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Key takeaways
Bupropion HCl ER XL, a generic version of Wellbutrin XL, costs approximately $128 for a 30-day supply without insurance.
Many insurance plans, including Medicare Part D and Medicaid, often cover bupropion XL, placing it in their lowest copay tier.
SingleCare prescription discount cards can significantly reduce the cost of bupropion HCl ER XL to as low as $5 for a 30-day supply.
Alternatives to bupropion, such as SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, and other lower-cost antidepressants, may be considered to save money.
Bupropion is a widely-prescribed generic prescription antidepressant used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). It’s also FDA approved to prevent seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depressive disorder. Bupropion is also prescribed off-label as a weight loss pill or to treat ADHD symptoms. Bupropion comes in three formats: immediate-release, sustained-release, and extended-release. Extended-release bupropion is called bupropion HCl ER XL and it’s FDA approved only to treat depression (treatment of major depressive disorder or prevention of seasonal affective disorder). Healthcare professionals sometimes call it bupropion ER (24 hour) to distinguish it from the sustained-release format, bupropion HCl ER SR or bupropion ER (12 hour). The name says it all: one dose of bupropion XL lasts for 24 hours, so oral tablets only need to be taken once per day. As might be expected, bupropion XL costs slightly more than the 12-hour formulation, but not by much. A few strategies can help reduce the cost of treatment significantly.
What is the brand name for bupropion HCl ER XL?
Bupropion is the active ingredient in Wellbutrin. The brand is still sold in the USA but only in the 12-hour and 24-hour formulations: Wellbutrin SR and Wellbutrin XL. Both brand-name products are significantly more expensive than generic bupropion ER SR and bupropion ER XL. Don’t be alarmed if a healthcare professional prescribes Wellbutrin XL instead of bupropion XL. Most people still call generic bupropion by the brand name. The pharmacist will substitute generic Wellbutrin XL.
Forfivo XL is another brand-name version of bupropion ER XL. It, too, is several times the price of generic bupropion XL. It is used to treat major depressive disorder. It is not FDA approved to prevent seasonal affective disorder.
Is bupropion HCl ER XL covered by insurance?
Many insurance plans, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid cover bupropion XL including Cigna, United Healthcare, and Aetna. Most insurance plans put bupropion ER XL in their lowest copay tier. Of course, other factors will determine the final out-of-pocket cost including deductibles and any coverage gaps.
How much does bupropion HCl ER XL cost without insurance?
The retail price of 30 bupropion XL 150 mg tablets averages about $128, or $4 per tablet. 30 tablets are enough bupropion XL to last 30 days, so a year of bupropion treatment costs about $1,500 if health insurance coverage is lacking.
Uninsured patients might consider talking to their doctor about switching to a different formulation to save money. A 30-day supply of 60 bupropion SR 150 mg tablets costs about $100, $20 less than the bupropion XL 300 mg price which works out to the same daily dose.
If the bupropion cost is discouraging, several effective antidepressants are substantially cheaper than bupropion. Ask the prescribing healthcare provider about taking a lower-cost selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) such as generic Prozac (fluoxetine), generic Lexapro (escitalopram), generic Zoloft (sertraline), or generic Celexa (citalopram), or a generic serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) such as generic Cymbalta (duloxetine). All are approximately half the price of generic Wellbutrin XL. Tricyclic antidepressants are another, lower-cost option for treating depression.
Over-the-counter herbal supplements and natural remedies can improve people’s moods, but they are not considered effective substitutes for prescription medications in treating clinical depression. Talk to your healthcare provider before taking any type of supplement.
The cheapest option would be to use a free coupon from SingleCare. The best price for bupropion HCl XL with a SingleCare coupon is $5 for 30, 150 mg tablets.
Compare Wellbutrin XL (bupropion HCl ER XL) prices to related drugs |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Drug name | Price without insurance of brand-name drug | SingleCare price | Savings options |
| Bupropion HCl ER XL (generic) | $128 per 30, 150 mg tablets | $5 per 30, 150 mg tablets of generic bupropion HCl ER XL | See latest prices |
| Wellbutrin XL
(bupropion HCl ER XL) |
$128 per 30, 300 mg tablets | $5 per 30, 300 mg tablets of brand-name Wellbutrin XL | See latest prices |
| Bupropion SR (generic Wellbutrin SR) | $543 per 60, 150 mg tablets | $4 per 60, 150 mg tablets of generic bupropion SR | See latest prices |
| Viibryd | $408 per 30, 40 mg tablets | $50 per 30, 40 mg tablets of brand-name Viibryd | See latest prices |
| Trintellix | $605 per 30, 20 mg tablets | $412 per 30, 20 mg tablets of brand-name Trintellix | See latest prices |
| Escitalopram
(generic Lexapro) |
$15 per 30, 10 mg tablets | $4 per 30, 10 mg tablets of generic escitalopram | See latest prices |
| Venlafaxine XR
(generic Effexor XR) |
$145 per 30, 150 mg capsules | $7 per 30, 150 mg capsules of generic venlafaxine XR | See latest prices |
Prescription drug prices often change. These are the most accurate medication prices at the time of publishing. The listed price without insurance references the price of brand-name drugs (unless otherwise specified). The listed SingleCare price references the price of generic drugs if available. Click the link under “Savings options” to see the latest drug prices.
How to get bupropion HCl ER XL without insurance
With an annual cost of $1,500, paying for bupropion month after month may be challenging for some people without insurance. Patient assistance programs are usually not an option for generic drugs, but there are numerous other ways to save money. The most immediate option to use is a SingleCare prescription discount card.
1. Bring a SingleCare savings card to a participating pharmacy
A 30-day supply of bupropion XL oral tablets costs about $128 at the full cash price, but a free coupon from SingleCare can reduce that price to as low as $5. Discount prices vary by participating pharmacy, so browse the available discounts at local pharmacies on SingleCare’s bupropion HCl ER XL coupons page. When checking the price on the SingleCare website, be sure to select the dosage and quantity prescribed from the drop-down menu. Read the FAQs section on this page for additional savings and drug information.
2. Buy bupropion at the lowest price
Pharmacies charge widely varying prices for the same prescription drugs. Simply finding the lowest bupropion price in your area could save hundreds of dollars a year on a bupropion ER XL prescription. People can save 80% or more on prescription medicines at SingleCare participating pharmacies.
3. Ask the prescribing healthcare provider about bupropion ER SR
Switching to sustained-release bupropion could save $20 a month or more. The downside is having to remember two doses each day rather than one dose in the morning.
4. Ask the prescribing healthcare provider about other antidepressants
Ask the prescriber about other depression treatment options including SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, and atypical antidepressants. Many of these types of drugs have generic versions that are lower priced than bupropion. They are all effective at treating depression but will have different side effects and drug interactions. Consider this, though: sometimes, people on other antidepressants switch to bupropion because of sexual dysfunction, weight gain, or other common side effects of other antidepressants. There are a lot of factors to consider, so talk with your prescriber about which medication is best for you.