Fosphenytoin

Introduction

Written by Ashley Wong, PharmD
Medically reviewed by Christina Bookwalter, PharmD, MS MEd, BCPS, BCACP
Updated on March 6, 2024

Fosphenytoin (FOS fen i toyn) is a generic medication that’s prescribed to treat certain types of seizures. It’s also used to prevent and treat seizures during brain surgery. The brand-name version of this drug is Cerebyx. The cost of fosphenytoin with or without insurance can depend on several factors.

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

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Cost of fosphenytoin

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

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

To find out how much fosphenytoin 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 fosphenytoin, 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 fosphenytoin

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 fosphenytoin may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because a doctor or another healthcare professional gives doses of fosphenytoin. 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

Fosphenytoin is a generic medication. The brand-name version of this drug is Cerebyx.

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.

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

Common questions about fosphenytoin and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about fosphenytoin.

Is fosphenytoin covered by Medicare?

Maybe. Fosphenytoin would fall under Medicare Part A or Medicare Part B because a healthcare professional gives doses of fosphenytoin in a hospital or clinic setting. But Medicare doesn’t cover everything.

Talk with your Medicare provider to check whether fosphenytoin is covered under your plan.

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 fosphenytoin

This article provides cost information related to fosphenytoin. 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 fosphenytoin, 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:

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

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
• Fosphenytoin sodium injection, for intravenous or intramuscular use. (2023). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/a0def32c-e693-43e5-9509-0cef9642441c/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.