Hydroxyzine

Introduction

Medically reviewed by Rosanna Sutherby, PharmD
Written by Malini Ghoshal, RPh, MS
Updated on May 11, 2023

Hydroxyzine is a generic medication that’s prescribed for conditions including anxiety. The brand-name version of this drug is Vistaril. The cost of hydroxyzine with or without insurance can depend on several factors. It might be lowered by using a coupon.

Hydroxyzine comes in these forms:

• oral capsule
• oral tablet
• oral liquid solution
• liquid solution for intramuscular injection by a healthcare professional

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved hydroxyzine for certain children and adults. It’s used for:

• sedation before a planned surgery
• symptoms of anxiety
• itchy skin from allergic conditions such as atopic dermatitis
• nausea and vomiting not related to pregnancy

Read on to learn about hydroxyzine and cost. You’ll also find available coupons and suggestions for ways to save on your prescription. If you’d like more information about hydroxyzine, including its uses, refer to this overview article. 

Cost of hydroxyzine

As with other medications, the cost of hydroxyzine 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 hydroxyzine injection
• the cost of needles and syringes to be used by a healthcare provider with hydroxyzine injection

To find out how much hydroxyzine 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 following section.

Coupons for hydroxyzine

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

Common questions about hydroxyzine and cost

Here are some common questions about hydroxyzine and their answers. 

Does hydroxyzine 25 mg cost less than the drug’s other strengths?

It depends. Typically, the cost of hydroxyzine does not vary based on the strength your doctor prescribes. For example, the 10-milligram (mg) oral tablet will likely cost the same as the 25-mg tablet.

But the cost of hydroxyzine injection may be higher than oral forms. And the cost of the oral forms may vary based on which form your doctor prescribes. So the cost of the 25-mg tablet may be different than the cost of the 25-mg capsule.

The price you pay for hydroxyzine depends on various factors. These can include your dosage form, your treatment plan, whether or not you have insurance coverage, and the pharmacy you use. To learn more about the cost of hydroxyzine, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider, if you have one.

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

Brand-name drugs can be expensive because of the research needed to test how safe and effective they are.

Makers of a brand-name drug can sell their drug for up to 20 years. When the patent for a brand-name drug expires, other drug manufacturers can make and sell generic versions. A generic medication is an identical copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. (An active drug is the ingredient that makes a medication work.)

This competition may help keep costs of generic medications lower. Also, generic medications contain the same active drugs 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.

Insurance and other considerations for hydroxyzine

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 hydroxyzine. In this case, your doctor will communicate with your insurance company regarding your prescription for hydroxyzine. The insurance company will decide whether to cover the medication. If a drug requires prior authorization and you begin taking 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 hydroxyzine injection may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because doses of hydroxyzine injection are given by a doctor or another healthcare professional. 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 taking one of hydroxyzine’s oral forms 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.

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

Hydroxyzine is a generic medication. It’s available as the brand-name drug Vistaril.

* Vistaril used to come in several forms, but the oral capsule is the only form currently available.

A generic medication is an identical copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. (An active drug is the ingredient that 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.

If your doctor has prescribed hydroxyzine but you’re interested in taking Vistaril, let them know. They may prefer one medication over the other. Also, check whether your insurance plan covers only one version of the drug.

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

What to ask about hydroxyzine

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

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:

• Does my cost for hydroxyzine depend on my dosage?
• Would I pay more for hydroxyzine oral capsules than I do for the oral tablets?
• Are there resources available if I can’t afford my hydroxyzine prescription?

Resources

• Food and Drug Administration. (2023). Orange Book: Approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/index.cfm
• Hydroxyzine hydrochloride- hydroxyzine hydrochloride solution. (2022). nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/a2fbc502-6ca3-4304-9069-b7249c9d9489/spl-doc
• Hydroxyzine hydrochloride- hydroxyzine hydrochloride tablet, film coated. (2023). nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/157fbedc-b65d-455f-adb5-e7554282e033/spl-doc
• Hydroxyzine- hydroxyzine injection, solution, (2022). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/9c6ec419-5d3b-4053-9970-42a30458b92a/spl-doc
• Hydroxyzine pamoate- hydroxyzine pamoate capsule. (2023). nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/de594020-e114-4550-a27a-5cdf132d2a82/spl-doc
• Vistaril (hydroxyzine pamoate) capsules and oral suspension. (2016). accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/011459s051_011795s028lbl.pdf

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.