Cefazolin

Introduction

Written by Julz Richterman, PharmD, MBA, BCGP
Medically reviewed by Christina Bookwalter, PharmD, MS MEd, BCPS, BCACP
Updated on July 11, 2024

Cefazolin (sef A zoe lin) is a generic medication that’s prescribed for infections caused by certain bacteria. Cefazolin is not available in a brand-name version. The cost of cefazolin with or without insurance can depend on several factors.

Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved cefazolin for infections caused by certain bacteria. These infections include:

• respiratory tract infections
• urinary tract and genital infections
• skin infections
• bone and joint infections
• septicemia (infection in your bloodstream)
• endocarditis (swelling of the lining of your heart)

Cefazolin is also given to help prevent infections in people having certain types of surgical procedures.

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

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Cost of cefazolin

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

• your insurance plan, if you have coverage
• the cost to receive doses of cefazolin from a healthcare professional
• the amount prescribed

To find out how much cefazolin costs, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Coupons for medications

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

However, coupons aren’t available for medications, such as cefazolin, that are only given by a healthcare professional.

Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any 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 cefazolin

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 cefazolin. In this case, your doctor will communicate with your insurance company regarding your prescription for cefazolin. 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 cefazolin may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because a doctor or another healthcare professional gives doses of cefazolin. 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 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.

Generics vs. brand names

Cefazolin is a generic medication. It’s not available as a brand-name version.

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.) Cefazolin is based on the brand-name version Ancef, which is no longer available.

Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs. And they’re thought to be as safe and effective as the brand-name version.

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about generic and brand-name medications.

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

This competition may help keep 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.

Common questions about cefazolin and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about cefazolin.

How does the cost of intravenous (IV) cefazolin therapy compare with the cost of other IV antibiotic therapies like vancomycin and ceftriaxone?

Intravenous (IV) therapy with cefazolin, vancomycin, or ceftriaxone usually costs about the same. But the cost will depend on your dosage and insurance. It will also depend on where you receive the drug and how long your doctor recommends you receive it.

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist to learn more about which antibiotic is best for you and how much it will cost.

How does the cost of cefazolin compare with the cost of rifampin?

Rifampin is an antibiotic that comes as an oral capsule or an IV injection. Which form of the drug is prescribed for you will depend on the type of infection you have and how severe it is. For severe infections, you may need IV rifampin. For other infections, you can take rifampin oral capsules. Or you may switch from IV rifampin to rifampin oral capsules if your condition improves. Oral forms of a drug, like capsules, usually cost less than IV drugs.

Cefazolin is a different type of antibiotic. It isn’t available in oral tablet or oral capsule form. It’s only available as an injection. Doctors use cefazolin to treat certain serious infections. A healthcare professional gives it as an intramuscular or IV injection or as an IV infusion (injection into a vein given over time).

Your doctor will prescribe the antibiotic that’s best suited to treat your infection.

Talk with your doctor to find out more about the cost of treatment with cefazolin.

Resources

• Cefazolin for injection, USP. (2024). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/26de1ce9-06a9-486f-b27d-2ac635f018d1/spl-doc
• 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.