What Does Modafinil Cost? Generic vs Non-Generic

Modafinil is a popular drug for students and success minded individuals because it works not only to promote better cognitive function but also is a great fatigue-buster and motivation enhancer.

It is sold under the brand name Provigil in the U.S. and UK, Alertec in Canada, and Modavigil in Australia.

Despite the research demonstrating Modafinil’s effectiveness, its use is limited in North America by the high price tag of a single dosage. The cost of Modafinil can be as high as $50 without insurance for an individual 200 mg pill.

Modafinil

Ergogenic Drug

Alertness

Mental Acuity

Focus

How It Works:

• Stimulates wakefulness in the brain
• Promotes mental acuity & processing
• Enhances focus, motivation & energy

Dosage:

Between 100 - 200 mg per day

Safety:

Some Reported Side Effects

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The Price of Modafinil

Modafinil (Provigil) prices are among the most expensive for equivalent drugs and the cost has been kept high due to a lack of generic alternatives.

This medication is used to treat narcolepsy, sleep apnea, shift work sleep disorder, excessive daytime sleepiness, and may sometimes be given to people with ADHD.

The drug has been under patent by the French pharmaceutical company Cephalon since the late 1990s. Modafinil was first discovered by scientists working for Lafon Laboratories. Lafon was later bought by Cephalon, who still to this day make the most popular brand name version of Modafinil, Provigil.

When their patent was scheduled to expire, Cephalon effectively used the court system to block generic drug production of Modafinil for an additional four years. There are now a growing number of manufacturers of generic Modafinil though.

Below are some of the current international manufacturers of Modafinil pills:

• Modalert – Sun Rise International Labs Ltd.
• Modalert (200 mg) – Sun Biotic Labs
• Modapro – Cipla Limited
• Modatec – Protec (Cipla Ltd)
• Modfil – Psyco Remedies
• Provake – Solus (Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd)

Today, generic tablet versions are more available, but the significant price savings which generally accompany generics is driven by a competitive market of suppliers. This lower-priced market is still developing at this time.

Modafinil’s Mechanism of Action

Modafinil was first discovered by the French scientist Michel Jouvet who worked for Lafon Laboratories in 1976. The discovery of Modafinil occurred because of the earlier development of a related compound, Adrafinil, in 1974.

Adrafinil is the prodrug of Modafinil. In the body, Adrafinil is broken down in the liver into its component parts. During testing to determine Adrafinil’s mechanism of action, it was found that its primary active compound is Modafinil. Modafinil is believed to cause all of Adrafinil’s effects.

Adrafinil and Modafinil are both classified as eugeroics, or wakefulness promoting compounds. They have stimulant-like effects in the body, but are not related to traditional amphetamine based stimulants.

The exact mechanism of action of Modafinil is still unknown. However, scientists have found that it affects many different neurotransmitters and their associated neurons and transporters in the brain and central nervous system, including Histamine, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, and Orexin (also known as Hypocretin).

One of the leading theories of how Modafinil primarily causes effects in the body is through the modulation of Orexin and Histamine. Orexin is a neuropeptide that regulates appetite, arousal, and wakefulness.

Modafinil has been seen to strongly activate Orexin neurons in the hypothalamus. Orexin in turn stimulate the release of Histamine, a neurotransmitter which has very similar effects and regulates sleep and wake states, and appetite.

On-Label Uses of Modafinil

Because of the wakefulness promoting effects of Adrafinil, and from results obtained in animal trials, Modafinil was first tested for human use for people with the sleep disorder narcolepsy. People with this condition are unable to maintain a wakeful state, experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness and often falling asleep multiple times per day.

Modafinil has been tested in many different double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials and found to significantly improve excessive sleepiness and increase wakefulness in narcoleptics compared to a placebo. It has been approved as a prescription medication for narcolepsy in many countries around the world, including the United States, since 1998.

Since its approval as a treatment for improving the excessive sleepiness of narcolepsy, Modafinil’s official on-label uses have expanded in many countries to include two other serious sleep disorders: shift-work sleep disorder and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome.

