ARBs
Valsartan
Valsartan (generic Diovan) is an angiotensin II receptor blocker taken once or twice a day for high blood pressure, heart failure and after a heart attack. It is a generic and is also one half of sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto).
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
Valsartan and its hydrochlorothiazide and amlodipine combinations are generic. Sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto) is a separate brand product.
About Valsartan
Valsartan blocks the receptor that angiotensin II uses to constrict blood vessels and retain salt. It lowers blood pressure without the cough that ACE inhibitors cause, reduces hospitalisation in heart failure, and improves survival after a heart attack in people who cannot take an ACE inhibitor. Like the whole class it is avoided in pregnancy, and potassium and kidney function are checked after starting.
It is sold alone, combined with hydrochlorothiazide, combined with amlodipine, and combined with sacubitril as Entresto, which is a different product used for heart failure with its own pricing and no generic yet.
In 2018 and 2019 several manufacturers’ valsartan was recalled over a contaminant, which caused shortages and price spikes for a time. Supply has normalised, but pharmacies that source from a single manufacturer can still see swings.
Why the cash price for Valsartan differs from pharmacy to pharmacy
Valsartan is a low-cost generic and the cash price is mostly the pharmacy’s fee and mark-up. It is slightly more expensive to pharmacies than losartan, and some prescribers switch patients between the two purely on price.
The combination tablets can be cheaper or dearer than the components separately depending on the pharmacy’s purchasing; it is worth asking for both quotes.
Upload it and licensed pharmacies reply with their own cash price. You pay the pharmacy, not us.
Ways to pay less for Valsartan without insurance
- Ask for a ninety-day prescription once your dose is stable.
- If you take a combination tablet, ask the pharmacy to quote the separate components too.
- Ask your prescriber whether losartan would be an acceptable alternative if valsartan is quoted high at your pharmacy.
- Compare independent and mail-order pharmacies.
- Upload your prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote their cash price. You pay the pharmacy directly.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for Valsartan
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 Valsartan 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 Valsartan
- 1.Should I avoid potassium supplements or salt substitutes?
- 2.What should I do if I feel light-headed when standing?
- 3.Which over-the-counter painkillers should I avoid?
- 4.When will my potassium and kidney function be checked?
- 5.Is this the plain tablet or a combination?
Where Valsartan fits
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.