Cost of Accutane
Accutane is one of the most effective treatments prescribed by doctors
to treat severe forms of acne, as well as acne that does not respond
well to other treatments. It should be noted that Accutane is a
commercial name for the drug Isotretinoin. Accutane is manufactured by
Roche pharmaceutical company, it is also manufactured by several other
pharmaceutical companies and called different trade names including
Roaccutane (Roche for Europe), Sotret is the trade name of Isotretinoin
manufactured by Ranbaxy. Barr pharmaceutical company manufactures
Isotretinoin under the name Claravis. Isotretinoin is also manufactured
as a generic drug called Amnasteem.
Obviously, the price of commercial drugs using Isotretinoin
can vary widely throughout the United States and the world, especially
since there are many products that are available. However, here are
some general guidelines to figure out an approximate cost.
For the brand name drug Accutane in the United States, expect
to spend around $200 if you are purchasing this medication out of
pocket with no help from your health insurance company. For the most
part, many insurance companies do not cover cosmetic medications and
since Accutane usually falls into a category of cosmetic medications,
you will solely be responsible for the entire cost (contact your
specific health care insurer for details). However, for those suffering
from cystic acne, many of these patients are covered due to the fact
that most cases of cystic acne are labeled under a medical condition
and not a cosmetic situation.
Accutane is usually administered in doses ranging from 50 to
200 mg per day. The usual dose is taken orally, each day from four to
six months. Treatment periods can vary depending on a number of
factors. Dosage can also vary depending on a number factors including
severity of acne, weight, etc. A larger dose can cost more and
conversely, a smaller dose can cost less.
Accutane has been around for over 20 years and since this drug
has been around for many years, there is now a generic version of the
drug available- Amnesteem. Generic drugs are the exact same drug
without the brand name. Generic drugs are far cheaper, usually a 1/3 or
more less than commercial drugs. For instance, the generic version of
Accutane (Amnesteem) usually costs $30 to $60 per month instead of
hundreds of dollars for the brand name (Accutane).
Since most individuals that take Accutane, must pay for it out
of pocket, the cost is definitely an issue, however, it might be
beneficial to know that the majority of people that are treated with
Accutane do not experience acne or severe forms of acne for many years
after treatment has occurred. For instance, for an individual that is
treated with Accutane for four to six months, there is an 80% chance
that their acne will go into remission and 70% of the individuals that
are treated with Accutane state that their acne goes into remission for
10 years or longer. So for people that are concerned about the overall
cost, the long term cost can be significantly less than treating acne
for the years to come.