Why is Lumigan So Expensive: Save on Eye Drops
speciality medications
Lumigan Eye Drops cost around $300.00 for a tiny 2.5mL bottle. That bottle only lasts a few weeks – which makes affording this necessary medication a constant concern for American glaucoma patients.
In this guide, we’ll discuss ways to get Lumigan Eye Drops for less – up to 83% off! – through an international drugstore and online Canadian pharmacy.
Why Is Lumigan So Expensive?
Lumigan Eye Drops are expensive for many reasons.
Cost-raising factors may range from R&D expenses to marketing costs and beyond – but one of the main culprits is clear:
In America, drug manufacturers can charge as much as they want for their products. The government cannot step in and place caps on costs in any way.
This leaves glaucoma patients at the mercy of the American pharmaceutical market.
(Luckily, that’s not your only option, but we’ll get into that later.)
Before discussing specific ways to save on this medication, let’s establish foundational data so you can be an informed patient.
What Are Lumigan Eye Drops?
Lumigan Eye Drops help patients with ocular hypertension or glaucoma lower their interocular pressure.
The main active ingredient in these eye drops – bimatoprost – increases the fluid flow out of the eye. As a result, the eye itself contains less fluid, the pressure reduces, and the glaucoma patient is much more comfortable.
(If a visual would help – imagine a full water balloon. Instead of allowing the balloon to burst or remain uncomfortably stretched, you could ease the water balloon’s load by siphoning out water strategically and safely.)
In addition to increasing comfort, Lumigan Eye Drops reduce the chances that high interocular pressure could lead to eye nerve damage.
For patients with glaucoma, Lumigan Eye Drops can be the difference between permanent blindness and a relatively normal lifestyle.
It’s unfortunate, then, that Lumigan Eye Drops are typically priced far out of American patients’ healthcare budgets.
How Much Do Lumigan Eye Drops Cost?
A 2.5mL bottle of Lumigan Eye Drops can cost as much as $300.00 in America.
Let’s put that number in context.
People with glaucoma usually have to use Lumigan Eye Drops once daily. Each affected eye gets one drop – usually at night.
Every milliliter of eye drop solution contains around 20 drops. In that one small 2.5mL bottle, there’ll be about 50 drops – or 50 doses.
If you have glaucoma in just one eye, that bottle will last 50 days.
If you have glaucoma in both eyes, as is more common, that bottle will only last 25 days, or less than four weeks.
At that rate, to make it through one year of treatment, you’d need 15 bottles of Lumigan Eye Drops – which will cost you about $4,500.00.
Avoiding permanent blindness is important, but that’s a lot of money.
Fortunately, we have a way to save up to 83%.
How Much Does Lumigan Cost through an Online Canadian Pharmacy?
If you order your Lumigan Eye Drops through a Canada pharmacy online or through international drugstores, you can save on this chronic medication significantly.
Here, through NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy a 2.5mL bottle of brand-name Lumigan Eye Drops for about $50.00 – or up to 83% in savings and save plenty more on the generic.
Why are Lumigan Eye Drops So Much Cheaper Through a Canadian Pharmacy?
Steep savings on prescription medication can provide significant peace of mind.
It can also cause some level of confusion.
If Canadian pharmacies can offer Lumigan Eye Drops for $50.00 per 2.5mL vial, why are American pharmacies selling their version at such a steep markup?
Aside from the reason discussed above – the lack of government regulation on pharmaceutical pricing – there are several other reasons why this could be the case.
We’ll summarize the top ones next.
A Few Reasons Behind Sky-High Drug Costs in America
The main factors fueling high drug prices are marketing, R&D, manufacturing, and patent protection.
The motives behind the first three are simple: American drug companies spend a lot (a lot) on marketing. The same goes for manufacturing, research, and development.
When Allergan, the maker of Lumigan Eye Drops, invests in its products, it wants to see a return on that investment. So, when determining pricing structures for its drugs, Allergan ensures its prices more than cover the company’s costs.
Patent protections and their relationship to drug pricing boil down to competition. For the first several years after a drug company develops a drug (and gets it approved), the company can patent the drug and make it without any worry about competitors making their own versions.
During that protected period, the company can price its drug as it wants.
The company can also work hard to build a reputation for that drug – so that even when the patent expires and generic versions crop up on the market, many people stick with the brand name drug out of habit.
While Allergan still holds a few patents for Lumigan Eye Drops (which are currently set to expire in 2025 and 2027), there are generic equivalents available at certain active ingredient strengths.
That doesn’t mean that the generic will always be easy to find.
And maybe you’ll need one of the versions of the drug still under patent.
Further, you might try a generic version of Lumigan Eye Drops and – for whatever reason – prefer the brand-name formula.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to find a reliably low-cost, secure way to get high-quality brand-name medications.
That’s where online Canadian pharmacies can help.
Why Do Lumigan Eye Drops Cost Less through an Online Canadian Pharmacy?
Online Canadian pharmacies often offer reduced prices for brand-name prescription drugs.
For example, through NorthWestPharmacy.com, we can sell Lumigan Eye Drops for up to 83% off their retail price in America.
How can we make that happen? Here are just a few reasons why Americans can save big on medications when shopping online and across the border:
- The Canadian government regulates drug prices. Above, we discussed how the United States government can’t place price caps on American drug manufacturers (and their products). In Canada, the government steps in if prices get too high.
