Aripiprazole is a generic prescription drug that’s used to treat certain neurological and mental health conditions. Its cost may depend on factors such as your dosage, whether you have health insurance, and the pharmacy you use.

Aripiprazole may be prescribed to treat:

Aripiprazole is available in three forms:

  • a tablet that you swallow whole
  • a tablet that dissolves on your tongue
  • a liquid solution that you swallow

Different forms of aripiprazole are approved to treat different conditions. Also, whether it can be prescribed for adults or children depends on the condition it’s being used to treat. For more details on aripiprazole, see this in-depth article.

Several brand-name drugs contain aripiprazole as their active ingredient. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) These brand-name drugs include Abilify, Abilify Asimtufi, Abilify Maintena, and Abilify Mycite. The brand-name drugs Aristada and Aristada Initio contain the active ingredient aripiprazole lauroxil. But when your body breaks down aripiprazole lauroxil, it becomes aripiprazole.

The price you pay for aripiprazole can vary. Your cost may depend on your treatment plan, your insurance coverage, and the pharmacy you use.

To find out how much you’ll pay for aripiprazole, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Note: If you have insurance, you may need to get prior authorization before your insurance provider will cover aripiprazole. This means your insurer and your doctor will discuss aripiprazole in regard to your treatment. Then the insurance company will determine whether the drug is covered. If aripiprazole requires prior authorization and you don’t receive it before you start treatment, you could pay the full cost of the drug.

Be sure to ask your insurance company whether aripiprazole requires prior authorization.

Aripiprazole is a generic drug. A generic contains an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. A generic is considered just as safe and effective as the original drug but tends to cost less.

Aripiprazole comes in the brand-name versions Abilify, Abilify Asimtufi, Abilify Maintena, and Abilify Mycite. It’s also the active ingredient in Aristada and Aristada Initio. To find out how the costs of these brand-name versions and aripiprazole compare, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

If you’ve been prescribed aripiprazole and are interested in taking one of the brand-name versions instead, talk with your doctor. They may prefer that you take one version instead of the other. In addition, you’ll need to check with your insurance provider. This is because it may only cover one drug or the other.

Why is there such a cost difference between brand-name drugs and generics?

Years of research and testing are needed to ensure that brand-name drugs are safe and effective. This testing can make the drugs expensive. The manufacturer of a brand-name drug can sell the drug exclusively for up to 20 years. After that, other drugmakers can create generic versions. This competition in the market can lead to lower costs for generics. And because generics have the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower generic costs.

If you take aripiprazole long term, you may be able to lower your costs in the following ways:

  • Look into getting a 90-day supply of your medication. You may be able to get a 90-day supply of aripiprazole if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of aripiprazole. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of this drug, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
  • Use a mail-order pharmacy to get your medication. Using a mail-order pharmacy might help lower your cost for aripiprazole. Plus, you could get your medication without leaving home. Some Medicare plans may help cover the cost of mail-order drugs. You may also be able to get a 90-day supply of the drug through mail order. If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to suggest online pharmacy options that could work for you.

If you need help covering the cost of aripiprazole or understanding your insurance, check out these resources:

On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about aripiprazole and cost.

Does the 10-mg strength of aripiprazole cost more than the drug’s other strengths?

Probably not. Aripiprazole oral tablet is available in the following strengths:

  • 2 milligrams (mg)
  • 5 mg
  • 10 mg
  • 15 mg
  • 20 mg
  • 30 mg

The lower strength tablets tend to be priced similarly. As the strength increases, the price may also increase slightly. However, the cost you’ll pay depends on several factors, including your treatment plan, your health insurance, and the pharmacy you use. Talk with your pharmacist or insurance provider to learn more.

What’s the cost of aripiprazole with insurance versus without insurance?

Certain factors may affect your cost of aripiprazole whether or not you have insurance. These include:

  • your treatment plan and drug dosage
  • the pharmacy you choose
  • the quantity of aripiprazole you receive at a time (such as a 30-day or 90-day supply)
  • any cost savings programs you qualify for
  • the form of aripiprazole you’re prescribed

If you’re using insurance for your aripiprazole prescription, additional factors may affect your cost, including:

  • your individual plan benefits
  • any prior authorization requirements for your plan

To learn more about your cost with and without insurance, check with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider (if you have one).

Whether you have insurance or not, you can visit Optum Perks* to get price estimates for aripiprazole oral tablet and oral disintegrating tablet when you use coupons from the site. It’s important to note that Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.

* Optum Perks is a sister site of Healthline.

If you still have questions about the cost of aripiprazole, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to give you a better idea of what you’ll pay for this drug. But if you have health insurance, you’ll need to talk with your insurance provider to learn the actual cost you’d pay for aripiprazole.

Examples of questions you may want to ask include:

  • Would it be cheaper to double the strength of my aripiprazole tablets and then cut them in half?
  • How does the cost of generic aripiprazole compare with the cost of brand-name Abilify?
  • Are there other lower-cost medications available to treat my condition?

To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Healthline’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.

Disclaimer: Healthline 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.