Why is Qulipta So Expensive? Save on Qulipta for Migraines
speciality medications
Ever suffered a debilitating migraine? If you have a migraine disorder, you know that just gritting your teeth and dealing with it isn’t an option. Often, migraines come with symptoms far beyond severe headaches. Sometimes, people struggling with serious migraines need to manage visual disturbances, sensitivity to light and sound, vertigo, and vomiting.
These symptoms can put a wrench in any day’s plans.
With Qulipta or other powerful migraine medications, people who suffer migraines regularly no longer have to handle recurring pain, suffering, and disruptions to their day.
Unfortunately, that benefit doesn’t come cheap.Why does Qulipta come with such a hefty price tag? Here, we’ll talk about the reasons why (and explore strategies to help you get the high-quality migraine medication you deserve).
Qulipta Cost: Why is Qulipta So Expensive?
In the United States, 30 tablets of brand-name Qulipta can retail for as much as $1,200.00.
You read that right! Doing the math doesn’t make it sound better: Just one tablet of Qulipta costs around $40.00. For a medication that you need to take once daily, that adds up quite a bit. At that price, your Qulipta alone will need to be a line item in your budget to the tune of well over $12,000.00 yearly.
To put it mildly, that’s a lot. While relief from severe migraines might seem worth it, we think there’s a better way
We’ll get to your Canada drugs solution to high medication costs in a moment; but, for now—why is Qulipta so expensive?
Factors Contributing to High Retail Qulipta Costs
There are a few reasons this in-demand medication is so expensive.
- R&D, or research and development. Making a medication like Qulipta is expensive in itself. When AbbVie, Qulipta's manufacturer, decided to make this competitive migraine drug, the company needed to navigate a labyrinth of manufacturing stages—including years of research, several phases of clinical trials, and rigorous government approval processes.
- Manufacturing and logistics. Once a medication has been developed, it still needs to get made at scale. This requires a lot of precise equipment, high-quality raw materials, and production facilities. Then, AbbVie also needs to cover the resources required to ship medication across the country to various pharmacies
- Ongoing regulatory costs. Once a drug initially achieves government approval does not mark the end of the road for regulatory compliance. For AbbVie and Qulipta to maintain adherence to strict government regulations, AbbVie needs to budget for additional ongoing costs
All in all, pharmaceutical logistics are not cheap.
But, of course, the above factors are only part of the picture.
However, in America, there are very few regulations about drug pricing. Manufacturers can often petition to extend that no-competition time period for many years after initially releasing a drug, delaying the production of generic equivalents and keeping drug costs very high for consumers. In addition, the United States government doesn’t put a price cap on drug pricing, which means that (especially if a manufacturer doesn’t have any competition) drug prices can skyrocket very, very quickly.
Which leaves you with a problem:
If $40.00-per-day Qulipta isn’t in your budget, what options do you have to access safe and affordable migraine care?
How Much Does Qulipta Cost at an Online Canadian Pharmacy?
Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy 30 tablets of brand-name Qulipta for about $680.00, or approximately $22.00 per tablet (savings of up to 45%!).
How can Canadian pharmacies offer steep savings? There are a few factors at play.
For one, in Canada, there are regulatory bodies that keep tabs on how much pharmaceutical manufacturers can profit from their products. For another, Canadian online pharmacies can source their medications globally, which fuels reliable access to necessary medications.
As long as you’re buying your medications from reputable, accredited pharmacy websites (where there are safeguards in place to ensure you’re buying authentic medication), you stand to save a lot of money by buying your Qulipta across the border or internationally.
What About Generic Qulipta?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like opting for generic Qulipta is going to be a feasible cost-saving measure anytime soon.
Because of the newness of the drug, Qulipta is not expected to be available for generic manufacturers to work with until 2035. This means that if you’re interested in accessing Qulipta for less than $12,000.00 per year, you’re going to need to find another way to make that happen.
Can I Rely on Insurance to Reduce My Qulipta Cost?
Short answer: Maybe, but it may not be a good idea to make that your sole strategy.
For many people who are insured and have good insurance coverage, this may seem like a no-brainer. Perhaps you are covered, and your insurer has picked up the cost of an expensive drug before (or picked up most of the cost for you).
If so, excellent.
That’s not everyone’s experience.
There are many, many United States citizens who cannot afford health insurance, do not have high-quality coverage options through their employer, or are unemployed and unsure how to navigate the complexities of marketplace insurance. For these people, their only option is paying top dollar for Qulipta (unless they’re able to get it for less through an online Canadian pharmacy).
Even if you do currently have good insurance coverage, it’s a very strategic idea to find another way to afford your medication regardless. If your coverage is tied to your employer, it’s a fact of life that that could go away at any time. For the most part, even extremely stable jobs aren’t permanent or guaranteed.
Further, let’s say you don’t experience any lapses in insurance coverage: Your insurer could still make life difficult for you by updating its formulary. Every insurer has a list of covered medications (a formulary), but that list is not set in stone. Far from it: Periodically, insurance companies change up what’s on this list, or move medications to lower or higher tiers of coverage. Unfortunately, if a medication is particularly popular and expensive, this can increase the chances that an insurer interested in increasing profits will reduce its associated coverage.
