Dextrose Sodium Chloride

Introduction

Written by Ashley Wong, PharmD
Medically reviewed by Beth Johnston, PharmD, BCPS
Updated on February 12, 2024

Dextrose is a generic medication that’s prescribed as a means of hydration and nutrition. Dextrose is not available in a brand-name version. The cost of dextrose with or without insurance can depend on several factors.

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

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Cost of dextrose

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

• your insurance plan, if you have coverage
• whether dextrose is covered under your medical or prescription insurance
• the cost to stay in the hospital and have a healthcare professional give doses of dextrose

To find out how much dextrose 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, you might not be able to use coupons for medications like dextrose, as these 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 dextrose

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

• Insurance coverage: Even if your policy has prescription drug coverage, the price of dextrose may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because a doctor or another healthcare professional gives doses of dextrose. 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

Dextrose is a generic medication. It’s not available in 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.)

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

Common questions about dextrose and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about dextrose.

Is dextrose covered by Medicare?

Most likely, yes. Dextrose is given by a healthcare professional in your doctor’s clinic or a hospital setting. For this reason, dextrose may be covered under your medical plan instead of your drug plan.

If you have questions about this, talk with your doctor or Medicare representative, or contact the hospital’s financial services department.

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 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 dextrose

This article provides cost information related to dextrose. It also offers suggestions for ways to save money on prescriptions. Above on this page, you’ll find coupon information. However, you might not be able to use coupons for medications like dextrose, as these are only given by a healthcare professional.

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:

• What are my options if I cannot afford dextrose?
• Are there other lower cost drugs used for my condition?
• Will the cost of dextrose depend on my dosage?

Resources

• 5% dextrose injection, USP. (2015). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/207449Orig1s000lbl.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.