The cost of the meds can be kinda crazy if your insurance sucks. Here's a list of the others, you can see what they cost you and try others that are more affordable, sulfasalazine or Balsalazide Disodium are the most affordable if you got to pay a lot out of pocket:
1.) Ask which UC medications are on the insurance's
formulary (preferred) list and which are on their
non-formulary (not preferred) list. For the lowest out-of-pocket cost, choose from the formulary list.
2.)
Generics are the most cost effective.
Brandnames are more expensive.
3.) Use the health insurance's price estimator tool (online insurance website, or call insurance, or ask a pharmacy) to learn what your copay will be. You will need to know which medications are applicable. The most common meds used are the anti-inflammatory, mesalamine-based medications that should be available in their price estimator:
- Apriso is brandnamed, comes in 375mg pills, a typical dose is 1,500 mgs or 4 pills daily. A copay assistance card is available from the manufacturer www.aprisorx.com/apriso/savings-card.
- Balsalazide Disodium is generic of Colazal, comes in 750mg pills, a typical dose is 6,750mgs or 9 pills daily.
- Colazal is brandnamed, comes in 750mg pills, a typical dose is 6,750mgs or 9 pills daily.
- Delzicol is brandnamed, comes in 400mg pills, a typical dose is 4,800 mgs or 12 pills daily. A copay assistance card is available from the manufacturer www.delzicol.com/resources/savings-card/
- Lialda/Mezavant is brandnamed, comes in 1,200mg pills, a typical dose is 4,800 mgs or 4 pills daily. A copay assistance card is NO LONGER available from the manufacturer, discontinued on 11/1/2017 and will not be renewed into the next year.
- Mesalamine DR is generic, comes in 800mg pills (generic Asacol HD) and 1200mg pills (generic Lialda), a typical dose is 4,800mgs. That's 8 of the 800mg pills or 4 of the 1,200mg pills daly.
- Pentasa is brandnamed, comes in 500mg pills, a typical dose is 4,000 mgs or 8 pills daily. A copay assistance card is available from the manufacturer /www.shire.com/patients/patient-services/shire-cares.
- Sulfasalazine is a generic,comes in 500mg pills, a typical dose is 4,000mgs or 8 pills daily.
4.) Once you've found a cost effective medication, call your gasteroenteroligist for a new prescript
ion.
5.) Mail order prescript
ions may have lower copays when you get a 90 day supply, instead of a 30 day supply. Check with your health insurance and ask about
mail order options.