For 90, 0.4MG Capsules, the typical cash price is around $850.00. When customers apply a SingleCare Flomax coupon at their local pharmacy, such as CVS Pharmacy, Target, Longs Drugs, Walmart, Kroger, Fry’s, Harris Teeter, and Walgreens, they may purchase 30 0.4MG Capsule of generic Flomax for $19.78.
What is the average cost of Flomax?
It comes in both brand and generic forms. Most Medicare and insurance programs pay generic tamsulosin, however certain drugstore coupons or cash pricing may be lower. The cheapest generic Flomax pricing on GoodRx is roughly $2.40, which is 96 percent less than the average retail price of $67.06.
Is Flomax an expensive drug?
How much should a man pay to alleviate the symptoms of an enlarged prostate? Doxazosin, a generic alpha-blocker, works just as well and is just as safe for most men as the well-known drug Flomax (a brand-name alpha-blocker). But the real kicker is the price difference: doxazosin can cost as little as $10 per month, but Flomax can cost up to $246.
Our new Best Buy Drugs report is based on a systematic assessment of more than 60 research, and the findings clearly reveal that no one alpha blocker is better than another at treating the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. All of our Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs reports are based on comparative effectiveness studies of this type.
But why isn’t the general population aware that an effective, safe, and less expensive medicine exists to treat the symptoms of this condition? Advertising is one of the reasons. There’s a lot of it.
Drug companies spend a lot of money to get their product brand into your living room and on your thoughts. In reality, in 2007, branded drug companies spent more than $5 billion on consumer advertising and another $15 to $20 billion on doctor promotion.
What the ads don’t tell you about Flomax is that another drugactually, multiple drugsis currently available to treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate and works just as well.
Flomax, which is a “me too” treatment, meaning it isn’t a breakthrough and is quite similar to other drugs on the market for the same disease, is a fantastic example of how a lot of promotion can lead to more prescriptions being written.
An enlarged prostate affects almost half of all men over the age of 55, and nearly nine out of ten men over the age of 80. It’s a natural aspect of growing older. Many guys will have no symptoms or will have moderate symptoms that are not bothersome. However, roughly half of them will require medicine or treatment, creating a massive market of millions of men who require these medications. Don’t believe the pharma companies aren’t aware of the situation.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the makers of Flomax, Boehringer Ingelheim, spent more than $115 million advertising the drug to customers in 2008. This was a 14 percent increase over the year before. All of the publicity paid off. With 11 million prescriptions written, Flomax was among the top 20 most widely prescribed medications that year, up nearly 5% from the previous year.
And now for the most amazing part: Last year, consumers and their insurance companies paid more than $1.2 billion for Flomax, a staggering 23 percent increase from 2007. (After all, someone has to pay for those pricey print and television advertisements.)
Another feature of Flomax is sticker shock, which occurs when you require a greater dosage. Because Flomax comes in only one dosage strength, 0.4 mg, if you need to increase your dose to 0.8 mgwhich some men doyou’ll have to take two pills, which will quadruple the expense. All of the other alpha-blockers are available in a variety of strengths for roughly the same price, so if you require a higher dose, it won’t cost you much extra.
With your doctor’s or pharmacist’s approval, you may be able to cut your costs even more: You may be able to purchase greater quantities of your medicines and then divide them in half with a $5 pill splitter available at most pharmacies for certain of these drugs. You can’t split extended-release or sustained-release medications.
Bottom line: Flomax is an expensive prescription that isn’t any more effective or safe than other treatments in its class for treating the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. If you find yourself in need of treatment, ask your doctor for a generic first. Doxazosin is a Best Buy pick because it is just as safe, effective, and affordable as other similar drugs.
What is the monthly cost of Flomax?
Over 70% of males over the age of 70 will develop benign prostatic hyperplasia, a prevalent medical disorder that affects men more as they get older. Although benign prostatic hyperplasia, or an enlarged prostate, is a frustrating condition that can cause embarrassment, it is not inherently dangerous and is not a predictor of prostate cancer in the future. Tamsulosin is a common treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, but what is the recommended dosage and how much does it cost?
What is Tamsulosin?
Tamsulosin, also known by the brand name Flomax, belongs to the alpha-blocker family of medications, which also includes alfuzosin, doxazosin, and silodosin. Tamsulosin blocks the function of norepinephrine, a hormone that causes the muscles in the walls of arteries and veins to contract, causing the muscles in the body to relax. When combined with other medications, alpha-blockers can be used to treat the symptoms of high blood pressure, but they are most usually used to treat the symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland or benign prostatic hyperplasia, and they can help with urinary retention and the urinary tract. Tamsulosin is solely prescribed for the relief of symptoms caused by an enlarged prostate. Tamsulosin can also be used in conjunction with non-alpha-blocker urinary retention drugs such dutasteride and finasteride.
What is Tamsulosin Used to Treat?
Tamsulosin is primarily used to treat BPH, often known as prostate enlargement or an enlarged prostate. BPH is common in men as they get older, but it can also be caused by other health concerns including diabetes or heart disease, as well as lifestyle factors. BPH is a common condition, but it is nonetheless uncomfortable, aggravating, and even unsightly.
When the prostate, which surrounds a section of the urethra (a narrow tube that transports urine and sperm out of the penis), enlarges, it squeezes the urethra and reduces its flow. Urine flow is typically affected by BPH, and symptoms include difficulty starting to urinate, a weak urine stream, or leaking urine after you finish. Because the bladder has to work harder to evacuate pee in men with BPH, they also have bladder difficulties. The muscles in your bladder weaken over time, making it more difficult to empty your bladder.
Unfinished emptying (feeling like you have to urinate even after you just went)
Men with BPH can feel ashamed, inconvenient, or embarrassed about their illness, but there are a variety of therapies available. Tamsulosin and other related drugs can effectively cure BPH.
