Fosaprepitant Dimeglumine

Introduction

Written by Sarah Lewis, PharmD
Medically reviewed by Michael Rio, PharmD
Updated on March 6, 2024

Fosaprepitant (fos a PRE pi tant) is a generic medication that’s prescribed to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in adults. Fosaprepitant is not available in a brand-name version. The cost of fosaprepitant with or without insurance can depend on several factors.

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

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Cost of fosaprepitant

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

• your insurance plan, if you have coverage
• the cost to visit a cancer chemotherapy infusion center where a healthcare professional will give doses of fosaprepitant

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

Coupons for medications

Prescription drug coupons can help you save money by lowering the cost of certain medications. Fosaprepitant is given by a healthcare professional in a cancer chemotherapy infusion center. But Optum Perks coupons can provide significant savings on your other prescription costs.

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 fosaprepitant

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

• Insurance coverage: The price of fosaprepitant is billed through your medical coverage. This is because a doctor or another healthcare professional gives doses of fosaprepitant. The cost of your doses depends on your specific insurance plan and whether you receive the doses at your doctor’s clinic, a hospital, or another kind of infusion center. 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 contact your insurance company and talk with a representative.

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

Generics vs. brand names

Fosaprepitant 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.) Fosaprepitant is based on the brand-name version Emend, which is no longer available.

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

Common questions about fosaprepitant and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about fosaprepitant.

Is fosaprepitant covered by Medicare?

Yes, Medicare plans are likely to cover fosaprepitant. The federal government sets hospital and outpatient procedure payment rates for Medicare. Private medical insurance providers negotiate payment rates with hospitals and outpatient centers. The payment rate is specific to the diagnosis and the procedures you have in the hospital or as an outpatient. The cost of medications is included in this payment rate.

Medicare Part A would cover fosaprepitant given as part of a hospital stay. Medicare Part B would cover fosaprepitant given at an outpatient infusion center.

You can learn more about the cost of fosaprepitant by contacting your Medicare provider.

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

Brand-name drugs can be expensive because of the studies needed to test their safety and effectiveness.

Makers of a brand-name drug can patent and sell their drug for up to 20 years without anyone else making their drug. 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, which have already been tested. 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 fosaprepitant

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

• How is the cost of fosaprepitant billed?
• Are there lower cost drugs that could treat my condition?
• What are my options if I can’t afford my medical bills?

Resources

• Food and Drug Administration. (2024). Orange Book: Approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/index.cfm
• Fosaprepitant for injection, for intravenous use. (2023). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/0e4ff71c-c0d1-4644-ab80-fd903ff86181/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.