What buspirone costs if you have no insurance

What buspirone is for and what a fill costs

MedlinePlus, a health site from the National Library of Medicine, says buspirone is used to treat anxiety. It changes the amounts of certain natural chemicals in the brain. A prescription is required to buy it in the United States.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal health agency, publishes how much Medicare drug plans and their members spent on each drug. In 2024, a fill of buspirone averaged $14.17, across more than 7.8 million fills. The figure adds the plan's share and the member's share, so it is not a cash price. It still shows what a typical fill costs at the counter.

We looked for a county, state or public hospital price list that includes buspirone and found none. That is why we cannot give you a government cash price for it. A local pharmacist can give you one in a minute, and the steps later on this page show you what to ask.

What pharmacies pay for each tablet

The Medicaid program runs a weekly price survey called NADAC. Pharmacies report what they paid their suppliers, and the survey averages those invoices across the country. Any one pharmacy may pay a little more or a little less. Here is what the survey found for the week of October 21, 2026.

• The 5 mg tablet cost pharmacies about 2.2 cents each.
• The 10 mg tablet cost about 2.8 cents each.
• The 15 mg tablet cost about 4.3 cents each.
• The 7.5 mg tablet cost about 10 cents each.
• The 30 mg tablet cost about 12.3 cents each.

As an example, 60 tablets of the 10 mg strength cost a pharmacy about $1.66, which is a 30-day supply if the prescription is for two tablets a day. Your doctor chooses the strength and the number of tablets, and we show this only so you can see the size of the numbers. Your price at the counter will be higher, because the pharmacy adds a dispensing fee and covers its own costs.

Only generic buspirone is sold now

MedlinePlus says the brand-name product is no longer on the market, and that generic versions are available. Medicare's spending report counts 17 different makers of buspirone. The FDA says that when several generic makers compete, prices typically fall. That helps explain why the survey prices are so low.

Because every tablet is generic, you cannot save by switching from a brand to a generic, as you can with some other medicines. The gap you can use is the gap between pharmacies. Two stores can charge very different cash prices for the same tablet from the same maker. Smaller independent pharmacies, hospital pharmacies and health center pharmacies are all worth a call, since each one sets its own price.

How to find the lowest price near you

A few calls can show you that gap. Ask each pharmacy for the cash price of your exact strength and number of tablets, and say that you will not use insurance. Our guide on asking for the cash price gives you words to use on the call.

A hospital outpatient pharmacy or a health center pharmacy is also worth a call. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) says health centers can buy outpatient drugs at reduced prices through a federal program called 340B. The agency does not say how much of that saving is passed on to patients, so ask what the center charges. To look for one near you, use our guide on community health centers or our health center finder.

What a year of buspirone and the visits could cost

A simple way to plan is to multiply. If you filled one prescription every month at the Medicare average of $14.17, a year would come to about $170. That is a rough guide only, because your own price depends on your strength, your pharmacy and the number of tablets.

Some people pay far less than that average, and some pay more. The pills are only one part of the bill, because buspirone needs a prescription and you also pay for the visit and any follow-ups. Ask your clinic what each visit costs before you book. Our guide on doctor visit costs without insurance explains what a typical visit costs.

Many people also use talk therapy alongside medicine or instead of it, and our guide on therapy costs without insurance covers that. A cash-pay doctor with a monthly membership can see you for visits and refills. Direct primary care usually costs $50 to $200 a month, and you can search for a cash-pay doctor near you.

Safety notes and where to get help right now

Please do not stop or change how you take buspirone on your own. If cost is the problem, call your doctor or pharmacist before you run out and tell them. MedlinePlus says to get a doctor's or pharmacist's advice before you start, stop or change any medicine you take with buspirone.

MedlinePlus says buspirone may make you drowsy, and that alcohol can add to that. It also says to avoid large amounts of grapefruit juice and grapefruit. It says to call your doctor right away for a fast or irregular heartbeat, a rash, or swelling of the face or throat. A mix of fever, sweating, shivering and confusion is another reason to call right away.

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, or you are in emotional crisis, call or text 988. That number reaches the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which is free, confidential and open at all hours. For any emergency, call 911 or go to an emergency room right away. This page gives general information and is not medical advice.

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