How Much Is Clindamycin Without Insurance?
Key takeaways:
Clindamycin is a generic antibiotic that comes in several forms, including topical creams, gels, oral tablets, vaginal suppositories, and intravenous infusions. It can treat conditions such as skin infections or strep throat in adults and children.
Clindamycin works by preventing bacteria from growing or reproducing. It’s available in different brand-name forms, including Cleocin, Cleocin T, Clindagel, and Evoclin.
Without insurance, a typical course of 40 capsules of 150 mg oral clindamycin could cost as little as $11.74 with a GoodRx coupon.
Access savings on related medications
Table of contents
Clindamycin is a generic antibiotic that works by preventing the growth and spread of bacteria in the body. It can treat many bacterial infections, including strep throat, skin infections, respiratory infections, and bacterial vaginosis (a common vaginal infection).
Topical clindamycin also can treat mild to moderate acne. The antibiotic is safe for adults and children, as well as those with a penicillin allergy.
Clindamycin comes in oral, topical, vaginal, and injectable forms and is the generic of brand-name antibiotics including Cleocin, Cleocin T, Clindagel, and Evoclin.
Clindamycin basics
The chart below provides a summary of basic information about clindamycin.
Clindamycin Basics
| Generic name | Clindamycin |
| Brand names | Cleocin, Cleocin T, Clindagel, Evoclin, Clindesse, Xaciato |
| Forms |
|
| FDA-approved uses |
|
| Benefits |
|
| Possible side effects | Oral clindamycin
Topical clindamycin
Vaginal clindamycin
|
Is Clindamycin covered by insurance?
Many insurers cover generic clindamycin, including nearly all Medicaid or Medicare plans. Most commercial plans cover clindamycin, while just over half of plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare) cover the antibiotic.
If you have insurance, review your plan’s summary of benefits and coverage and formulary (its list of covered medications) to determine whether generic clindamycin is covered. Or call your health insurance provider and ask about your coverage options. If clindamycin is not covered, ask if a similar option is available.
How insurance covers Clindamycin
The following chart shows the likelihood of coverage for clindamycin injections that are administered by a healthcare professional, based on the type of insurance plan.
The majority of health insurance plans cover clindamycin, and most don’t require enrollees to get a prior authorization or do step therapy. However, prior authorization is required for about 1 in 3 people with Medicaid coverage.
Insurance Coverage for Clindamycin (4 ml of 150 mg/ml vial)
Insurance type | Enrollees covered for this medication | Enrollees required to get a prior authorization | Enrollees required to do step therapy |
|---|---|---|---|
Commercial (not including plans purchased through the ACA marketplace) | 79.5% | 2.1% | 0.03% |
51.8% | 7.1% | 0% | |
Medicare, including original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans | 95.8% | 7.2% | 0% |
Medicaid, including state-run and managed care plans | 99.1% | 31.4% | 3.64% |
Source: Managed Markets Insight & Technology, LLC™, as of November 13, 2024. (See methodology below.)
Clindamycin vs. Augmentin: Check out this comparison between clindamycin and Augmentin, two medications that are prescribed to treat lower respiratory tract infection and skin infections.
Potential side effects: Clindamycin may cause side effects, including diarrhea, nausea, or throat irritation. Most side effects are mild and improve over time.
Alternative to penicillin: Clindamycin is an FDA-approved medication that is a viable alternative for people with a penicillin allergy.
Tips if your medication isn’t covered by insurance
Here are a few options if your health insurance doesn’t cover clindamycin:
If your prescription isn’t covered, ask your prescriber about a less costly option that may meet your needs.
Request an exception from your prescription medication formulary. This may require you to do step therapy or get a prior authorization to be covered.
If you request a formulary exception and are denied coverage, file an appeal with your plan.
Use a GoodRx coupon.
During your next open enrollment period, weigh your options. You may be eligible for another plan with better prescription medication coverage.
How much does Clindamycin cost without insurance?