How Much Does Tamsulosin Cost?
Tamsulosin is a modestly priced medicine that comes in both a generic and a brand name version called Flomax. A month’s supply of 30 tamsulosin capsules (0.4 mg) costs between $7.17 and $9.50, but a month’s supply of Flomax at the same dose costs over $250. Unless a patient has a medical need to take Flomax, most doctors will prescribe the generic version of the drug because it is more readily available and less expensive.
Some people are concerned about the quality and safety of generic pharmaceuticals, but these fears are unwarranted. Generic drugs are submitted to the same rigorous FDA testing as brand-name pharmaceuticals, ensuring their safety. Generic pharmaceuticals are also as effective because they include the same active component and in the same quantity as brand-name drugs, but they may have different inactive substances that change the color, size, shape, or taste of the drug but do not impact its effectiveness.
What Are the Benefits of Tamsulosin?
Tamsulosin is a popular and extremely successful medication for BPH that has a number of advantages. Tamsulosin has a number of advantages, including:
- Men with renal or liver illness tolerate the medicine well and do not need to change their dosage. Men with end-stage kidney or liver illness, on the other hand, should see their doctors before using tamsulosin.
- Tamsulosin can help with incomplete emptying, hesitation, intermittency, and weak urine streams, as well as other BPH symptoms like incomplete emptying.
- The majority of patients (about 80%) who completed six years of tamsulosin treatment responded favorably to the drug and reported a low incidence of orthostasis.
What is a good alternative to Flomax?
The alpha blocker Flomax isn’t the only option for treating BPH. Another alpha blocker may be effective for some men. To treat the symptoms of BPH, doctors also prescribe four more medications from this class:
Many of the same drugs that Flomax interacts with can interact with these alpha blockers. Medications for high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction are among them. These medications come with dangers and adverse effects.
Each of these medications has its own set of adverse effects, so if you’re having trouble with one, talk to your doctor about switching to a different type of alpha blocker.
However, alpha blockers aren’t for everyone. You may need to try a different type of medication to manage your BPH if you have a history of liver or kidney problems, or if you have low blood pressure.
Does insurance pay for Flomax?
Most Medicare and insurance programs pay generic tamsulosin, however certain drugstore coupons or cash pricing may be lower. Compare and contrast alpha blockers. MyRx allows you to add a maximum of 25 medicines.
Does Flomax become less effective over time?
The rate of secondary intervention (e.g., surgery) for acute urinary retention in BPH is measured by the durability of clinical response, patient satisfaction over several years, and the rate of secondary intervention (e.g., surgery). To date, four long-term pharmacologic trials for BPH treatment have been published. Doxazosin,19 terazosin,20 and tamsulosin10 are all -blockers that have been shown to be effective in treating BPH for long periods of time in the United States. The trial by Narayan and colleagues is the longest to date, with patients treated with tamsulosin for up to 6 years.
The findings of Narayan and colleagues’ long-term trial show that patients with LUTS related to BPH who are treated with tamsulosin have prolonged alleviation of symptoms for up to 6 years, with excellent safety and tolerability profiles and no tolerance development. The findings were verified in earlier short-term clinical trials. 57 Adverse events (whether or not related to treatment) were more common in the first two years of treatment and decreased as therapy progressed. Furthermore, throughout the course of 46 years, the study’s rates of discontinuation owing to adverse events were low, which was comparable with past tamsulosin experience. 57 Over the last six years, the overall incidence of new TEAEs has decreased.
In a trial comparing finasteride to placebo18 with a similar BPH population, the TEAE-related discontinuation rates in both arms were substantial (finasteride 34 percent vs. placebo 42 percent), indicating that TEAEs have a significant influence.
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Does Flomax have a generic?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 The FDA has approved the first generic version of Flomax, a medicine used to treat the signs and symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland.
IMPAX Laboratories of Haywood, Calif., will manufacture the generic version of Flomax, known as tamsulosin. According to FDA regulations, generic versions of brand-name drugs must meet the same requirements as the brand-name drug, according to Gary Buehler, head of the FDA Office of Generic Drugs.
BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia, is a disorder in which the prostate gland enlarges as men get older. BPH symptoms include a weak urine stream, leakage or dribbling, frequent need to urinate at night, and bladder urgency in more than half of men 60 and older, and more than 90% of those 70 and older.
The prostate gland is a walnut-shaped gland that sits beneath the bladder. It creates sperm fluid. However, when the prostate grows too large, it puts pressure on the urine-carrying canal, or urethra, which passes through the prostate, causing urinary discomfort.
The medicine works by relaxing muscles in the prostate and bladder neck, according to the Flomax website. It is therefore easier for urine to move out of the body, similar to releasing a pinched straw.
Those using the medicine are advised to avoid dangerous tasks or driving until they have a better understanding of how it affects them. A runny nose, dizziness, and a drop in semen have all been recorded as adverse effects, while the medicine has not been related to a loss in sex drive or impotence.
What is the most common side effect of Flomax?
Flomax, like many drugs, has the potential for adverse effects. Dizziness, runny nose, and irregular ejaculation, including failure to ejaculate, are the most common side effects. Ejaculation becomes more difficult.
What is the retail price for tamsulosin?
The average cost of 30 generic (tamsulosin hcl) capsules, each 0.4mg, is $88.49. Using the WebMDRx coupon, you can get tamsulosin hcl for $8.99, a 90 percent discount.
How quickly does Flomax work?
Within the first 48 hours, the drug’s effects are usually noticeable. It could take two to six weeks to have complete urinary relief. If a 0.4-mg dose isn’t enough to relieve your symptoms, your doctor may suggest increasing the amount to 0.8 mg once a day.