Okay, CVS always fills my prescription for Ventolin using the same insurance and now suddenly they gave me something that your vets prescribed by Prasco. No mention of Ventolin on container or box except CVS label. My doctor said Ventolin not a substitute. I researched and found out this inhaler is prescribed by vets (Animal Doctors). I’m making a case since I saved all the information needed. Plus the makers of Ventolin said they do not have a generic for Ventolin.  

talked to Aetna/Silverscript.  talked to GSK.  prescription written by doc for generic, not ventolin because CVS said ProAir not covered by Aetna (as it was by United/AARP). 

packaging doesn't say Ventolin.  inhaler doesn't say Ventolin.  Only Albuterol Sulfate HFA INhalation Aerosol.  both are clearly generic distributed by Pracso.  GSK says I got generic.  Aetna says I got generic. 

Only mention of Ventolin is on CVS receipt.  It says Albuterol Sulfate HFA (Ventolin).  So they told me my insurance would not cover a brand they offer, then they charged me a copay for a Preferred Brand.  Nice game. 

Escalating the issue.

Hi Chrisine454545 and welcome to the AAFA community! Pharmacy tiers and generic drug prices can be really confusing.

The GSK version of albuterol is an authorized generic for Ventolin which means that it can be substituted when a doctor prescribes Ventolin and doesn't check the "fill as written" box. The generic won't say Ventolin on it because that is a brand name inhaler (drug + device). It will be labeled as albuterol sulfate.

As for the price, this article is from 2019 so I would expect the list price to have gone up from the $36 since then.

It sounds like you've talked w/ CVS. Have you talked with Aetna as the plan administrator as well?

CVS is selling this generic albuterol from GSK as a Preferred Brand Name Tier 3 drug to Medicare patients.  Same copay as Advair!  The box has no brand name on it.  GSK says Prasco is distributing it and they set the prices. 

According to the article in AAFA the authorized generic has a list price of less than $36.  The copay CVS/Aetna is charging to  Silverscript Smart RX patients is $46!!!   More than list price.  CVS is claiming it is Ventolin, but that is not on the  package because it is a generic.

P.S.  CVS also says it offers no Tier 2 albuterol.  Nothing available at the copay level for generic drugs on their Silverscript plans.  Something is not right here.

SteelyGrey posted:

Trust me, GSK is not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts as they don't have hearts. Just another greedy pharmaceutical company bilking the american public. They are probably losing market share to TEVA Pharmaceutical who is based out of Jerusalem, Israel.  TEVA got FDA approval for a bunch of generic drugs back in early 2018.and makes a both a commercial and generic version of an albuterol inhaler that is available now in the USA.   I lost my job and insurance back in Dec 2017 and signed up for the GSK assistance program only to be told that I had made too much money in 2017 and did not qualify.  Wait, that was the previous year and all that money I earned was spent on mortgage and car payments and utilities. Its not like I was Scrooge and had a big bag of gold buried in my back yard. I will do my best to NEVER do business with GSK ever again. Anyway, here is the details on TEVA.

PROAIR RESPICLICK is a dry powder inhaler that meters 117 mcg
of albuterol sulfate (equivalent to 97 mcg of albuterol base) from the device reservoir
and delivers 108 mcg of albuterol sulfate (equivalent to 90 mcg of albuterol base) from the mouthpiece per actuation. The inhaler is supplied for 200 inhalation doses. I currently have one of these from WalMart pharmacy and it works great as a rescue inhaler. Without insurance it was still cheaper than Ventolin.  See the URL below.

http://www.proair.com/Respiclick/Default.aspx

 

Generic of ProAir® HFA (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol is a direct replacement for the Ventolin inhaler. Its a generic version which dispenses a mist just like Ventolin with a 200 dose counter assembly. No idea of the cost but its got to be cheaper than Ventolin.See the URL below.

https://www.tevagenerics.com/p...a-inhalation-aerosol

 

TEVA also makes a commercial and generic version of a Fluticasone Propionate and Salmeterol inhaler which competes with Advair Diskus. There are three dosages which do not directly match to the versions of Advair, but check with your doctor to see if any version will work as a replacement for Advair.

Generic of AirDuo RespiClick from Teva Generics comes in three dosages. Like Advair it dispenses a powder and does not require any special storage or handling. Each one has 60 actuations just like the Advair Diskus

GENERIC AIRDUO RESPICLICK inhalation powder in three dosages
55 mcg/14 mcg
113 mcg/14 mcg
232 mcg/14 mcg

https://www.tevagenerics.com/p...e-dry-powder-inhaler

I hope this helps someone to save some money.  When I was unemployed and would have an asthma attack. You feel like you are drowning and you go through the same panic. At the time Ventolin without insurance was $80-100 while the actual cost of albuterol which has been on the market for over 30 years costs a few dollars. People can die from Asthma attacks without a rescue inhaler but GSK still wanted their 3000% profit margin.

