SSRIs
FluoxetineFluoxetine Hydrochloride
Fluoxetine (generic Prozac) is the original SSRI, taken once a day for depression, OCD, bulimia, panic disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Its very long half-life makes it more forgiving of missed doses and easier to stop than most antidepressants.
This page is general information about a medication and how cash prices for it are set. It is not medical advice and does not replace the label, your prescriber or your pharmacist. How we handle medical information
Daily capsules, tablets and solution are generic. The 60 mg tablet and the weekly capsule are priced as newer products at many pharmacies.
About Fluoxetine
Fluoxetine blocks serotonin reuptake like other SSRIs, but it and its active metabolite stay in the body for weeks rather than days. That means it takes longer to reach a steady level, missed doses matter less, and discontinuation symptoms are uncommon. It is somewhat activating, so it is usually taken in the morning and can worsen insomnia in some people.
It is approved for depression in adults and children aged eight and over, OCD in adults and children aged seven and over, bulimia, panic disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It is also combined with olanzapine for treatment-resistant depression. Because it strongly inhibits a common liver enzyme, it interacts with more drugs than sertraline or escitalopram, and the long half-life means those interactions persist for weeks after stopping.
Fluoxetine comes as capsules, tablets, an oral solution and a once-weekly delayed-release capsule. The weekly capsule is a different product and is not simply seven daily doses in one.
Why the cash price for Fluoxetine differs from pharmacy to pharmacy
The 10, 20 and 40 mg capsules are commodity generics and the cash price is mostly the pharmacy’s fee and margin. Tablets, the 60 mg strength and the weekly capsule cost pharmacies considerably more, so the same total weekly dose can be priced very differently depending on which form is written.
If a prescription is written for tablets when capsules would serve the same dose, or for the weekly capsule for convenience, the cost difference can be large. Only the prescriber can change the form, but it is a fair question to raise.
Ways to pay less for Fluoxetine without insurance
- Ask the prescriber whether capsules would work for your dose; they are usually the cheapest form.
- Ask for a ninety-day prescription once stable.
- If you have been prescribed the weekly capsule or the 60 mg tablet, ask whether the cost difference versus daily capsules is worth it for you.
- Ask whether fluoxetine is on the pharmacy’s flat-price generic list.
- Upload your prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote their cash price for the exact form. You pay the pharmacy directly.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for Fluoxetine
Prices on this site come from pharmacies responding to a real prescription. We do not publish estimated, average or "typical" prices, because none of those would be your price.
- 1You upload your prescription
A photo of your Fluoxetine prescription is enough. Nothing is sold on the site; you are asking pharmacies to quote.
- 2Licensed pharmacies respond
Pharmacies that Script Unlock has verified see the request and each can reply with its own cash price for your exact drug, strength and quantity.
- 3You choose and pay the pharmacy
You compare the responses, pick a pharmacy, and pay that pharmacy directly when you collect. Script Unlock never takes a patient payment and never sets the price.
Questions to ask your pharmacist about Fluoxetine
- 1.Should I take this in the morning?
- 2.Which of my other medicines interact with fluoxetine?
- 3.What should I do if I miss a dose?
- 4.How long after stopping does it stay in my system?
- 5.Is this the capsule, the tablet or the weekly form, and does that match my prescription?
Related medications
Sources
Script Unlock is a marketplace that lets licensed pharmacies quote a cash price on your prescription. It does not prescribe, dispense or sell medication, does not process patient payments, and does not give medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your prescriber and pharmacist and read the medication guide supplied with your medicine.