Atorvastatin — what it treats, what it costs

What it should cost to fill

Strength	Cash price	With a discount card
10 mg tablet	$7 – $45	$4 – $13
20 mg tablet	$8 – $50	$4 – $15
40 mg tablet	$9 – $55	$5 – $16
80 mg tablet	$10 – $60	$5 – $18

Typical retail ranges, not quotes. What you are charged depends on the pharmacy and on how the claim is processed — which is exactly why it is worth asking.

Where the money goes

Generic since 2011 and on the $4 lists. A Lipitor-brand bill is worth a phone call.

What else there is

Not recommendations. The tradeoff matters more than the name, and it is the part a prescriber will want to talk about.

RosuvastatinSame class

A stronger statin per milligram, also generic and cheap. Sometimes better tolerated, sometimes not.

Pravastatin, simvastatinSame class

Milder statins with fewer drug interactions — worth raising if you take several other medicines, though they lower cholesterol less.

Worth asking

If muscle aches are the problem, is a different statin or a lower dose worth trying before stopping?

Before you change anything.