Insurance Stopped Covering Symbicort. What Are Some Options?
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses some alternative options for Symbicort after it stopped being covered by insurance.
My insurance no longer covers Symbicort. What alternatives are recommended?
May 05, 2024- Your insurance may cover generic budesonide/formoterol or the branded generic Breyna, which contain the same active ingredients as Symbicort. If those aren't covered, other combination inhalers like Dulera, Advair, Airduo, Breo, or Wixela may be alternatives your insurance does cover. Talk with your doctor and pharmacist about which covered option would work best for your situation.
Answer
Great question! I appreciate you reaching out, and I am happy to answer this for you.
You have a number of alternative options to Symbicort. Now, the best option for you will likely depend on your insurance formulary (the list of drugs covered by your insurance plan) since you mentioned your issue is that Symbicort is no longer covered.
Generic Symbicort Options
There are two different generic versions that contain the same active ingredients as brand-name Symbicort:
- Budesonide/formoterol
- Breyna (a branded generic version)
To give some context on Breyna, it does contain budesonide and formoterol, the active ingredients in Symbicort. It is just a 'branded generic'.
A branded generic drug refers to a generic medication that is marketed and sold under a brand name by the manufacturer, instead of just using the generic (non-proprietary) name of the drug. So, in this case, 'Breyna' is a branded generic for Symbicort.
It's possible that if your insurance company is no longer covering brand Symbicort, they may cover one of the above generic options.
Other Alternatives
If your insurance does not cover the generic Symbicort options, there are still some alternative drug combinations you could try.
As mentioned above, Symbicort contains two drugs: budesonide (a corticosteroid) and formoterol (a long-acting beta agonist).
Other drugs that contain both a corticosteroid and a long-acting beta agonist include:
- Dulera
- Advair Diskus
- Advair HFA
- Airduo
- Breo
- Wixela
It's likely that your insurance prefers at least a few of these options, so be sure to check with them regarding your coverage.
Final Words
To reiterate, your closest options to brand Symbicort are the generics budesonide/formoterol and Breyna.
Otherwise, review the list of other corticosteroid/long-acting beta agonist combination drugs and check with your doctor and pharmacist about which would be the most appropriate covered alternative for your specific situation.
Thanks again for reaching out!
References & sources
- Breyna Information — Viatris
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Formulary
- The official list of medications that an insurance plan agrees to pay for.
- Generic
- A medication that contains the same active ingredient as a brand-name drug but is sold under its chemical name instead of a brand name.
- Branded generic
- A generic medication that is marketed and sold under a brand name by the manufacturer rather than under its chemical name.
- Active ingredients
- The specific chemicals in a medication that produce the therapeutic effect or treatment benefit.
- Budesonide
- A corticosteroid medication that reduces inflammation and is used to treat asthma and other respiratory conditions.
- Formoterol
- A long-acting beta agonist that relaxes airway muscles and improves breathing for extended periods.
- Corticosteroid
- A type of anti-inflammatory medication that reduces swelling and irritation in the airways.
- Long-acting beta agonist
- A medication that opens airways for extended periods by relaxing the muscles surrounding the breathing passages.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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