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Key takeaways
Without insurance, aripiprazole (generic Abilify) costs about $639 for 30, 5 mg tablets.
When used at a participating pharmacy, a SingleCare prescription discount card can decrease the cost of aripiprazole to about $7 for 30, 5 mg tablets. Prices vary by location.
Other ways to save on aripiprazole without insurance include asking your healthcare provider to prescribe a 90-day supply and comparing prices at different pharmacies.
Aripiprazole (generic Abilify) is an antipsychotic medication used to treat mental health conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Tourette syndrome. Aripiprazole may also be used to treat autism-associated irritability in children and can be used along with other medicine to treat depression in adults. Without insurance, aripiprazole costs an average of $639 for 30, 5 mg tablets. Significant savings are available with a SingleCare prescription discount card.
Is there a generic for aripiprazole?
Aripiprazole is the generic version of Abilify, which was developed by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company and Bristol Myers Squibb and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002. Abilify and aripiprazole tablets look different, but they’re fundamentally the same drug made by different manufacturers. Like most generic medications, aripiprazole generally costs less than brand-name Abilify.
There’s currently no generic version of Abilify Maintena, an injectable form of aripiprazole, or Abilify MyCite, which combines an ingestible sensor with a wearable Bluetooth receiver to track medication compliance.
Is aripiprazole covered by insurance?
Aripiprazole is typically covered by insurance and Medicare Part D, but coverage varies by plan. Sometimes, prior authorization is required.
Confirm aripiprazole insurance coverage by viewing the plan’s formulary. Many insurance companies provide a copy of this document online, but customer service can also mail a printed version upon request.
How much is aripiprazole with insurance?
The cost of aripiprazole with insurance varies from plan to plan. Beneficiaries may be responsible for a fixed copay or a percentage of the total cost. Some health insurance plans may also require a deductible to be met before the company will begin paying for prescriptions.
Payment responsibilities can be found on the beneficiary’s health insurance card or by contacting their insurance company’s customer service.
How much does aripiprazole cost without insurance?
Without insurance, aripiprazole costs an average of $639 per 30, 5 mg tablets. This translates to $21.30 per 5 mg tablet and $7,775 per year. Location, pharmacy, dose, and quantity may affect the total price of aripiprazole without insurance.
Aripiprazole may be affordable with insurance, but if you’re paying out of pocket, you may want to talk to your healthcare provider about other options that may be more affordable. For example, bupropion (generic Wellbutrin) is a cheaper possible aripiprazole alternative for depression (although it is an antidepressant, not an antipsychotic like aripiprazole). And haloperidol (generic Haldol) is a cheaper alternative for Tourette syndrome—although as an older antipsychotic, haloperidol is not prescribed as often due to its side effects. A healthcare professional can help you decide if aripiprazole should be part of your treatment plan.
| Drug name | Price without insurance of brand-name drug | SingleCare price | Savings options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilify | $907 per 30, 5 mg tablets | $7 per 30, 5 mg tablets of generic aripiprazole | See latest prices |
| Risperdal (risperidone) | $372 per 30, 1 mg tablets | $4 per 30, 1 mg tablets of generic risperidone | See latest prices |
| Rexulti (brexpiprazole) | $1,995 per 30, 1 mg tablets | $1,416 per 30, 1 mg tablets of brand-name Rexulti | See latest prices |
| Seroquel (quetiapine) | $252 per 30, 100 mg tablets | $7 per 30, 100 mg tablets of generic quetiapine | See latest prices |
| Latuda (lurasidone) | $1,863 per 30, 40 mg tablets | $23 per 30, 40 mg tablets of generic lurasidone | See latest prices |
| Vraylar (cariprazine) | $2,036 per 30, 1.5 mg capsules | $1,358 per 30, 1.5 mg capsules of brand-name Vraylar | See latest prices |
| Zyprexa (olanzapine) | $309 per 30, 5 mg tablets | $12 per 30, 5 mg tablets of generic olanzapine | 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 aripiprazole without insurance
Most people can’t afford to pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket for prescriptions each month, but going without their medication isn’t a realistic or safe option either. A manufacturer’s coupon reduces the cost of brand-name Abilify to just $5, but it only works alongside a commercial health insurance plan. Fortunately, there are several legitimate ways to drastically reduce the cost of generic aripiprazole without health insurance:
1. Use a SingleCare prescription discount card.
Purchasing aripiprazole with a SingleCare prescription discount card at a participating pharmacy could generate over $900 in savings for 30, 5 mg tablets. Discounts vary by location and pharmacy. An additional one-time bonus discount is available to those who sign up for a free SingleCare account.