Good Luck

 

 

I just did a quick lookup using goodrx.com for the Generic of ProAir® HFA (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol and it costs about $26 with their coupon at Walmart, Publix and CVS. Last time I bought a Ventolin without insurance it was $70 so the TEVA version is about 1/3 the price of Ventolin

Same lookup for the highest dose of the Generic of AirDuo RespiClick and it comes up between $52-$60 using the goodrx coupon as well. Last Advair Diskus I bought without insurance was $236 with a coupon from the GSK website. Without the coupon they wanted $346 for one inhaler.

Trust me, GSK is not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts as they don't have hearts. Just another greedy pharmaceutical company bilking the american public. They are probably losing market share to TEVA Pharmaceutical who is based out of Jerusalem, Israel.  TEVA got FDA approval for a bunch of generic drugs back in early 2018.and makes a both a commercial and generic version of an albuterol inhaler that is available now in the USA.   I lost my job and insurance back in Dec 2017 and signed up for the GSK assistance program only to be told that I had made too much money in 2017 and did not qualify.  Wait, that was the previous year and all that money I earned was spent on mortgage and car payments and utilities. Its not like I was Scrooge and had a big bag of gold buried in my back yard. I will do my best to NEVER do business with GSK ever again. Anyway, here is the details on TEVA.

PROAIR RESPICLICK is a dry powder inhaler that meters 117 mcg
of albuterol sulfate (equivalent to 97 mcg of albuterol base) from the device reservoir
and delivers 108 mcg of albuterol sulfate (equivalent to 90 mcg of albuterol base) from the mouthpiece per actuation. The inhaler is supplied for 200 inhalation doses. I currently have one of these from WalMart pharmacy and it works great as a rescue inhaler. Without insurance it was still cheaper than Ventolin.  See the URL below.

http://www.proair.com/Respiclick/Default.aspx

Generic of ProAir® HFA (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol is a direct replacement for the Ventolin inhaler. Its a generic version which dispenses a mist just like Ventolin with a 200 dose counter assembly. No idea of the cost but its got to be cheaper than Ventolin.See the URL below.

https://www.tevagenerics.com/p...a-inhalation-aerosol

TEVA also makes a commercial and generic version of a Fluticasone Propionate and Salmeterol inhaler which competes with Advair Diskus. There are three dosages which do not directly match to the versions of Advair, but check with your doctor to see if any version will work as a replacement for Advair.

Generic of AirDuo RespiClick from Teva Generics comes in three dosages. Like Advair it dispenses a powder and does not require any special storage or handling. Each one has 60 actuations just like the Advair Diskus

GENERIC AIRDUO RESPICLICK inhalation powder in three dosages
55 mcg/14 mcg
113 mcg/14 mcg
232 mcg/14 mcg

https://www.tevagenerics.com/p...e-dry-powder-inhaler

I hope this helps someone to save some money.  When I was unemployed and would have an asthma attack. You feel like you are drowning and you go through the same panic. At the time Ventolin without insurance was $80-100 while the actual cost of albuterol which has been on the market for over 30 years costs a few dollars. People can die from Asthma attacks without a rescue inhaler but GSK still wanted their 3000% profit margin.

Good Luck

Georgianna, I wanted to follow up with this info. AAFA got confirmation from GSK that there is indeed a counter on the generic device.

Georgianna, the full prescribing information leaflet that GSK linked to in the press release above says this:

DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS

Inhalation Aerosol. Blue plastic inhaler with a blue strap cap containing a pressurized metered dose aerosol canister containing 60 or 200 metered inhalations and fitted with a counter. 

However, I will note that this looks like they have linked to the brand name Ventolin HFA prescribing leaflet.

Since they say that the medication is the same and has the same instructions for use as the Ventolin HFA, I'm assuming that it will be the same with a counter.

That's a good question Georgianna! I'm not sure of the answer, but I am hopeful someone will be able to answer that for us sooner rather than later!

will it have a counter? there is an  issue with having hundreds of students with asthma in our school system and no counter in the back of the rescue inhaler.....do we guess if there is enough medication left?  the inhalers go back and forth with the students in the high school so you don't know how many times they are being used, they can be out of medication or close to running out and we won't know until there is a problem.....with the younger ones, the parent usually brings in the inhaler and it stays in school but can be used with the student by before and after school staff, teachers on field trips...