Save Time & Money by Ordering Omeprazole in Longer Supply

What is Omeprazole?

Omeprazole is one of the most commonly prescribed medications we see at Marley Drug. It is very frequently prescribed to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Omeprazole is also approved for use in treating both stomach and duodenal ulcers, as well as other throat and digestive system conditions.

The main thing all these conditions have in common is too much acid produced by your stomach.

GERD vs. Acid reflux: GERD is often referred to as acid reflux, but they are actually two different extremes of this condition. GERD is the most serious form of acid reflux, and usually refers to when someone has recurring episodes of acid reflux where the acidic contents of your stomach frequently come back up into your throat, causing a burning feeling. Acid reflux describes the same situation but only happens every now and then.

Acid reflux can be treated “as-needed” by over-the-counter medications and does not usually cause long-term damage. On the other hand, GERD requires a course of prescription medication because if left untreated, it can cause a lot of damage to your throat. One example of this damage is “erosive esophagitis”, a condition in which your throat gets injured by the acid from GERD. This requires longer-term treatment with a prescription medication such as omeprazole.

Learn more about Omeprazole Uses, Side Effects and Medication Tips

You can also watch Ask Marley Drug video on omeprazole. One of our pharmacists, Dee, answers commonly asked questions about the medication.

How does Omeprazole Work?

Omeprazole is a type of medication called a “proton pump inhibitor” (PPI). These medications stop the ‘pump’ that usually releases acid into your stomach. By blocking this pump, omeprazole helps to reduce the amount of acid that gets made in your stomach, and therefore, decreases the amount coming back up and burning your throat.

It’s thought that GERD is caused, at least in part, by your stomach making too much stomach acid, so decreasing this would bring your stomach back to “normal”. Importantly, when taking omeprazole, you still have enough stomach acid to digest your food, but not an excess amount to cause reflux back into your throat.

How Long Should I Take Omeprazole?

This question is best suited for your healthcare provider. The length you should take omeprazole depends on the reason for why you need to take it. For GERD, omeprazole is typically prescribed for 4 weeks. However, for something like erosive esophagitis, the duration can be closer to 12 months, or even indefinitely.

Even for GERD, often doctors will end up prescribing omeprazole for long-term maintenance use, as recurrent GERD, and resulting esophagitis, is very damaging. In this case, it becomes easier to keep patients on a low maintenance dose to prevent them from discomfort and long-term damage. However, the risk of using PPIs for an extended time is also something to consider. Your healthcare provider will have to weigh the pros and cons of keeping you on omeprazole long-term vs the damage from recurrent GERD.

Read our blog on Risks of long-term PPI use.

What Dose of Omeprazole is Right for Me?

There is no “right” or “wrong” dose of omeprazole. This generic medication comes in 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg capsules. Depending on your condition and your health care provider’s orders, it could be dosed once or twice per day. For GERD, omeprazole is usually dosed as one 20 mg tablet per day, but if your healthcare provider has given you different instructions, listen to them as this can change based on each individual’s needs.

Do I have to Pay More for Different Doses?

Not at Marley Drug! At other pharmacies the price of omeprazole can change depending on the dose you have been prescribed. The price of a one month supply (30 capsules) of generic omeprazole can range from $11 to $110 depending on the dose and dosing frequency. This can be frustrating as the dose that works for you may be more expensive than other available doses. In fact, for omeprazole, the lowest dose (10 mg) is the most expensive. This seems backwards since you’re getting “less drug” but paying more for it.

At Marley Drug you pay the exact same amount per month no matter which strength or frequency you are prescribed. Even if you are taking 2 capsules per day, you are not charged more than if you are taking 1 capsule per day. We charge you for the month supply, not based on per-capsule pricing. That means if you take one 40 mg capsule once per day you pay the same as if you take one 10 mg capsule two times a day. This consistency allows you and your health care provider to find the right dose without you worrying about cost changes.

Save Money on Omeprazole at Marley Drug

Marley Drug offers generic omeprazole at a lower price as part of our Wholesale Price List. A 6-month supply would cost you $37, and a full 12-month supply only $70. That’s less than $6 a month! We also provide free shipping for our 6- and 12- month supplies, so your medication gets delivered right to your door for no extra costs.

Why are our prices so low? We provide wholesale prices, which means we price our medications based on what it costs us to buy them, not by what has been decided by your insurance.

By getting our medications directly from accredited wholesalers we are able to cut out the insurance company middlemen who usually push up the costs of drugs with their arbitrary “service fees”. Because of this, our prices are competitive and often better than most insurance plans.

If you are on a longer supply of omeprazole (ie: 6+ months) filling in longer supply may be better for you. Filling a longer supply means you will have access to a consistent amount of medication without worrying about multiple trips to the pharmacy every few months. This also means you don’t have to pay pharmacy fees when refilling your prescription every few months, which decreases your overall medication costs even more.