- If you’re ordering online, you can often take advantage of bulk pricing. For example, if you know you’ll be taking Lumigan Eye Drops regularly, you may be able to ask your doctor for a larger prescription. Many online drugstores offer discounts on Canada’s drugs when you buy more medication – for example, a three-month supply of eye drops, instead of just one 2.5mL bottle.
- Online retailers have lower overhead than American brick-and-mortar pharmacies. The pharmacy down the street from you needs to pay rent and other costs related to in-person retailing. Online pharmacies can skip many of those costs and pass the savings to you.
We need to address one more thing before moving on, though:
When scrolling through the internet, it’s often a good idea to be leery of deals that seem too good.
When we say we can offer up to 83% off name-brand medications, you may be wondering:
Is this real? Is this internet pharmacy safe? Is this remotely a good idea for you to pursue?
Is It Safe to Buy Lumigan Eye Drops Through an Online Canadian Pharmacy?
Yes, buying Lumigan Eye Drops through an online Canadian pharmacy is safe – as long as you follow a few basic precautions for Internet and medication safety.
For example:
- Run away from red flags. If the online pharmacy you’re considering advertises miracle cures, doesn’t require prescriptions, doesn’t answer the phone when you call, and doesn’t have any good customer reviews, that probably isn’t a good sign.
- Opt for green flags, instead. That is to say: If your online pharmacy is staffed with friendly, knowledgeable representatives, has a significant number of positive reviews, and does require prescriptions, those may indicate that the pharmacy is worth a try.
- Look for third-party pharmacy accreditations. In Canada, CIPA (the Canadian International Pharmacy Association) is a respected organization that monitors and vets online pharmacies. If a pharmacy website bears CIPA’s badge (and you can find the pharmacy on CIPA’s official list of legitimate online Canadian pharmacies and related international drugstores), you can feel safe about your upcoming order.
One question remains:
If your doctor has prescribed Lumigan Eye Drops and that’s the medication you’d like to take, excellent.
But what if you’re interested in learning more about your options?
How Much Do Lumigan Alternatives Cost?
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we believe giving you the information you need to make informed decisions about your care is part of being a good pharmacy.
Here’s some brief information about the main alternatives to Lumigan Eye Drops.
Xalatan
Xalatan (latanoprost) helps patients with ocular hypertension or glaucoma reduce high interocular pressure – much like Lumigan Eye Drops do. Xalatan also helps drain the eye – safely – of ocular fluid, resulting in pressure reduction.
Xalatan has a slightly weaker formula than Lumigan Eye Drops and works over a shorter period of time. If you don’t need dramatic results or if your baseline interocular pressure isn’t distressingly high, Xalatan may be a gentler way to pursue the results you need.
Lumigan Eye Drops may also cause some more side effects when compared to Xalatan. These side effects include eyelash growth and darkening of the iris.
How Much Does Xalatan Cost?
In the United States, Xalatan retails for around $313.00 for a 2.5mL bottle.
To save up to 84%, you can buy brand Xalatan through NorthWestPharmacy.com. Here, we sell a 2.5mL bottle of Xalatan for about $50.00.
Travatan Z
Travatan Z (travoprost with sofzia preservative), like Lumigan Eye Drops and Xalatan, is a type of ocular prescription medication that reduces interocular pressure levels.
Travatan is a little newer than Lumigan Eye Drops, however, and it has a slightly different preservative system. This can make it worth a try if Lumigan Eye Drops do not work for you.
Like Xalatan, many people see fewer side effects with Travatan Z than with Lumigan Eye Drops.
How Much Does Travatan Z Cost?
American patients may pay as much as $284.00 for a 2.5mL bottle of brand-name Travatan Z.
Alternatively, you can buy brand Travatan Z for about $180.00 for a 2.5mL bottle through NorthWestPharmacy.com (up to 35% in savings).
Combigan
Combigan (brimonidine/timolol) is a combination eye drop medication.
One of its active ingredients, brimonidine, helps reduce the rate at which fluid is produced in the eye.
Timolol works to increase the rate at which fluid drains from the eye – much like the other medications we’ve discussed so far.
This two-for-one method makes Combigan an effective selection, especially if your interocular pressure needs to come down as efficiently as possible. On the other hand, Combigan can cause more side effects than Lumigan Eye Drops (including fatigue and dry mouth).
How Much Does Combigan Cost?
In the States, a 5mL bottle of Combigan retails for around $250.00. This is more affordable than any medication discussed in this article – but we can still provide significant savings.
To save up to 82% on brand-name Combigan, you can buy it through NorthWestPharmacy.com for about $44.00 for the 5mL bottle.
Why Is Lumigan So Expensive? It Doesn’t Have to Be
Living with glaucoma is difficult enough. You shouldn’t have to be stuck with outsized medical bills for your necessary care, too.
NorthWestPharmacy.com helps Americans access the prescription drugs they need to live a healthier, safer, and happier life – without breaking the bank. We’re a CIPA-approved international drugstore that ships medication across the border directly to your front door.
If you’re in need of brand-name Lumigan Eye Drops, you can buy them here for steep savings. (And in just a few clicks!)
Wondering how we do it? Check out our customer’s Canadian pharmacy reviews to read exactly how we’ve made accessing brand-name and generic medication simple for hundreds of thousands of your peers.
If you’d like to chat with one of our friendly customer service representatives, discuss your prescription with our pharmacists, or even place your order over the phone, call 1-866-539-5330. We’ll be happy to provide the support you need.
