Save Time & Money by Ordering Pantoprazole in Longer Supply

What is Pantoprazole?

Pantoprazole is a type of medication called a “proton pump inhibitor” (PPI). It is most often prescribed to treat a condition called erosive esophagitis. This is a term used to describe damage to your throat caused by untreated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD is a condition where stomach acid is refluxed back up into your throat, which is both uncomfortable and damaging. Pantoprazole is approved for both the short-term treatment of erosive esophagitis, as well as longer-term maintenance to prevent relapses and further damage. It is also approved for use in treating conditions caused by too much stomach acid released into your stomach, called “hypersecretory conditions”. The main thing that all these indications have in common is an issue caused by the acid in your stomach.

Learn more about Pantoprazole Uses, Side Effects and Medication

How Does Pantoprazole Work?

Pantoprazole is part of a class of medications (called PPIs) that stop the ‘pump’ in your stomach from releasing acid. This reduces the amount of acid that gets made and therefore decreases the amount coming back up and burning your throat. It’s thought that the reflux of acid into your throat might be caused at least in part by your stomach making too much acid, so decreasing this would help solve this problem and allow your throat a chance to heal. Importantly, while taking pantoprazole, you still have enough stomach acid to digest your food, but not an excess amount to cause that reflux back into your throat.

How Long Should I Take Pantoprazole?

This question is best answered by the healthcare provider who is treating you. Ultimately, this answer depends on the reason you’re taking pantoprazole! For erosive esophagitis, there are two possible durations of treatment. If it’s an acute issue (meaning it happened all of a sudden) and not ongoing, then an 8-week course is usually enough to treat the problem and let your throat heal. However, if it’s a recurring issue, pantoprazole can be prescribed for as long as 12 months, or even indefinitely.

Erosive esophagitis can be very serious, so it’s often recommended 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 pantoprazole long-term versus the risks of damage from recurrent erosive esophagitis.

Learn more about the Risks of taking PPIs long-term.

Which Dose of Pantoprazole is Right for Me?

There is no “right” or “wrong” dose of pantoprazole. This generic medication comes in 20 mg and 40 mg tablets. Depending on your condition, it could be dosed once or twice per day. For erosive esophagitis, pantoprazole is usually dosed as one 40 mg tablet per day to start and can sometimes be decreased to one 20 mg tablet per day. However, if your healthcare provider has given you different instructions, listen to them as they 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 pantoprazole may change depending on the dose you have been prescribed. For one month (30 tablets) of generic pantoprazole, the price ranges from $10 to $174 depending on the dose and pharmacy. This can be frustrating as the dose that works for you may be more expensive than another available doses.

At Marley Drug you pay the exact same amount per month no matter which strength or dosing frequency you have been prescribed. Even if you are taking 2 tablets per day, you are not charged more than if you are taking 1 tablet per day, no matter the dose. We charge you for the month supply, not based on per-tablet pricing. This consistency allows your healthcare provider to find you the right dose without you worrying about cost changes.

Generic vs. Brand Name Pantoprazole

There is also a brand name version of pantoprazole available at many pharmacies, called “Protonix”. The generic and brand name medications have the exact same medical ingredient, pantoprazole, and are considered ‘equivalent’ by the FDA, meaning, the brand and generic versions should affect patients the same.

That being said, some patients still prefer being prescribed a brand name drug. Those patients often end up paying a huge markup in price. A one-month supply of 30 tablets of Protonix would cost you anywhere from $590 to $790! This is over 98 times more than you would pay for a month's supply of generic pantoprazole at Marley Drug and is why we recommend patients take the generic version.

Save More on Pantoprazole at Marley Drug

Marley Drug offers generic pantoprazole 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 per month! We also provide free shipping for our 6- and 12-month supplies, so your medication gets delivered right to your door with no extra costs in just 2–3 business days.

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 from the price decided by your insurance.

By receiving our medications directly from accredited wholesalers and cutting out the insurance company middlemen (who usually hike up the costs of drugs with their arbitrary “service fees”) we often save patients money, even compared to their copay.

We also offer a flat monthly price, so no matter the strength or the frequency of dosing you take per day, your price stays the same.

Filling a Longer Supply is Better for You

If you are on a longer supply of pantoprazole (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.