

        Previous to these two incidents, there was ALWAYS something that they couldn't figure out.

        It just seems like they can't figure out how to get from point A to point B.

        Thanks for letting me vent!

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          #5
          MS Alliance

          I am sorry to hear that you've had bad experiences with the Avonex help line. I'm in Canada where they call it MS Alliance. Anyways I have found them to be very helpful. I've only been using Avonex for 4 months now. They helped me get my insurance forms authorized and signed by my doctor and submitted right away. This was done in less than a week. They also have sent me e-mails once a month to see how I am doing and to answer any questions I've had. They do call too, but I work odd hours so they can never reach me. I've never had to fill out any consent forms. They asked me a bunch of questions in my initial call about who I would like authorized etc. and they have kept it on file. I even sent them an e-mail once giving them permission to leave voice mail messages. They had no problem with this and they said they updated my file.

          The only real complaint I have is I completely hated the nurse they sent out to train me for my shots. She didn't show up when she was supposed to. I told her I wanted to do Fridays, she insisted on coming on Saturday and then told me it wasn't a big deal to do my shot on a different day. She also said she was going to show up to give me my second shot I raced home from work, only to have her call 4 hours later at 10:30PM to tell me she wasn't going to make it but would be by on Saturday. I never talked to her again. I called MS Alliance and they gave me the name of a clinic I could go to and they also gave me the link for a video I could watch whenever I needed reassurance on the shot.

          Again I am so sorry you've had such a bad experience. I hope they get better for you.

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            #6
            What CND Girl said re: MS Allliance

            As another Canuck, I have nothing but good things to say about MS Alliance here. The nurse they sent to give me the injection training was awesome and gave me other resources regarding diet. Not only that, when I was absolutely clueless about how to apply for government subsidy, the woman assigned to my case was incredibly helpful.
            Dx RRMS 2008/Kesimpta Feb 2023
            UNbalanced Dog Trainer - Accredited pet dog training instructor

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