Lincomycin

Introduction

Written by Rachel Maynard, PharmD
Medically reviewed by Rosanna Sutherby, PharmD
Updated on January 18, 2024

Lincomycin (lin koe MYE sin) is a generic medication that’s prescribed to treat certain serious bacterial infections. The brand-name version of this drug is Lincocin. The cost of lincomycin with or without insurance can depend on several factors.

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

Cost of lincomycin

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

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

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

Coupons for lincomycin

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

However, coupons aren’t available for medications, such as lincomycin, 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 lincomycin

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 lincomycin. In this case, your doctor will communicate with your insurance company regarding your prescription for lincomycin. The insurance company will decide whether to cover the medication. If a drug requires prior authorization and you begin treatment 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 lincomycin may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because a doctor or another healthcare professional gives doses of lincomycin. 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 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

Lincomycin is a generic medication. The brand-name version of this drug is Lincocin.

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.

If possible, before you start treatment, ask your doctor whether lincomycin or Lincocin will be prescribed for you. If your doctor has prescribed lincomycin, but you’re interested in Lincocin, let them know. They may have a reason to prescribe one medication over the other. The hospital or health system may have a financial representative who can discuss possible costs with you.

Common questions about lincomycin and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about lincomycin.

How does the cost of lincomycin compare with the cost of clindamycin?

It depends. Clindamycin is another antibiotic that can be given by injection to treat certain bacterial infections.

Many factors may affect the cost of your medication. These include:

• whether you have insurance and what your insurance plan covers
• where you get the drug, such as at a hospital, doctor’s clinic, or pharmacy
• the drug’s form
• the drug’s strength
• your treatment plan

Even though lincomycin and clindamycin are both antibiotics, they may be used for different reasons. For example, certain bacterial infections may be treated with some antibiotics but not others. Some antibiotics may be used for more severe infections.

Talk with your insurance provider or doctor to find out the cost of your treatment.

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 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 lincomycin

This article provides cost information related to lincomycin. It also offers suggestions for ways to save money on your prescription. Above on this page, you’ll find coupon information. However, coupons aren’t available for medications, such as lincomycin, that 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:

• Does my insurance cover the cost of lincomycin?
• Are there other low cost drugs that could be used to treat my condition?
• What options are available if I can’t afford lincomycin?

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
• Lincomycin injection, solution. (2023). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/ebabccf4-f082-4fc0-9223-f4826dc89b13/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.