Azasite Coupons & Prices

If you have been handed a prescription for AzaSite and want to know what it will actually cost you, an AzaSite coupon from Rx.com can be used at the pharmacy counter to pay a cash discount price instead of full retail. AzaSite is a brand-name eye drop containing azithromycin ophthalmic solution 1% in a thickened DuraSite vehicle, FDA-approved to treat bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye) caused by certain bacteria. There is no substitutable generic version of this exact eye drop on the US market, so the brand price is what you are working with. Enter your ZIP code above to see today's price at pharmacies near you before you fill.

What AzaSite is and how it works

AzaSite is azithromycin ophthalmic solution 1% (azithromycin monohydrate) delivered in DuraSite, a vehicle that thickens on contact with the eye so the drop stays on the surface longer instead of running off. Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic. Applied as a drop, it works against the bacteria on the surface of the eye that cause infection.

It was first approved by the FDA in 2007 (NDA 050810) for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis, commonly called pink eye, caused by susceptible isolates of CDC coryneform group G, Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mitis group, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The labeled course is short: 1 drop in the affected eye or eyes twice daily, 8 to 12 hours apart, for the first 2 days, then 1 drop once daily for the next 5 days, for a 7-day course in total. Some eye doctors also prescribe it for lid conditions such as blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction; those uses are not FDA-approved and are supported mainly by small studies, so follow whatever your own eye doctor tells you rather than anything you read here.

Manufacturer savings card vs. the Rx.com cash coupon

Brand-name eye drops are usually where the sticker shock lands, and searches for an AzaSite coupon mostly turn up two things: a manufacturer program and cash discount cards. Manufacturer copay savings programs for brand drugs are generally limited to people with commercial (employer or marketplace) insurance, and they typically exclude anyone with Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or other government coverage, and often the uninsured as well. Any current AzaSite program information would be posted on the manufacturer's own official AzaSite website. We do not link a savings-card page here because those deep links break often, and the terms, eligibility, and expiration dates vary and change without notice, so read them yourself before you count on one.

The Rx.com cash coupon works differently. It is not insurance and it is not tied to your coverage, so it is worth checking if you are uninsured, if you are on Medicare or another government plan that manufacturer cards shut out, if you have not met your deductible, or if a savings card was declined at the counter. You use it instead of insurance, not on top of it. Prices vary quite a bit from one pharmacy to the next, even between stores in the same town, so it pays to compare before you drop the prescription off. Enter your ZIP above to see today's price at pharmacies near you. If the cost is still a problem, tell your prescriber. Bacterial conjunctivitis can often be treated with more than one antibiotic drop, and there may be a cheaper option that is medically appropriate for you.

Is there a generic, and what are the alternatives?

There is no FDA-approved, marketed, substitutable generic of AzaSite in the United States, so the usual biggest savings lever, swapping to a generic of the same product, is not available here. Oral azithromycin tablets (the generic of Zithromax) contain the same antibiotic but are a completely different product taken by mouth for different, systemic infections. They are not a substitute for an eye drop, and you should never assume one can replace the other.

What may be worth asking your prescriber about are other topical antibiotics used for eye infections, each with its own label, dosing schedule, and price:

• Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment, another macrolide, available as a generic
• Vigamox (moxifloxacin) and Besivance (besifloxacin), fluoroquinolone drops
• Generic ciprofloxacin ophthalmic solution
• TobraDex (tobramycin with dexamethasone), which adds a steroid and is only appropriate in certain situations your doctor decides

Prices for all of these vary by pharmacy, and cheaper is not automatically better, since the right choice depends on what is causing your infection. Bring the comparison to your prescriber rather than switching on your own.

Safety, side effects, and using the drops correctly

AzaSite has no boxed warning. It should not be used by anyone with a hypersensitivity to azithromycin or to any component of the product. It is for topical use in the eye only: it must never be injected under the conjunctiva, put directly into the anterior chamber of the eye, or given systemically. Serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, angioedema, and severe skin reactions, have been reported with systemic azithromycin. If you develop a hypersensitivity reaction, stop the drug and get medical care. Prolonged use can allow non-susceptible organisms, including fungi, to overgrow.

The most common side effect is eye irritation, reported in roughly 1 to 2 percent of patients. Reported in under 1 percent were blurred vision, burning, stinging, contact dermatitis, corneal erosion, dry eye, eye discharge, itching, and punctate keratitis. A few practical points: do not wear contact lenses while you have signs or symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis; do not let the dropper tip touch your eye, your fingers, or any surface, since that can contaminate the bottle; and finish the full 7-day course even if your eye looks and feels better sooner, which helps reduce the chance of resistant bacteria. Unopened bottles are stored in the refrigerator (2 to 8 degrees C), and once in use may be kept at room temperature for up to 14 days; discard the bottle after your course is finished. This is a summary, not medical advice, and not a complete list of side effects. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.