Caverject, Caverject Impulse

Introduction

Written by Dena Westphalen, PharmD
Medically reviewed by Melissa Badowski, PharmD, MPH, FCCP
Updated on February 9, 2024

Caverject is a brand-name medication that’s prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). It’s also used with certain tests to diagnose ED. The drug is available as the generic medication alprostadil. The cost of Caverject with or without insurance can depend on several factors. It might be lowered by using a coupon.

Read on to learn about Caverject and cost. You’ll also find available coupons and suggestions for ways to save on your prescription. If you’d like more information about Caverject, including its uses, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. 

Cost of Caverject

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

• your insurance plan, if you have coverage
• the pharmacy you use
• the cost to visit a healthcare professional to receive doses of Caverject
• the cost to purchase needles and syringes to use with Caverject  

To find out how much Caverject costs, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider. They may be able to suggest ways to save money on your prescription, including those described in this article. To find out what you’d pay using savings coupons, read the “Coupons for Caverject” section.

Coupons for Caverject

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

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 Caverject

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 Caverject. In this case, your doctor will communicate with your insurance company regarding your prescription for Caverject. 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 Caverject may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because a doctor or another healthcare professional may give doses of Caverject, especially to teach you how to give doses yourself. 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.
• A 3-month supply: If you’re using Caverject long term, your doctor may suggest a 90-day supply of the medication. This will have to be approved by your insurance company. Getting a 90-day supply could help lower the drug’s cost. It could also save you time having to make trips to your pharmacy.
• Savings accounts: If you’re eligible for a health savings account (HSA) or a flexible spending account (FSA), you can likely use funds from these accounts 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. To learn more about whether you’re eligible for these savings accounts and how to use them, talk with your insurance provider or employer.

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. They may suggest online pharmacy options you could use. You can also ask them about ways to obtain health insurance coverage.

Brand-names vs. generics

Caverject is a brand-name medication. It’s available in a generic version called alprostadil.

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

If your doctor has prescribed Caverject, but you’re interested in alprostadil, let them know. They may have a reason to prescribe one medication over the other. Also, check which forms of the drug your insurance plan covers, as it may not cover all forms.

To learn how the cost of Caverject compares with its generic version, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You could also contact your insurance company. 

Common questions about Caverject and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about Caverject.  

How does the cost of Caverject compare with the cost of Trimix?

Both Caverject and Trimix are injections used to treat ED, but they’re not the same medication.

Caverject contains the active ingredient alprostadil. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in treating and diagnosing ED.

Trimix is a compounded medication that’s made with a mixture of three drugs: phentolamine, papaverine, and alprostadil. Trimix isn’t readily available in traditional retail pharmacies and must be made at compounding pharmacies. The compounded drug isn’t FDA approved.

The price you’ll pay for Caverject or Trimix can depend on several factors. If you have questions about how much either Caverject or Trimix will cost, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance company.

How does the cost of Caverject compare with the cost of Muse?

Caverject and Muse both contain the drug alprostadil and are used to treat ED.

Caverject is injected into a specific area of the penis to produce an erection. Muse comes as suppository tablets that are inserted into the urethra with an applicator. The urethra is the tube in which urine flows to exit the body.

The price you’ll pay for Caverject or Muse can depend on several factors. You can find cost information for Caverject above on this page. Similar information for Muse can be found on this page.

If you have questions about how much Caverject or Muse will cost, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance company.

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 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 Caverject

This article provides cost information related to Caverject. It also offers suggestions for ways to save money on your prescription. Above on this page, you’ll find coupons for Caverject.

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

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

• How does the cost of Caverject compare to that of alternative options?
• Will using generic alprostadil cost less than using Caverject?
• Are there other lower cost medications that can treat my condition?

Resources

• Caverject (alprostadil) for injection, for intracavernosal use. (2022). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2022/020379s038lbl.pdf
• Caverject impulse (alprostadil) for injection, for intracavernosal use. (2022). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2022/021212s018lbl.pdf
• Food and Drug Administration. (2024). Orange Book: Approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/index.cfm

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.