5 Ways to Save on Premarin Vaginal Cream for Menopause

During and after menopause, symptoms such as vaginal dryness can interfere with your daily life. But menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) — previously known as hormone replacement therapy — can help. Premarin Vaginal Cream (conjugated estrogens) is a popular option for relief of vaginal menopause symptoms.

Premarin Vaginal Cream is one of the first-choice options for managing vaginal menopause symptoms, such as dryness or pain during sex. Currently, there’s no generic for Premarin Vaginal Cream. So finding ways to save on the cost is top of mind for many people considering this treatment option.

Here, we’ll answer common questions about Premarin Vaginal Cream and share some ways to save on this medication.

What is Premarin Vaginal Cream?

Premarin Vaginal Cream contains conjugated estrogens. As mentioned, It’s FDA approved to treat vaginal symptoms of menopause. Menopause symptoms are primarily caused by naturally dropping levels of estrogen in the body. Premarin Vaginal Cream works by raising estrogen levels in and around the vagina. 

As its name suggests, you should apply Premarin Vaginal Cream into the vagina. The medication comes with a reusable applicator that you should wash between uses. But your prescriber may also suggest using your finger to apply the cream in some cases.

Premarin Vaginal Cream dosages vary depending on your symptoms and response. It’s common to apply a dose once a day when you first start using it. After a few weeks, the typical dosage is once daily or twice weekly, depending on your symptoms. For daily use, your prescriber may have you apply it for 21 days, followed by a 7-day break.

Disclosure

Sponsored copay cardSubject to eligibility

Premarin

Avg retail price

$278.97(Save 91.04%)

Copay card

$25.00

See all discounts

How it works

Use GoodRx to find medications, pharmacies, and discounts.

GoodRx discounts can help you pay less for your prescription.

Bring your free coupon or savings card to the pharmacy.

Below, we cover five ways you can save on Premarin Vaginal Cream.

Good to know: Premarin Vaginal Cream doesn’t work for body-wide menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes. This is because not much medication from the cream reaches your bloodstream. Discuss other options with your healthcare team. You may need a medication that treats all menopause symptoms, such as oral Premarin (conjugated estrogens) tablets.

Savings tip No. 1: Use your insurance

The best way to save on Premarin Vaginal Cream is to use your prescription insurance. Many insurance plans cover it. But some plans require a prior authorization or step therapy before they will cover Premarin Vaginal Cream. And it’s possible your prescription may have a higher copay compared to vaginal estrogen products that have a generic version available.

If your insurance plan doesn’t cover Premarin Vaginal Cream, ask your prescriber’s office about filing an appeal. The exact process will depend on your insurance, but it often requires that you work with your prescriber to submit an appeal letter.

Savings tip No. 2: Pay as little as $25 for Premarin Vaginal Cream with a manufacturer savings card

Pfizer (the maker of Premarin) offers a manufacturer copay card for Premarin Vaginal Cream. To qualify, you must have commercial insurance. If you have a government-funded insurance plan, such as Medicare or Medicaid, you aren’t eligible. If you’re using this card, be sure to check the expiration date for the savings. You can review the program details in the chart below.

Savings tip No. 3: Apply for a patient assistance program

Pfizer also offers a patient assistance program for people who are uninsured. This program is also available for people with government-funded insurance plans who meet certain financial requirements. Be sure to ask if the assistance runs indefinitely or if it expires after a certain period of time or number of refills. Program information is shown in the chart below.

Savings tip No. 4: Use GoodRx

Anyone with a valid prescription, regardless of insurance status, can use GoodRx to buy one tube (30 gm) of Premarin Vaginal Cream at an exclusive cash price of $249. This tube typically lasts for about 6 months if you’re using it twice a week. That works out to about $41.50 per month.

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• Compare your options: Premarin Vaginal Cream (conjugated estrogens) is one of several available menopause treatments. Learn about the different options and how to save on them.

• What to expect: Pharmacists review notable Premarin Vaginal Cream side effects — from headaches to vaginal discharge — and how to manage them.

• Typical dosages: Learn about typical Premarin Vaginal Cream dosages here.

Here’s how to get the coupon:

• Visit www.goodrx.com or install the GoodRx app on your mobile device.

• Type “Premarin Vaginal Cream” in the search field.

• Click or tap on “Start saving” to find prices at pharmacies near you.

• Select your pharmacy from the list.