2. Compare pharmacy prices.
Pharmacies set their own prices for medications, so it’s wise to shop around for the best deals. You can call pharmacies near you to ask how much aripiprazole costs without insurance, but an easier way (if you plan to use a SingleCare prescription discount card) is to enter your ZIP code on the aripiprazole coupon page to view prices from participating local pharmacies.
3. Find out if a 90-day supply is cheaper.
Compare costs from a few pharmacies to find out whether a 90-day supply of aripiprazole is more affordable than a 30-day supply. Sometimes the higher quantity ends up costing 30%–50% less.
For example, 30, 5 mg tablets of aripiprazole cost $6.60 with the SingleCare prescription discount card at a pharmacy in the 53209 ZIP code, which comes to $0.22 per tablet. On the other hand, getting 90, 5 mg tablets of aripiprazole from the same pharmacy costs $12 with a SingleCare coupon, which amounts to a little over $0.13 per tablet. That’s a total savings of $0.09 per tablet, which adds up over time.
Keep in mind, however, that pharmacists can only dispense a 90-day supply if it’s specified on the prescription, so be sure to contact your healthcare provider about changing the quantity before the next refill.
4. Switch from a brand-name to a generic prescription.
In most cases, generic prescriptions cost less than the brand-name version but contain the same active ingredient. If you are currently taking brand-name Abilify, ask your healthcare provider about switching to generic aripiprazole. Generic medications are FDA approved and work the same as their brand-name equivalents.
5. See if you qualify for patient assistance programs.
State-run patient assistance programs and nonprofits like the HealthWell Foundation may help pay for an Abilify or aripiprazole prescription.
6. Split higher-dose tablets if they’re available for a similar price.
“For medications where higher doses are similarly priced [to lower doses], pill splitting under medical guidance can save costs,” says Zishan Khan, MD, a triple board-certified psychiatrist. For example, instead of getting a 30-day supply (a quantity of 30) of 5 mg aripiprazole tablets, a patient might get a prescription for a quantity of 15, 10 mg tablets that they must cut in half. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out if this is a feasible option. “[Prescribers] must be able to trust [patients] can handle this properly, however,” Dr. Khan warns.
7. File a formulary exception request with your health insurance provider.
If your health insurance plan doesn’t cover aripiprazole, ask your healthcare provider to file a formulary exception request. This allows your healthcare provider to explain why the drug is medically necessary for you and why you can’t use alternative medications. Health insurance companies review these requests on a case-by-case basis and may decide to grant coverage to specific individuals.
8. Talk to your healthcare provider about alternative medications.
Aripiprazole isn’t the only antipsychotic available for people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or Tourette syndrome. Dr. Kahn says risperidone (generic Risperdal), olanzapine (generic Zyprexa), and quetiapine (generic Seroquel) are more affordable aripiprazole alternatives, but they may cause different side effects. Individuals may find some side effects more tolerable than others, so switching to an alternative may require some trial and error.
“Aripiprazole is activating with a lower risk of sedation and weight gain, but it may cause an intensely restless sensation,” Dr. Khan says. “Risperidone and olanzapine, on the other hand, have a higher risk of weight gain, sedation, and metabolic issues.”
A healthcare professional can recommend an affordable alternative to aripiprazole based on your health history.
- Aripiprazole, MedlinePlus (2023)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves ABILIFY® (aripiprazole) for the acute treatment of manic and mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in pediatric patients (10 to 17 years of age), Bristol Myers Squibb (2008)
- Generic drug facts, Food and Drug Administration (2021)