Pharmacy and Medications |
Generic for Lipitor08/27/2009 |
I WAS TOLD LOVASTATIN WAS GENERIC FOR CRESTOR & MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE. I`M READING YOUR INFORMATATION & ATORVASTATIN SEEM`S TO BE THE GENERIC ONE, WHICH ONE CAN I USE TO REPLACE CRESTOR? I CAN`T AFFORD IT! I CAN NOT USE LIPITOR THE SIDE EFFECT`S ARE TERRIBLE.
Thank you for contacting Net Wellness. The medication Crestor® (rosuvastatin) is in the family of statins. Statins are a class of medications that are used to lower your cholesterol. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly, but too much in your blood can stick to the walls of your arteries and cause a narrowing or blocking like a clogged drain.
There are six statins available on the market in the United States:
- Lipitor® (atorvastatin)
- Zocor® (simvastatin)
- Pravachol® (pravastatin)
- Mevacor® (lovastatin)
- Crestor® (rosuvastatin)
- Lescol® & Lescol XL® (fluvastatin)
I encourage you to work with your prescriber to determine which agent is the best for you. Only a prescriber with your full background physical and laboratory history can make those decisions.
The agents that are available in generic form are lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin. Lovastatin and pravastatin are available on Target's, Wal-Mart's, Giant Eagle's, and Kroger's $4 list that you can obtain 30 tablets of specific strengths for $4. Simvastatin is available at Kmart for a 90 day supply for $15.
The other option that may be available (depending on your insurance) is a discount card available for Crestor®, or you may also be eligible for their assistance program.
The following websites might be of some use to help decrease your costs:
https://www.crestor.com/c/crestor-patients/patsupport/index.aspx (discount card) and
http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/help-affording-your-medicines/ (AZ& Me- the patient assistance program)
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Sarah Hudson-DiSalle, PharmD, RPh Specialty Practice Pharmacist of Outpatient Pharmacy College of Medicine The Ohio State University |