Venlafaxine and Cost: What You Need to Know
Venlafaxine is a generic prescription drug used to treat depression and certain anxiety disorders. Venlafaxine’s cost may depend on factors such as your dosage, whether you have health insurance, and the pharmacy you use.
Venlafaxine is used in adults to treat:
- depression
- social anxiety disorder
- panic disorder
- generalized anxiety disorder
Venlafaxine comes as immediate-release tablets, extended-release tablets, and extended-release capsules you swallow. The extended-release capsules are also available as the brand-name drug Effexor XR.
For more details on venlafaxine, see this in-depth article.
The price you pay for venlafaxine can vary. It may depend on your treatment plan, your insurance coverage, the condition it’s being used to treat, and the pharmacy you use.
To find out how much you’ll pay for venlafaxine, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.
Major health insurance companies have faced legal trouble over their claim denial practices. In February 2018, the insurance commissioner of California announced plans to investigate Aetna’s coverage denial practices after a former medical director of the insurance company admitted that he never once looked at a patient’s medical records when deciding whether to deny claims over the three years he worked in the position, according to CNN.
Note: If you have insurance, you may need to get prior authorization before your insurance provider will cover venlafaxine. This means your insurer and your doctor will discuss the drug in regard to your treatment. Then the insurance company will determine whether it’s covered. If venlafaxine requires prior authorization and you don’t receive it before you start treatment, you could pay the full cost of the drug.
Be sure to ask your insurance company whether venlafaxine requires prior authorization.
Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about venlafaxine and cost.
Is there a cost difference between the different strengths of venlafaxine, such as 150 mg or 75 mg?
Yes, there may be. Venlafaxine is available in different dosage forms and strengths. Your cost for different strengths could vary based on individual circumstances, such as:
- the condition you’re taking the drug to treat
- whether you have insurance coverage or are paying out of pocket
Venlafaxine immediate-release tablets are available in strengths of 25 milligrams (mg), 37.5 mg, 50 mg, 75 mg, and 100 mg.
Venlafaxine extended-release tablets are available in strengths of 37.5 mg, 75 mg, 150 mg, and 225 mg.
Venlafaxine extended-release capsules are available in strengths of 37.5 mg, 75 mg, and 150 mg.
Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about the cost differences between various forms and strengths of venlafaxine. They can tell you the exact cost of your prescription.
Does my cost for venlafaxine depend on the dosage form?
Yes. Venlafaxine comes as immediate-release tablets, extended-release tablets, and extended-release capsules. Different forms of venlafaxine may be used to treat different conditions, and the cost of the forms may vary.
The cost of your venlafaxine prescription may depend on the dosage form and other factors such as:
- whether you have insurance or are paying out of pocket
- the pharmacy you use if you don’t have insurance coverage
- the quantity you’re prescribed (such as a 30-day or 90-day supply)
Your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider (if you have one) can provide more information on what your cost will be for venlafaxine.
Venlafaxine is a generic drug. This means it contains an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. A generic is considered just as safe and effective as the original drug, but it usually costs less.
Venlafaxine is also available as the brand-name drug Effexor XR. To find out how the costs of Effexor XR and venlafaxine compare, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.
If you’ve been prescribed venlafaxine and you’re interested in taking Effexor XR instead, talk with your doctor.
Some generic versions of venlafaxine are only approved to treat depression or certain anxiety disorders. Effexor XR is approved to treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder.
Your doctor may prefer that you take one version instead of the other depending on the condition they’re prescribing it to treat. In addition, you’ll need to check with your insurance provider, as it may only cover one drug or the other.
Why is there such a cost difference between brand-name drugs and generics?
Years of research and testing are needed to ensure that brand-name drugs are safe and effective. This testing can make the drugs expensive. The drugmaker of a brand-name drug can sell the drug for up to 20 years. After that, other drugmakers can create generic versions. This competition in the market can lead to lower costs for generics. And because generics have the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower generic costs.
If you take venlafaxine long term, you may be able to lower your costs in the following ways:
Look into getting a 90-day supply of your medication. You may be able to get a 90-day supply of venlafaxine if approved by your insurance provider. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower your cost for the drug. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of venlafaxine, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.
Use a mail-order pharmacy to get your medication. Using a mail-order pharmacy might help lower your cost for venlafaxine. Plus, you could get your medication without leaving home. Some Medicare plans may help cover the cost of mail-order drugs. You may also be able to get a 90-day supply of the drug through mail order. If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to suggest online pharmacy options that could work for you.
If you need help covering the cost of venlafaxine or understanding your insurance, check out these resources:
On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services. If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
If you still have questions about the cost of venlafaxine, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to give you a better idea of what you’ll pay for this drug. But if you have health insurance, you’ll need to talk with your insurance provider to learn the actual cost you’d pay for venlafaxine.
Examples of questions you may want to ask your doctor or insurance provider include:
- Do the costs of venlafaxine extended-release capsules and tablets differ?
- Is there a difference in cost between venlafaxine and Effexor XR?
- Will my dosage affect the price I pay for venlafaxine?
To learn more about venlafaxine, see these articles:
- Venlafaxine ER oral capsule
- Side Effects of Venlafaxine Oral Capsule: What You Need to Know
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Disclaimer: Austra Health 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.
Last medically reviewed on March 19, 2023