While the cause is quite different, both of these conditions have excessive sleepiness as an effect. In trials using Modafinil for shift-work sleep disorder, Modafinil has been seen to significantly decrease attention lapses and increase performance compared to a placebo. People with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome who are given Modafinil have reported significantly improved scores on the self-administered Epworth Sleepiness Scale compared to patients given a placebo.

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• Increases energy, wakefulness and motivation
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Popular Off-Label Modafinil Uses

Modafinil is officially approved for the sleep disorders described above. But it is estimated that as many as 90% of all prescriptions are in fact used for off-label purposes. Off-label uses are any use that is not an approved use of the drug.

Modafinil has been used off-label for many different purposes, including reducing fatigue associated with various diseases such as multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, schizophrenia, depression, ADHD, and as a nootropic cognitive enhancer.

One of the most common off-label uses of Modafinil is as an alternative to traditional attention-deficit hyperactivity drugs (ADHD).

There have been many clinical trials in all age groups showing that compared to a placebo, Modafinil significantly improves scores on a variety of tests of ADHD symptoms, including the DSM-IV ADHD Behavior Checklist, the Teacher and Parent ADHD Rating Scale-IV, the ADHD Rating Scale-IV School and Home Versions, the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale, and Conners Rating Scales.

When tested against a traditional ADHD medication, dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), both Modafinil and dextroamphetamine significantly improved scores on the DSM-IV ADHD Behavior Checklist for Adults compared to placebo patient scores. The two drugs showed similar efficacy, and it was suggested that Modafinil should be considered a viable alternative to certain ADHD medications.

Prescribing Modafinil for ADHD is believed to be one of the most written off-label prescriptions. Off-label prescriptions are entirely legal, and up to the discretion of individual doctors.

Some doctors will write patients off-label prescriptions for Modafinil for conditions like ADHD, especially in cases where a traditional treatment such as Ritalin or Adderall has either caused serious negative side effects (there is a possibility of serious cardiovascular amphetamine related side effects), or has not worked as effectively as wanted.

Besides ADHD, the most common off-label use of Modafinil is as a smart drug, or cognitive enhancer. A large variety of people have reported using Modafinil to given them an edge at university or at their job. Users have reported that Modafinil improves concentration, focus, memory formation and recall, and learning ability.

Some research studies have backed up the cognitive enhancing effects that users have reported. Two literature reviews of the available research studies at the time found that there was a trend across the studies that Modafinil improved memory, especially in the areas of working and episodic memory. Additionally, executive function (higher level mental skills required for planning, time management, impulse control, organization, memory, etc.) was seen to improve with Modafinil use.

One randomized double-blind placebo-controlled between-subjects research trial gave patients either a placebo or a 100 mg or 200 mg dose of Modafinil before asking them to complete a battery of tests of attention and memory.

It was seen that compared to the patients that were given placebo, the performance of the Modafinil patients was significantly improved on a number of tests, including two memory tests (digit span and digital pattern recognition), a stop signal reaction time test, and a spatial planning task.

Improvements to performance on these tests was also paired with a increased latency to respond on a few tests, including the spatial planning task, a delayed matching to sample test, and a decision-making task.

This delay was seen to correlate to a reduction in pre-potent responses (habitual or ingrained responses that are counterproductive to the task at hand). The scientists suggested that this reduction of impulsive responses to stimuli shows that Modafinil may be a beneficial treatment for people with ADHD and other attention-deficit disorders.

The Cost of Provigil

Provigil is the brand name version of Modafinil originally developed and still sold by Cephalon in the USA. It is available in 100mg and 200mg tablets. Most doctors know the cost for Provigil can be prohibitive to many patients, whether they have insurance to defray the cost or not.

When your doctor or neurologist is issuing a prescription for you, it is up to you to request the generic form of the drug. Generic forms of the drug have not been available for as long as the name brand Provigil, and some doctors remain unaware it has become available.

The cost for branded Modafinil tablets can vary by hundreds of dollars from one pharmacy to the next. Cost conscious consumers do well by phoning the different pharmacies in their area to find out which has the best price and whether any coupons are available.

According to GoodRX.com, Costco is typically the cheapest pharmacy to purchase this drug from, with a monthly prescription cost that is significantly lower than other national stores.

