Alcaine

Introduction

Written by Kirstyn Hill, PharmD, MPH
Medically reviewed by Amber R. Watson, PharmD
Updated on March 1, 2024

Proparacaine (proe PAR a kane) is a generic medication that’s prescribed to numb the eye. It’s administered by a healthcare professional. The brand-name version of this drug is Alcaine. The cost of proparacaine with or without insurance can depend on several factors.

Read on to learn about proparacaine and its cost. If you’d like more information about proparacaine, including its uses, talk with your doctor.

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Cost of proparacaine

Like other medications, the cost of proparacaine can vary. Certain factors may affect its price, such as:

• your insurance plan, if you have coverage
• whether proparacaine is covered under your medical insurance or your prescription benefit
• the cost to visit a healthcare professional to receive doses of proparacaine

To find out how much proparacaine costs, ask your doctor or insurance provider. They may be able to suggest ways to save money on your prescription, including those described in this article.

Coupons for proparacaine

Prescription drug coupons can help you save money by lowering the cost of proparacaine. The Optum Perks coupons above can provide significant savings on your prescription costs.

However, coupons may not be available for medications, such as proparacaine, given only by a healthcare professional.

Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.

Available app for coupons

To make finding and using these coupons easier, you can download the Optum Perks app. To learn more about this prescription discount app, see this article.

Insurance and other considerations for proparacaine

Here’s a list of things to consider about the cost of prescription drugs:

• Prior authorization: If you have prescription drug insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers the cost of proparacaine. In this case, your doctor will communicate with your insurance company regarding your prescription for proparacaine. The insurance company will decide whether to cover the medication. If a drug requires prior authorization and you begin using it without this, you may have to pay the full price of the drug.
• Insurance coverage: Even if your policy has prescription drug coverage, the price of proparacaine may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because a doctor or another healthcare professional gives doses of proparacaine. The cost of your doses will depend on your specific insurance plan and whether you receive the doses at your doctor’s clinic or a hospital. If you have questions about this process, contact your doctor or your insurance provider.
• Savings accounts: If you’re eligible for a health savings account (HSA) or a flexible spending account (FSA), you can likely use funds to pay for copays when you visit your healthcare professional, who will administer doses of proparacaine. The funds can also be used to pay for your prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications. HSA and FSA plans help people save money by using pretax dollars to pay for eligible healthcare expenses, such as prescription and OTC drugs. Talk with your insurance provider or employer to learn whether you’re eligible for these savings accounts and how to use them.

If you have questions about any of these considerations, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Or contact your insurance company and talk with a representative.

If you don’t have a health insurance plan, let your doctor or pharmacist know. You can also ask them about ways to obtain health insurance coverage.

Generics vs. brand names

Proparacaine is a generic medication. The brand-name version of this drug is Alcaine.

A generic medication is an identical copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication. (An active ingredient is what makes a medication work.) Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs. And they’re thought to be as safe and effective as the brand-name version.

If your doctor has prescribed proparacaine but you’re interested in taking Alcaine, let them know. They may prefer one medication over the other. Also, check whether your insurance plan covers only one version of the drug.

To learn how the cost of proparacaine compares with its brand-name version, talk with your doctor. You could also contact your insurance company. 

Common questions about proparacaine and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about proparacaine. 

Is proparacaine covered by Medicare?

In general, your Medicare prescription drug plan may not cover proparacaine. This is because proparacaine is given by a healthcare professional before eye procedures. A different part of Medicare may cover proparacaine instead. If proparacaine is not on your Medicare plan’s list, a different medication may be available.

If your Medicare plan does cover proparacaine, the cost may differ based on your specific plan and whether you have paid your deductible for the year.

If you’d like to know more about whether proparacaine is covered by Medicare, talk with your insurance provider or doctor.

Why are costs different for brand-name drugs vs. generic drugs?

Brand-name drugs can be expensive because of the studies needed to test how safe and effective they are.

Makers of a brand-name drug can patent and sell their drug for up to 20 years. When the patent for a brand-name drug expires, other drugmakers can make and sell generic versions. A generic medication is an identical copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication. (An active ingredient is what makes a medication work.)

This competition may help keep the costs of generic medications lower. Also, generic medications contain the same active ingredients as brand-name medications. So they don’t require the same testing, which can be costly.

If you’d like to know more about the cost differences between brand-name and generic drugs, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

What to ask about proparacaine

This article provides cost information related to proparacaine. It also offers suggestions for ways to save money on your prescription.

Above on this page, you’ll find coupons for proparacaine. However, coupons may not be available for medications, such as proparacaine, that are given only by a healthcare professional.

If you have more questions about paying for this medication, ask your doctor. You can also contact your insurance company.

Here’s a list of questions you may want to ask regarding the cost of your medication:

• Is proparacaine covered by my insurance?
• Are there other lower cost medications available to me?
• What are my options if I can’t afford proparacaine?

• Alcaine (proparacaine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution, USP) 0.5%. (2023). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/0c0fa0bf-977d-4539-b8dc-54c187c5b094/spl-doc
• Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Orange Book: Approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/index.cfm
• Proparacaine hydrochloride solution/drops. (2024). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/55ed1359-d95c-4c2b-ad5a-cc8e023c4331/spl-doc

Disclaimer: Optum Perks 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.