Vancomycin is a generic drug that’s prescribed for certain bacterial infections in adults and children. It’s available as the brand-name drugs Vancocin and Firvanq. The cost of vancomycin with and without insurance can depend on several factors.
Vancomycin comes in the following forms:
- a powder for oral solution
- an oral capsule
- a powder that’s mixed with a liquid for intravenous (IV) infusion
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Vancomycin oral capsule and oral solution for:
- diarrhea caused by Clostridioides difficile (C.diff) infection
- enterocolitis (inflammation in the colon and small intestine) caused by a staph infection, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Vancomycin’s IV infusion is approved to treat serious infection caused by susceptible strains of MRSA.
As with all medications, the cost of vancomycin can vary. Factors that may affect the price you’ll pay include your treatment plan, your insurance coverage, and the pharmacy you use. It will also depend on the cost of the visit to your healthcare professional to receive doses of vancomycin if your doctor has prescribed the IV form of the drug.
To find out what the cost of vancomycin will be for you, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider. Or look below in the next section to learn how much you can save by using an Optum Perks coupon.
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Vancomycin is a generic drug, which means it’s an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. A generic drug is considered to be as safe and effective as the original drug. And generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs.
Vancomycin is available as the brand-name drugs Vancocin and Firvanq. If your doctor has prescribed vancomycin and you’re interested in using Vancocin or Firvanq instead, talk with your doctor. They may have a preference for one version or the other. You’ll also need to check with your insurance provider, as it may only cover one or the other.
To find out how the cost of this brand-name drug compares with the cost of vancomycin, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.
If you need financial support to pay for vancomycin, consider looking at websites that offer cost resources and information. Two such organizations are:
These sites can provide details about drug assistance programs, ways to make the most of your insurance coverage, and links to savings cards and other services.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about drug cost and vancomycin.
How much does vancomycin cost with insurance vs. without it?
What you pay for vancomycin if you have insurance compared to what you’d pay without it depends on several factors.
Factors that could affect what you pay for this drug without insurance include:
- the quantity your doctor has prescribed
- whether you apply and qualify for any available savings programs
- your dosage and treatment plan
- the pharmacy you use
- the form of the drug your doctor has prescribed (such as the oral capsule, solution, or IV infusion)
These same factors may affect your price for vancomycin if you have insurance. But the price you pay with insurance will also depend on:
- your specific plan benefits
- any prior authorization requirements you have for drug coverage
To learn more about what you’d pay for vancomycin with or without insurance, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider (if you have one).
You can also visit Optum Perks* for price estimates for this drug when using coupons from their site. However, Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance benefits or copays.
* Optum Perks is a sister site of Medical News Today.
Is vancomycin covered by Medicare?
It may be. You can call your Medicare plan provider to learn whether your particular plan covers the cost of this drug. There are many types of Medicare plans, so your coverage and what you pay for prescriptions will be based on your particular plan’s benefits.
The total price you pay for vancomycin may also depend on the cost of receiving infusions at your doctor’s office or clinic if your doctor has prescribed the IV form of the drug. You may also need to obtain prior authorization before your plan will cover the cost of this medication.
Your doctor may also be able to provide information about your cost for vancomycin if you have Medicare.
Below is information you may want to consider if you have insurance and receive vancomycin.
Prior authorization. If you have insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers vancomycin. This means the company and your doctor will discuss vancomycin in regard to your treatment. The insurance company will then determine whether the medication is covered. If a drug requires prior authorization but you start treatment without the prior approval, you could pay the full cost of the medication. You can ask your insurance company whether vancomycin requires prior authorization.
Type of insurance coverage. Your doctor or another healthcare professional gives you the intravenous form of vancomycin. If you have insurance, the price of your vancomycin doses may be billed through your medical coverage instead of the prescription drug portion of your insurance plan. This depends on your specific insurance plan and where you receive your vancomycin doses, such as at your doctor’s office, an infusion clinic, or a hospital. If you have questions about this process, contact your doctor or your insurance provider.
Now that you’ve learned about cost and vancomycin, you may still have some questions. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist, who can provide personalized guidance about cost issues related to vancomycin. But if you have health insurance, you’ll need to talk with your insurance provider to learn the actual cost you would pay for vancomycin.
Here are some other resources you may find helpful:
- Medicare drug coverage. To learn about Medicare coverage for drugs, see these articles about Medicare prescription drug plans, drug coupons and Medicare, and the Medicare drug list.
- Save money. Explore this article for tips about how to save money on prescriptions.
- Information about your condition. For more information about the infections vancomycin may be prescribed to treat, see our list of infectious disease articles.
Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.