As of February 2018, this is a representation of prices for a one month (30 tablets) prescription of Provigil at five US national pharmacies:

Other pharmacies not included in this comparison include Kroger Pharmacy, Safeway, and Albertsons.

Based on these prices, one simple method you could use to save money would be to purchase the 200 mg tablets in a high quantity and then split them in half to make two 100 mg pills at a cost that is 25% lower.

In the US, some insurance companies may not cover the cost of a non-generic drug, or may require the patient to pay several thousand dollars in out-of-pocket expenses before insurance coverage kicks in.

If you have insurance coverage, contact them directly to find out what kind of coverage you may, or may not, have for assistance with Modafinil costs. Depending on the medical condition you are taking Provigil to treat, your insurance company may not cover the cost of this drug.

Generic Modafinil Costs

The generic drug will simply be called Modafinil and should be readily available at all pharmacies which carry the brand name drug.

Although the formula for Provigil was never released, the active ingredient is Modafinil and as long as you are taking the same milligram dosage, the effects are reported to be identical.

As of February 2018, this is an approximate representation of prices for a one month (30 tablets) prescription of generic Modafinil at five US national pharmacies:

NB: Prices with an * are dated from 2013. More current prices are not available. In general, prices have gone up slightly since that time, so you may pay more than listed here.

The prices quoted here are the estimated cash price. It is important to note that there are many free coupons available online to significantly reduce the price of generic Modafinil.

GoodRx.com is one source of these free coupons. For instance, with a coupon from them, the cost of 30 tablets of 100 mg generic Modafinil from Costco is $55.05. Another coupon decreases the price at CVS from $538 to $83.84.

Companies like this work with Pharmacy Benefit Managers such as Express Scripts to obtain lowered prices on prescription medications from large chain pharmacies.

While the savings are undeniable there are a few drawbacks to these discount coupons. Some pharmacies do not like accepting them, as they are not making as much of a profit, and in some cases a loss.

Additionally, your often must give your personal information and sometimes medical history to obtain the coupons. While some sites, such as GoodRX.com state that they do not sell your information, not all coupon sites have this guarantee.

For most people the savings outweigh the potential risks, and many people have successfully gotten their Modafinil at a discounted price with free coupons.

Can I Get Modafinil Without A Prescription?

Unfortunately, Provigil (Modafinil) is a scheduled drug and is not available, legally, without a prescription in many countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Germany, Italy, Finland, and Sweden.

Typically prescriptions are written for the sleep disorders discussed previously. In some cases, doctors will write off-label prescriptions for uses such as ADHD, altough it can sometimes be a struggle to find a doctor who will write that prescription.

Because getting a prescription is quite difficult, and then because prices can be so high for Modafinil from a standard pharmacy, some people will purchase generic Modafinil from an international online pharmacy based outside the US borders. A common point of origin for Modafinil is India where you can buy 200 mg Modafinil pills for as low as $2 each.

However, this is can be a risky proposition as there are fewer quality controls in place for offshore pharmacists and some suppliers have been known to ship fake products or tablets with a high concentration of impurities.

Online pharmacies that promise a safe, cheap way to order Modafinil online at a low cost may be too good to be true. If you buy Modafinil pills from a manufacturer outside of the United States, you may receive product from a non-FDA approved supplier which may not adhere to cGMP manufacturing standards.

Another concern is that the US Customs Officials may inspect, delay, or seize your shipment if they believe it is coming from an illegal source or if you do not provide proof of a prescription.

Many individuals have posted online complaining that they ordered Modafinil from an offshore pharmacy but never received the product they paid for.

Non-Prescription Alternatives

Because Modafinil is so difficult to obtain legally, and there are safety concern with purchasing from overseas online pharmacies, many people will instead turn to other non-prescription nootropic alternatives.

There is a non-prescription medication alternative called Adrafinil, though, that is readily available for purchase online in both capsule and bulk powder forms.

As discussed previously, Adrafinil is the precursor to Modafinil, the difference being that Adrafinil has to be metabolized in the liver before becoming Modafinil.

Because of this difference, larger doses are needed to produce the beneficial results, however, if purchased in bulk powder form, Adrafinil cost breaks down to less than fifty-cents per dose. This makes it much less expensive than the comparable Modafinil cost for the same dosage.

