Pentam

Generic name: pentamidine isethionate

Used for: Pneumocystis pneumonia

How do you pay?

How to pay the least

Ask for the cash price

Generic pentamidine isethionate

No pharmacy we check posts a price for it.

  1. Ask your pharmacy for the cash price of generic pentamidine isethionate.Find pharmacies near you 
  2. Ask one or two other pharmacies too. Cash prices for the same generic can differ a lot from store to store.

A regular generic has the same active ingredient as Pentam, and the FDA requires it to work the same way.

Compare every option

Question
Brand namePentam
Authorized genericpentamidine isethionate
Regular genericpentamidine isethionate
What you’d pay
Cash priceAsk the pharmacyUsually the highest price
Not soldThere isn’t one
Cash priceAsk the pharmacyUsually the lowest
Same as Pentam?
The original
–
Same active ingredientFillers and dyes can differ

Brand nameNo maker’s card

We didn’t find a savings card or cash price from Pentam’s maker. Ask the pharmacy for Pentam’s cash price. With insurance, ask what your plan charges.

Authorized genericNot sold

There isn’t one. An authorized generic is Pentam itself, from the same company, sold without the brand name, and usually for less. A regular generic is sold, with the same active ingredient: ask the pharmacy for its price.

See the regular generic →

Regular genericWho makes it

3 companies sell a generic of Pentam that the FDA rates a substitute. A pharmacy fills whichever one it stocks. To get a certain maker, ask for it by name; most pharmacies can order it in a day or two.

It’s mostly filled by specialty pharmacies. Your prescriber’s office or insurer can tell you which one to use.

Who sells it: FDA and Medicaid records, updated weekly. Each maker’s page, card and program is from its own site.

What to say at the pharmacy

“Before you fill my Pentam, can you tell me what I’d pay for the brand and for a generic?”

Paying cash? Ask for each one’s cash price. With insurance, ask what your plan charges for each.

What it’s used for

What the FDA label says

Pentam 300 (pentamidine isethionate for injection) is indicated for the treatment of pneumonia due to Pneumocystis carinii.

Source: the FDA label for Pentam (Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC), September 13, 2022. Full label on DailyMed 

Good to know

Prices change: confirm with the pharmacy before you fill. drugalt.com/drug/pentam/