Without insurance, what you pay for clindamycin depends on several factors, including your:
Specific pharmacy
Geographic location
Fill amount
Prescribed dosage
The following table shows what you might pay for different quantities, doses, and forms of clindamycin.
Clindamycin Costs
Clindamycin forms and dosages | Average cash price |
|---|---|
Capsules (75 mg), 40 capsules | |
Capsules (150 mg), 40 capsules | |
Capsules (300 mg), 40 capsules | |
Carton (60 pledgets of 1%) | |
Cream (40 g of 2%), 1 tube | |
Foam (50 g of 1%), 1 can | |
Foam (100 g of 1%), 1 can | |
Gel (75 ml of 1%), 1 bottle | |
Gel (30 g of 1%), 1 tube | |
Gel (60 g of 1%), 1 tube | |
Lotion (60 ml of 1%), 1 bottle | |
Oral solution (100 ml of 75mg/5 ml),1 bottle | |
Topical solution (30 ml of 1%), 1 bottle | |
Topical solution (60 ml of 1%), 1 bottle |
Clindamycin is also available as brand-name Cleocin vaginal suppositories, Clindesse vaginal cream, and Xaciato vaginal gel.
Ways to save on Clindamycin without insurance
Here are four ways to save on Clindamycin without insurance.
1. Use a GoodRx coupon
With a GoodRx coupon, you may be able to pay a lower price for your clindamycin prescription.
Here’s how to get a coupon:
Either visit www.goodrx.com, or install the GoodRx app on your mobile device.
Type “clindamycin” in the search field.
Choose the correct quantity, dosage type, and location.
Choose to receive your coupon via email or text, or print it out.
Show the coupon at the pharmacy when you pick up your medication. If you present the coupon to your pharmacy staff early in the filling process, such as when you first receive your prescription, this could prevent delays at the pickup counter.
2. Compare prices at various pharmacies
With GoodRx, you can easily compare costs at different pharmacies to find the best clindamycin price in your area.
3. Ask your prescriber about alternatives
If you’re concerned about the cost of clindamycin, speak with your pharmacist or prescriber. There may be another medication that adequately treats your condition and fits your budget.
4. Use tax-advantaged healthcare funds
If you have a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), or health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), consider using those funds to buy your medication. This can lower your out-of-pocket costs through tax savings.
The bottom line
The cost of clindamycin depends on multiple factors, including the pharmacy, location, quantity, dosage form, and insurance coverage. If you don’t have insurance, a typical course of 40 capsules of 150 mg oral clindamycin could cost as little as $11.74 with a GoodRx coupon. Other forms, such as topical or vaginal creams and gels, may cost more or less.
If your insurance doesn’t cover clindamycin, another way to save money is to use a GoodRx or pharmacy coupon. You could also use tax-advantaged funds from a healthcare account or compare prices at several pharmacies to save. Speak with your prescriber about your options or if there’s an alternate medication that costs less.
Why trust our experts?
Methodology
We obtained national prescription coverage data for each medication from Managed Markets Insight & Technology (MMIT). The data reflect health insurance coverage as of November 2024.
We calculated the percentage of enrollees in plans that cover each medication by dividing the number of enrollees covered for the medication within a specific insurance channel (e.g., ACA, Medicare, Medicaid) by the total number of enrollees in all plans within that channel.
We determined the percentage of enrollees in plans with a prior authorization requirement by calculating the proportion of enrollees in plans that required prior authorization for the medication within each channel.
Finally, we measured the percentage of enrollees in plans with a step therapy requirement by calculating the proportion of enrollees in plans that imposed step therapy requirements for the medication in each channel.
These estimates, derived from national MMIT coverage data, provide insight into health insurance coverage for each medication. They take into account restrictions such as prior authorization, step therapy, and quantity limits. The percentages are expressed relative to the total number of enrollees covered by various insurance channels, including the ACA, commercial (excluding ACA) plans, Medicare, and Medicaid (both state-run and managed care plans).
References
Del Rosso, J. Q., et al. (2024). Clindamycin: A comprehensive status report with emphasis on use in dermatology. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology.
Medicaid.gov. (n.d.). Managed care.
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