For many people, Adrafinil is a viable non-prescription alternative to Modafinil but because it must be converted by the liver, continuous use can result in damage or inflammation of the liver due to the build up of toxic liver enzymes.

This risk is thought to be similar to if you were to use too much Ibuprofen or Tylenol or use it on a habitual basis. It is recommended Adrafinil be used infrequently for acute situations which require extra fatigue-busting focus, rather than for long periods of continuous use.

Adrafinil is an unregulated, unscheduled compound in the USA, and in some other countries around the world, meaning that it is legal to buy and use without a prescription. Another group of compounds that are similarly unregulated Modafinil alternatives are the Racetams.

Piracetam was developed in the 1960s, and is considered the first nootropic compound. Its inventor created the word nootropic (from Greek, meaning “to bend the mind”) to describe the effects of this new compound.

Piracetam is believed to affect the cholinergic neurotransmission system in the brain. It is thought to increase levels of Acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter associated with memory and executive function. Piracetam has also been seen to increase oxygen and glucose uptake in brain cells, which may promote feelings of mental alertness and fluidity.

Since the discovery of Piracetam, other more powerful derivatives have been developed. These include Oxiracetam, Aniracetam, Pramiracetam, and Phenylpiracetam. Any of these nootropics could be incorporated into a stack and used as a non-prescription alternative to Modafinil.

Modafinil Side Effects

While generally well tolerated, there are some Modafinil side effects to be aware of. The most commonly reported side effect of Modafinil is headaches. It has been estimated that as many as half of all people who take Modafinil experience a headache related to the drug.

Other commonly reported side effects include: anxiety/nervousness, nausea, heartburn, indigestion, stomach upset, vomiting, diarrhea, back pain, dry mouth, dry skin, and insomnia.

In some cases, the dosage may be causing side effects. What is considered a common dosage for most people could be too high for some. Reducing the dosage for a few weeks may help reduce or eliminate side effects. If the desired benefits are not felt with the smaller dosage, then you can try slowly increasing the dosage back to a normal amount, keeping track of any side effects that may return.

Insomnia is a sometimes reported side effect of Modafinil. In most cases, timing of your dosage can cause this side effect. Modafinil has a relatively long half-life of between 12-15 hours. This means if it is taken too late in the day that it can cause sleep disturbances when trying to sleep at night.

It is recommended that you take Modafinil in one dosage in the morning to avoid this side effect. Sometimes the dosage is split, and in these cases, it is recommended to take the second dosage before noon to try and avoid any sleep issues at night.

While rare, there is the possibility of developing some rare skin and mucous membrane conditions when taking Modafinil. There is strong evidence that there is a genetic predisposition in some people that causes them to develop these conditions when they take certain drugs, including Modafinil.

Theses skin conditions include Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Stevens-Johnson syndrome is the most reported condition, and is considered the least severe, but still can be life-threatening.

Symptoms of this syndrome include a fever; flu-like symptoms; red, painful, watery eyes; a painful red or purple rash; and blisters on the skin, nose, mouth, and genitals. If you have any of these symptoms, stop taking Modafinil immediately, and speak with your doctor right away to determine a treatment plan.

Summary

Modafinil  can be an expensive drug in both the brand name and generic forms. Comparing pharmacy prices and searching for coupons can result in significant savings for a patient who is paying a good portion, or all, of the cost.

Speak to your insurance provider to determine whether they offer some kind of pricing plan for brand name Provigil or for generic Modafinil costs.

The cost of this smart drug varies depending on whether you purchase it from a US based pharmacy or an international vendor, but qualities assurances will be lower if ordering from outside the USA.

While you may be able to buy Modafinil online from international pharmacies, medication sold through these avenues may not be genuine and may contain impurities or counterfeit ingredients. It also may be seized by customs and legal action could be taken if you do not have a prescription.

An inexpensive alternative is Adrafinil, which is the precursor to Modafinil. Adrafinil can be purchased even if you do not have a prescription and comes in capsules or bulk powder for additional savings.

Modafinil does pose a risk of some side effects. Consult with a doctor and stop taking this drug if you experience chest pain, allergic reaction, symptoms of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome or any other medical conditions while taking this drug.

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