How Much Does Chantix Cost?
high drug prices
Although smoking in the United States is on a decline, about 14% of United States adults still smoke. This comes out to more than 34 million American adults, and just about half of that number live with a disease related to the habit.
While new people pick up a cigarette for the first time each day, many adults are doing their best to quit, with the Chantix starter pack being a popular smoking cessation agent.
But if you’ve ever tried to quit smoking yourself, you know it’s harder than it sounds. In 2018, over half of adult cigarette smokers reported attempting to quit in the past year.
The truth is very few people who attempt to quit smoking actually succeed, at least in part because the numbers are stacked against them.
The tobacco industry is currently worth over $50 billion. The smoking cessation industry, on the other hand, is on track to be worth even more by 2026.
All around, it’s an expensive habit. The average pack of cigarettes today costs a smoker between five and ten dollars (depending on brand and geographic location).
Among those who struggle to quit, millions will develop chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These patients may spend thousands of dollars per year on medication.
The good news for smokers trying to quit is that Chantix works for many people. The bad news is that even generic varenicline can cost upwards of $500.00.
NorthWestPharmacy.com is a trusted online Canadian pharmacy and international drugstore dedicated to giving you the tools you need to manage your health without breaking the bank. Let’s talk about how much Chantix costs, why it’s so expensive, and how NorthWestPharmacy.com can help you can save money.
How Much Does Chantix (Varenicline) Cost?
Chantix (varenicline) is a new(er) drug that helps people kick their smoking habits. It’s a bit different from many other types of smoking cessation aids.
First and foremost, Chantix contains no nicotine. Since this is the case, Chantix can be effective without being habit-forming.
Many smokers use Chantix strategically by starting it prior to their planned quit date. While you decide you’re ready to quit and have made that commitment, Chantix helps you stick to it.
This makes the all-important first few days of habit formation simpler, allowing ex-smokers to get to the phase of quitting where they see benefits more easily. After a few days without smoking, smokers begin to regain energy and feel better.
Chantix can be a very helpful part of a smoking cessation strategy. For the best results, it’s recommended to pair Chantix with support, such as counseling and education about the dangers of smoking and the realities of quitting.
The downside to this high level of efficacy is the high cost.
A starter pack of Chantix retails for $518.00 in the United States. (That’s if you can find it in stock!) Purchasing generic varenicline doesn’t even save much money — it retails for about $450.00.
Alternatively, at NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy a starter pack of Chantix for $80.00 — or a 53 pill pack for $135.00. With this lower price, you’ll save about 85%.
If you need larger quantities of Chantix, you can purchase them starting at $167.00.
Why is Chantix So Expensive?
$518.00 is a lot of money to spend on prescription medication. In fact, Chantix is much more expensive than many other smoking cessation drugs.
So what makes Chantix so expensive?
1. Chantix is Largely Effective
First of all, Chantix is very effective for a good portion of the people who take it.
Researchers have overseen many studies seeking to determine just how effective varenicline is at supporting cessation efforts. The results are both impressive and comforting.
In one study, researchers found 47% of smokers who took Chantix as part of their quitting regimen did, in fact, meet their goals.
The control group — those who did not take Chantix — had only a 31% success rate. Long-term (from 21-52 weeks), over 25% of Chantix users did not return to their smoking habits.
By contrast, only 10% of study participants who took the placebo experienced similar results.
Those kinds of numbers often help pharmaceutical companies justify high price tags for prescription medications — and Chantix is no exception.
2. Chantix is One of a Kind
Adding to the high price is the fact that Chantix is one of a kind.
Its unique ability to stop nicotine from attaching to its own receptors means you can continue to smoke while using it. This allows smokers to employ a ramped-down, less intimidating approach to quitting.
Smokers don’t have to quit cold turkey. Instead, they can take Chantix and smoke fewer cigarettes over a designated period of time before giving up altogether.
3. Chantix is Still Relatively New
The final major contributing factor to price is that Chantix is still relatively new.
Chantix was approved in 2006, and while some generic versions are becoming available, direct competition remains low.
Between its novelty, uniqueness, and efficacy, it’s a compelling option. This results in a heightened sticker price for Chantix — a definite barrier for smokers hoping to use this drug to help them reach their goals.
How Does Chantix Work?
To understand how Chantix works, let’s first review the effects of nicotine.
Nicotine is a drug that provides users with a quick kick of excitement and happiness. It works because it changes a smoker’s brain chemistry immediately (starting within a few seconds of the first puff on a cigarette).
Nicotine’s molecular structure closely mimics that of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter, or a messenger that moves signals between brain cells and other parts of our bodies. Acetylcholine is responsible for a large number of bodily functions, from heart rate and breathing to our overall mood and the way we form memories.
As an acetylcholine imitator, nicotine hacks these natural systems to create high amounts of pleasure in the human brain at a moment’s notice. Once smokers experience this immediate, controllable reward system, it’s very difficult to stop.
This is one of the reasons cigarettes are so addictive — they offer an immediate reward.
Chantix Blocks Nicotine Receptors
Chantix targets the nicotine receptors in the brain. Chantix will attach to those receptors and block any subsequent nicotine in a smoker’s system from coming into contact with their brain.
This helps smokers quit without experiencing a powerful, depressive, anxiety-inducing letdown. It also makes smoking itself less appealing, since smokers aren’t getting that instant high.