• You’ll see a box on your screen that says “Price without insurance.” If you’re on a mobile device, this box will be underneath the list of pharmacies and option for the manufacturer copay card. If you’re on a computer or laptop, this box will be on the right-hand side of your screen.

• Choose to receive your coupon via email or text, print it out, or save your coupon on the GoodRx app.

• If possible, provide the coupon information to your pharmacy staff early in the filling process, such as when you first get your prescription. This can help prevent delays at the pickup counter.

Savings tip #5: Talk to your prescriber about alternatives to Premarin Vaginal Cream

Other than Premarin Vaginal Cream, there are many other menopausal hormone therapy options available. While none of them are made from conjugated estrogens, they work in similar ways to relieve symptoms. There are also some non-estrogen and hormone-free options that can help with vaginal menopause symptoms.

Premarin Vaginal Cream vs. vaginal estradiol

Estradiol (Estrace, Vagifem, Estring) is another popular type of vaginal estrogen. Experts don’t recommend one vaginal estrogen over the others for treating vaginal symptoms of menopause. But there are several things that set estradiol and Premarin Vaginal Cream apart.

One of the biggest differences is the type of estrogen each medication contains. Estradiol products contain lab-made estrogen that acts like the natural estradiol in your body. Premarin contains conjugated estrogens that come from the urine of pregnant horses. That’s actually how it got its name: Pregnant mare’s urine.

Another difference is the available dosage forms for each medication. Premarin Vaginal Cream is the only vaginal product that contains conjugated estrogens. Vaginal estradiol comes in a few different forms:

• Vaginal cream: Estrace (brand-name), estradiol (generic)

• Vaginal tablets: Vagifem (brand-name), Yuvafem (generic), estradiol (generic)

• Vaginal insert: Imvexxy (brand-name)

• Vaginal ring: Estring (brand-name)

Good to know: Femring (estradiol acetate) is another vaginal ring that contains estradiol. But this medication contains higher amounts of hormones than other vaginal estrogens. Because of this, it can also treat body-wide menopause symptoms. Your prescriber would likely consider other vaginal estrogen products before Femring if you’re only having vaginal symptoms.

How to save on vaginal estradiol products

There are many ways to save on vaginal estradiol products, which are available as both brand-name and generic medications. Here are a few of them:

• Estradiol vaginal cream: This is available as both a brand-name medication (Estrace) and a lower-cost generic (estradiol). Generic estradiol cream’s price at certain pharmacies is as low as $24.00 for a 42.5 gm tube with a free GoodRx discount.

• Estradiol vaginal tablets: They are available as a brand-name medication (Vagifem) as well as two different lower-cost generics (Yuvafem and estradiol). GoodRx can help you save over 70% off the average retail price of the generic versions.

• Imvexxy: This is available as a brand-name medication. Anyone with a valid prescription, regardless of insurance status, can use GoodRx to purchase 8 inserts of Imvexxy at an exclusive cash price of $85. If you have commercial insurance, you may be eligible to pay as little as $35 using a savings card from the manufacturer.

• Estring: This is available as a brand-name medication, but a copay card can lower your cost to $25 per ring (90-day supply) if you have commercial insurance. GoodRx also offers exclusive savings on the cash price of $249 per ring, regardless of insurance status. A patient assistance program is also available.

Natural remedies for vaginal dryness

Most natural remedies for menopause symptoms, such as pollen extract and St. John’s wort, aren’t very effective for vaginal menopause symptoms. But there are other alternatives to Premarin Vaginal Cream, such as:

• Intrarosa: Intrarosa (prasterone) is a once-daily vaginal insert that contains a plant-based form of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The manufacturer’s copay card can lower your cost to $35 per month if you’re eligible.

• Osphena: Osphena (ospemifene) is a once-daily oral tablet that activates estrogen receptors in the vaginal area. You can use GoodRx to purchase a 30-day supply of Osphena at an exclusive cash price of $84.90. A copay card is also available.

• Over-the-counter personal lubricants: Lubricants can help replace moisture and reduce vaginal dryness and irritation.

Frequently asked questions

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Christina Aungst, PharmD

Christina Aungst, PharmD, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She began writing for GoodRx Health in 2019, transitioning from freelance writer to editor in 2021.

Edited by:

Stacia Woodcock, PharmD

Stacia Woodcock, PharmD, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky and is licensed in New York and Massachusetts.

Reviewed by:

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, is the director of pharmacy content for GoodRx. She has over a decade of experience as a pharmacist and has worked in clinical, academic, and administrative roles.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts