Streptomycin

Introduction

Written by Skyler Todd, PharmD
Medically reviewed by Bryson Russell, PharmD, MHSA, MSc
Updated on June 10, 2024

Streptomycin (strep toe MYE sin) is a generic medication that’s prescribed for certain bacterial infections. Streptomycin is not available in a brand-name version. The cost of streptomycin with or without insurance can depend on several factors. It might be lowered by using a coupon.

Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved streptomycin to treat:

• tuberculosis
• pneumonia
• other infections caused by certain types of bacteria

Read on to learn about streptomycin and cost. You’ll also find available coupons and suggestions for ways to save on your prescription. If you’d like more information about streptomycin, including its uses, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. 

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Cost of streptomycin

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

• your insurance plan, if you have coverage
• the cost to visit a healthcare professional to receive doses of streptomycin
• the quantity prescribed

To find out how much streptomycin 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 “Coupons for streptomycin” section.

Coupons for streptomycin

Prescription drug coupons can help you save money by lowering the cost of streptomycin. 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 streptomycin, as these may be 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 streptomycin

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

Streptomycin 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.

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions about generic and brand-name medications.

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

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.

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
• Streptomycin for injection, USP. (2023). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/abd1f64e-4283-4370-aae8-3666316aa36e/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.