A smoker on Chantix who picks up a cigarette will find the experience duller and flatter than usual — making the prospect of quitting more accessible.
After taking Chantix for a while, these nicotine receptors will begin to disappear, taking a smoker’s intense craving for nicotine with them. Ultimately, many smokers who take Chantix will find the craving for cigarettes simply goes away.
You can buy Chantix in a starter pack or in a regular prescription. A starter pack of Chantix contains the first doses of the drug, meant to be taken over the week or month before your set quit date. A Chantix continuing pack is meant to be used as a treatment during the first few months of quitting.
Chantix isn’t for everyone. It can cause worrisome side effects, including abnormal (oftentimes vivid) dreams, a changed ability to taste food and drink, dry mouth, headaches, and more.
In some severe cases, Chantix can cause a burning feeling in a user’s feet, as well as unusual pain in their legs. These side effects have caused some doctors to hesitate to prescribe it for their patients.
Can Chantix Be Prescribed for Teens?
The habit of smoking can start very early. In fact, 90% of adult smokers report having tried their first cigarette before age 18. The vape pens and e-cigarettes that took off in the 2010s did not help matters (they still contain highly addictive nicotine).
The hope is that Chantix would also help teens quit smoking before they do too much damage to their lungs. ?Unfortunately, the benefits of Chantix for adults don’t necessarily extend to younger smokers.
Technically speaking, Chantix can be prescribed for teenagers, but it isn’t recommended at this time for anyone aged 16 or under. Thus far, its efficacy in a younger population has not yet been demonstrated.
Furthermore, the side effects associated with Chantix are serious enough that doctors would prefer teens who wish to quit smoking find another support system.
Many believe, particularly with the prevalence of e-cigarettes among the underage set, that the smoking cessation industry can seize the opportunity to create targeted resources. For example, the industry could create materials specifically made to reach teenagers where they are and speak to them specifically.
In the meantime, speak with your doctor to see whether they have any recommendations for the teenage smokers in your life.
How is Chantix Different From Other Smoking Cessation Drugs?
Chantix isn’t the only smoking cessation drug out there. NorthWestPharmacy.com sells other popular smoking cessation drugs for those who wish to quit smoking.
Nicotrol Inhaler
Nicotrol Inhaler (nicotine inhalation system) is one way for smokers to take a step towards a more healthy lifestyle. Using a nicotine inhaler can reduce a person’s instinct to reach for another cigarette.
It serves as a disruption in the hand-to-mouth smoking routine, empowering a user to consider reducing their tendency to reach for a cigarette at other recurring parts of their days. People using the Nicotrol Inhaler experience dwindling cravings for cigarettes and increased quality of life over time.
However, Nicotrol does contain a low amount of nicotine, whereas Chantix doesn’t. Instead, it mimics the effects of nicotine to help people ween themselves off of smoking.
Zyban (Bupropion Sustained-Release)
Zyban (bupropion sustained-release) features an active ingredient that was first developed (and sold as Wellbutrin) for the treatment of depression. It was subsequently found to be helpful as a smoking cessation agent.
Zyban is a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Dopamine and norepinephrine are key neurotransmitters that influence how happy or sad we feel. Zyban helps increase the amount of these transmitters in your brain, making you happier and reducing your nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
While Zyban does make it easier to quit smoking, it can also trigger some adverse side effects. These include dry mouth, insomnia, and dizziness.
Over-the-Counter Products
Finally, you may already be familiar with over-the-counter (OTC) products that help support smoking cessation. These non-prescription medications and materials include products like Nicorette gum and nicotine patches.
These OTC options work by giving a smoker a small hit of nicotine while reducing the overall chemical buildup of nicotine in their system. This helps disrupt the behavioral aspects of smoking (the familiarity and routine of lighting a cigarette with morning coffee, etc) while also chipping away at a person’s physiological cravings.
While these options can certainly help someone who’s struggling with nicotine addiction, they aren’t necessarily effective at actually helping them quit smoking.
In addition, the costs for these products tend to add up. A pack of 30 pieces of Nicorette gum can cost over $20.00 — and how long will that last?
If you or a loved one is getting ready to quit smoking, it’s important to have effective tools ready to help you through it.
Of the systems currently on the market, Chantix is the one best poised to help you quit smoking.
Save On Chantix Through an Online Canadian Pharmacy
It doesn’t matter how people try to justify it: smoking is incredibly dangerous. It’s the leading cause of preventable death, illness, and impoverishment.
Smoking kills half of the people who actively smoke as well as many non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. It’s an expensive habit capable of producing horrifying results.
Even though Chantix is expensive, Chantix will always be less costly than smoking.
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we provide Chantix at a much more affordable price — making smoking cessation a more viable option for many.
If you’ve never purchased from online Canadian pharmacies, you may feel a bit skeptical. You can rest assured that we maintain high-quality standards and follow strict safety protocols, such as those set by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) and the International Pharmacy Association of British Columbia (IPABC).
Additionally, we understand that skeptical people may have more questions, and we’re happy to answer them.
Our friendly customer service agents will be available at our seven-day-a-week call center to answer questions, help you order over the phone, or connect you with a pharmacist to help address any concerns you may have. Our dedication to stellar customer care has resulted in an overall 4.8/5 star rating, as well as more than 400,000 independent reviews from verified customers.
Interested in placing an order for Chantix today? Give us a call at 1-866-539-5339 or contact us online for more information. We’re excited to help you invest in your health!