This doesn’t paint a particularly rosy picture of insurance coverage and Qulipta. Again, if you have excellent insurance, great—take advantage of it! It just may make sense to have additional cost-lowering strategies up your sleeve.
Are There Other Ways to Save on Brand-Name Qulipta?
In some cases, you may be able to take advantage of other ways to save of bran name Qulipta. These include:
Manufacturer programs. AbbVie does have a Qulipta patient assistance program to help connect people who need this medication with the resources they need to thrive. Qualifying for this program can be difficult, though, and it’s likely not a good idea to rely on these types of programs for permanent access to a chronic, necessary medication. Talk to your doctor to see if you’re eligible for this type of support.
Qulipta coupons. Qulipta coupons represent specific offers that can help reduce the out-of-pocket Qulipta costs for some patients. Generally, these are one-off offers from the manufacturer, from physician’s offices, or from pharmacies that may not cover more than one or two prescription refills.
Of course, this can make a big difference in the short term, so, if your doctor provides Qulipta coupons or you find them through a promotion online, use them (if you can do so safely). However, it’s a good idea to find an alternative way to save more consistently on Qulipta costs over time.
Performing price comparisons. Different pharmacies can price drugs differently, so seeing how much Qulipta retails for at your neighborhood pharmacy vs. the pharmacy in the big-box store 20 minutes away could make a big difference. Of course, this does take time and transportation resources to manage, which brings us to a key reason that buying discount prescription meds online can help you save big. By purchasing your meds through an online pharmacy or Canadian drugstore that provides clear, immediately-accessible pricing information, you can compare prices easily and find the best deal for you in minutes (no getting in your car required).
But that isn’t the only benefit of buying your medication through an online pharmacy.
Saving Time, Money, and Stress By Buying Qulipta Online
While buying Canadian medication online can seem like a daunting and intimidating process, it’s actually far easier than even buying medication through the pharmacy around the corner from your home.
Here are just a few reasons why that’s the case:
Online pharmacies can offer competitive pricing. Since many Canadian online pharmacies and international pharmacy websites don’t have to pay for as much overhead as a brick and mortar store (e.g., rent for a retail space), they save on operational costs. The best online pharmacy websites pass those savings onto you!
Online pharmacies deliver medications directly to your front door. Whether you live in a remote area, have mobility issues, a very busy schedule, or literally any other condition or preference that results in you not wanting to complete more errands than necessary—now, you don’t have to. The best online pharmacy websites offer reliable, swift shipping straight to you.
Online pharmacies don’t close at five o’clock. Or seven, or nine—or at all! If you’re a migraine sufferer, you know that migraines don’t always strike at convenient times. You might remember that you need to buy or re-order your medication late at night or early in the morning.
By working with an online pharmacy, you can take care of that task immediately, without waiting for working hours to begin.
Online pharmacies come with a range of other helpful perks. These can include options for auto-filling your prescriptions when it’s time, saving your information for future orders, transparent pricing information for easy research on cost savings, and easy-read articles for information about your medications linked directly on product pages so you can become a more informed consumer in minutes (from the comfort of your own living room).
The best online pharmacies come with great customer service! If you don’t want to miss out on the personal service of an in-person pharmacist, you don’t have to. Here, at NorthWestPharmacy.com, we have a trained, friendly and responsive team of customer service representatives ready to answer any questions you may have (and even help you order over the phone). Further, if you’d like to speak with a pharmacist, you can do that, too!
One pro tip to consider: When you’re vetting online pharmacy websites, make sure you choose one that’s accredited by a trusted third-party organization, like CIPA (the Canadian International Pharmacy Association). CIPA has extremely high standards for the pharmacies it approves in terms of internet safety and medication authenticity. Selecting an online pharmacy from CIPA's list of safe pharmacies is a great way to find a place you can trust. We wouldn’t buy drugs from Canada or internationally from any online pharmacy that fails to display the CIPA accreditation seal. Always be sure to click the seal to ensure the URL lands on the cipa.com website and is authentic because this accreditation is highly sought after, recognized and therefore counterfeited by rogue online pharmacies.
Get Reliably Low Costs on Migraine Meds—Without a Qulipta Coupon
In need of Qulipta for reliably low prices?
You’re in the right place. Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy Qulipta and other brand-name medications through safe Canadian pharmacies (and save up to 45% in the process). Just navigate our easy-to-browse website, read about the medications you need, click “add to cart,” upload your prescription, check out safely, and voila—the medications you need will be shipped directly to your front door.
To learn more about what it’s like to partner with NorthWestPharmacy.com (and more about what we can offer you!), talk with our team of customer service representatives and pharmacists, or read our customer service reviews. We’ll be happy to help you place an order online or over the phone.
The team at NorthWestPharmacy.com looks forward to helping you support your healthcare journey!
