Vraylar and Cost: What You Need to Know

Vraylar (cariprazine) is a prescription drug that’s used to treat certain mental health conditions, such as depression. Vraylar’s cost may depend on factors such as your dosage, whether you have health insurance, and the pharmacy you use.

Vraylar is used in adults to treat:

• major depressive disorder (depression), when taken together with an antidepressant
• schizophrenia
• manic or mixed episodes related to bipolar I disorder
• bipolar depression related to bipolar I disorder

For more details on Vraylar, see this in-depth article.

The price you pay for Vraylar can vary. Your cost may depend on your treatment plan, your insurance coverage (if you have it), and the pharmacy you use.

To find out how much you’ll pay for Vraylar, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about Vraylar and cost.

Despite the arguments of political opponents to the contrary, premium increases had been going on for decades before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. In fact, the average rate of yearly premium increases decreased after the law was passed in 2010, according to Forbes.

How much does Vraylar cost with insurance and without insurance?

Vraylar’s price with insurance and without insurance will vary from person to person. It can depend on several factors, including the pharmacy you use and your treatment plan. (Your treatment plan includes your dosage amount and the quantity you’re prescribed, such as a 30-day or 90-day supply.)

If you need help with the cost of this drug, the Vraylar Savings Program may be available to provide a copay assistance card. (Copay assistance cards are sometimes referred to as coupon cards.) And the AbbVie Patient Assistance Program offers free medication to those who qualify. But note that there are limitations to these types of programs. For example, they don’t apply to those with government insurance, such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Tricare.

To learn more about the price you may pay for Vraylar, talk with your pharmacist, insurance provider, or doctor.

Do the lower-strength Vraylar capsules (1.5 mg and 3 mg) cost less than the higher strengths (4.5 mg, 6 mg)?

It’s possible. But usually lower-strength Vraylar capsules, such as 1.5 milligrams (mg), cost about the same as the higher-strength capsules.

If you’d like to find out more about the price you’ll pay for a Vraylar prescription, talk with your insurance provider, pharmacist, or doctor.

If you need help covering the cost of Vraylar or understanding your insurance, check out these websites:

On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services.

A program called the Vraylar Savings Program may also be available to provide a copay assistance card for Vraylar. And the AbbVie Patient Assistance Program offers free medication to people who qualify.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Vraylar only comes as a brand-name drug. It’s not currently available in a generic version. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication, but generics tend to cost less.

Why is there such a difference in the cost of brand-name drugs vs. generic drugs?

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 Vraylar 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 Vraylar if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of Vraylar. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of this drug, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider (if you have one).
• Use a mail-order pharmacy to get your medication. Using a mail-order pharmacy might help lower your cost for Vraylar. 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 still have questions about the cost of Vraylar, 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.

Examples of questions you may want to ask your doctor or insurance provider include:

• Will my dosage of Vraylar affect the price I’ll pay?
• If I don’t have insurance or my insurance does not cover Vraylar, what other treatments are available for my condition?
• If I can’t afford Vraylar, what are my options?

To learn more about Vraylar, see these articles:

• All About Vraylar
• Dosage for Vraylar: What You Need to Know
• Side Effects of Vraylar: What You Need to Know

To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Austra Health’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.

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 April 5, 2023