Crestor (rosuvastatin) is a prescription drug that’s used to treat high cholesterol and help prevent heart disease. Crestor’s cost may depend on factors such as your dosage, whether you have health insurance, and the pharmacy you use.

Crestor is used together with diet or other treatments to lower certain lipids (fats) in the blood in adults and some children.* Some conditions it’s used for include:

Crestor is also used to lower the risk of certain cardiovascular (heart or blood vessel) problems, including the risk of heart attack and stroke. Crestor can also decrease the need for certain blood vessel procedures in the future.

Crestor comes as a tablet that you swallow. It contains the active ingredient rosuvastatin. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.)

For more details on Crestor, see this in-depth article.

* Crestor is prescribed for adults and some children with familial hypercholesterolemia. It’s prescribed for adults only for the other conditions listed.

The price you pay for Crestor can vary. Your cost may depend on your treatment plan, your insurance coverage (if you have it), and the pharmacy you use.

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

Note: Since a generic option is available, if you have insurance, you’ll most likely need to get prior authorization before your insurance provider will cover Crestor. This means your insurer and your doctor will discuss Crestor in regard to your treatment. Then the insurance company will determine whether the drug is covered. If Crestor 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 Crestor requires prior authorization.

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

Does the 5-mg strength of Crestor cost less than the drug’s other strengths?

It’s possible. Your cost for Crestor may vary depending on the tablet strength you’re prescribed, such as 5 milligrams (mg), 10 mg, or 20 mg.

The cost you pay for Crestor may also depend on your insurance coverage (if you have it) and the pharmacy you use.

Talk with your pharmacist or insurance provider to learn more about the price of your Crestor prescription.

Is Crestor less expensive than Lipitor?

It may be. Whether Crestor is less expensive than Lipitor may depend on the pharmacy you use and your insurance coverage (if you have it).

Your pharmacist or insurance provider can answer questions you have about how the cost of Crestor compares with other drugs that could treat your condition.

Crestor is available as the generic drug rosuvastatin. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. A generic is considered to be just as safe and effective as the original drug. And generics generally cost less than brand-name drugs.

To find out how the costs of Crestor and rosuvastatin compare, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

If you’ve been prescribed Crestor and you’re interested in using rosuvastatin 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 drugmaker of a brand-name drug can sell the drug 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 Crestor 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 Crestor if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of Crestor. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of this drug, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Use a mail-order pharmacy to get your medication. Using a mail-order pharmacy might help lower your cost for Crestor. 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 Crestor 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.

If you still have questions about the cost of Crestor, 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 Crestor.

Examples of questions you may want to ask your doctor or pharmacist include:

  • How does the cost of Crestor compare to other medications that could treat my condition?
  • If I can’t afford my Crestor prescription, can you prescribe the generic rosuvastatin instead?
  • Will my dosage of Crestor affect the cost?
  • If my insurance plan stops covering Crestor, what are my treatment options?

To learn more about Crestor, see these articles:

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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.