SSRIs
SertralineSertraline Hydrochloride
Sertraline (generic Zoloft) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) taken once a day for depression, panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, social anxiety and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It is a low-cost generic and one of the most prescribed 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
All forms are generic from many manufacturers.
About Sertraline
Sertraline increases the amount of serotonin available between nerve cells by blocking its reuptake. The mood effect builds over several weeks, which is why prescribers ask people to give it a fair trial before judging it, and why stopping suddenly after long use can cause a withdrawal-like discontinuation syndrome. Doses are usually started low and raised in steps.
It is approved for more conditions than most SSRIs, and it is one of the better-studied antidepressants in pregnancy and in people with heart disease. Nausea, sleep changes, headache and sexual side effects are the most common complaints; nausea usually fades within the first couple of weeks. All antidepressants carry a boxed warning about increased suicidal thinking in children, adolescents and young adults, particularly when starting or changing dose.
Sertraline tablets are scored, and the oral concentrate is used when someone needs a dose that is not available as a tablet or cannot swallow one. Dose adjustments are done by the prescriber; the pharmacy dispenses what is written.
Why the cash price for Sertraline differs from pharmacy to pharmacy
Sertraline is a commodity generic, so a pharmacy’s cash price is mostly dispensing fee and margin. Because it is taken daily for months or years, the difference between pharmacies is worth checking even though each fill is inexpensive.
The 100 mg tablet costs the pharmacy about the same as the 50 mg tablet. If your dose is 50 mg, a prescription written as half of a scored 100 mg tablet can halve the tablet count, but that is the prescriber’s decision.
Ways to pay less for Sertraline without insurance
- Ask for a ninety-day prescription once your dose is settled.
- Ask the prescriber whether splitting a scored higher-strength tablet is appropriate for your dose.
- Ask whether sertraline is on the pharmacy’s flat-price generic list.
- Compare independent and mail-order pharmacies; the dispensing fee is most of the cost.
- 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 Sertraline
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 Sertraline 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 Sertraline
- 1.How long before I should expect to feel a difference?
- 2.What should I do if I miss a dose?
- 3.Which over-the-counter medicines and supplements interact with sertraline?
- 4.Is it safe to drink alcohol while taking it?
- 5.How should the dose be reduced if I ever stop?
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.