PlainMeds research, FDA and CMS files of October 8, 2026
Brand vs generic: what pharmacies pay for the same strength
Across 367 strengths that NADAC prices as both a brand and a generic, pharmacies paid a median 20.0x more per unit for the brand (survey of 2026-10-07); the widest gap is lisinopril (ZESTRIL 10 MG TABLET: 690.1x).
What the data shows
| Medicine | Brand description | Generic description | Brand per unit ($) | Generic per unit ($) | Brand / generic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisinopril | Zestril 10 mg tablet | Lisinopril 10 mg tablet | $12.52 | $0.0181 | 690.1 |
| Atorvastatin | Lipitor 20 mg tablet | Atorvastatin 20 mg tablet | $19.07 | $0.0279 | 683.1 |
| Sildenafil | Viagra 100 mg tablet | Sildenafil 100 mg tablet | $83.72 | $0.1319 | 634.6 |
| Atorvastatin | Lipitor 10 mg tablet | Atorvastatin 10 mg tablet | $13.41 | $0.0228 | 587.3 |
| Zolpidem | Ambien 10 mg tablet | Zolpidem tartrate 10 mg tablet | $22.61 | $0.0396 | 571.3 |
| Atenolol | Tenormin 50 mg tablet | Atenolol 50 mg tablet | $12.78 | $0.0236 | 541.6 |
| Sertraline | Zoloft 25 mg tablet | Sertraline HCl 25 mg tablet | $15.17 | $0.0288 | 526.0 |
| Atorvastatin | Lipitor 40 mg tablet | Atorvastatin 40 mg tablet | $19.11 | $0.0374 | 510.7 |
| Sertraline | Zoloft 50 mg tablet | Sertraline HCl 50 mg tablet | $14.91 | $0.0348 | 428.5 |
| Escitalopram | Lexapro 10 mg tablet | Escitalopram 10 mg tablet | $15.41 | $0.0394 | 390.7 |
| Lamotrigine | Lamictal 25 mg tablet | Lamotrigine 25 mg tablet | $10.29 | $0.0268 | 384.7 |
| Alprazolam | Xanax 1 mg tablet | Alprazolam 1 mg tablet | $9.35 | $0.0243 | 384.5 |
| Anastrozole | Arimidex 1 mg tablet | Anastrozole 1 mg tablet | $52.86 | $0.1416 | 373.2 |
| Tadalafil | Cialis 20 mg tablet | Alyq 20 mg tablet | $53.83 | $0.1463 | 367.8 |
| Propranolol | Inderal xl 80 mg capsule | Propranolol ER 80 mg capsule | $68.70 | $0.1908 | 360.1 |
| Escitalopram | Lexapro 5 mg tablet | Escitalopram 5 mg tablet | $14.74 | $0.0416 | 354.7 |
| Topiramate | Topamax 50 mg tablet | Topiramate 50 mg tablet | $13.13 | $0.037 | 354.5 |
| Tadalafil | Cialis 10 mg tablet | Tadalafil 10 mg tablet | $53.69 | $0.1534 | 350.0 |
| Olanzapine | Zyprexa 20 mg tablet | Olanzapine 20 mg tablet | $49.88 | $0.1467 | 339.9 |
| Lurasidone | Latuda 20 mg tablet | Lurasidone HCl 20 mg tablet | $46.46 | $0.1417 | 327.9 |
| Alprazolam | Xanax 2 mg tablet | Alprazolam 2 mg tablet | $15.91 | $0.0488 | 326.2 |
| Topiramate | Topamax 100 mg tablet | Topiramate 100 mg tablet | $17.91 | $0.0567 | 315.9 |
| Alprazolam | Xanax 0.5 mg tablet | Alprazolam 0.5 mg tablet | $7.03 | $0.0225 | 313.3 |
| Citalopram | Celexa 20 mg tablet | Citalopram hbr 20 mg tablet | $9.01 | $0.0296 | 304.4 |
| Simvastatin | Zocor 20 mg tablet | Simvastatin 20 mg tablet | $9.73 | $0.0321 | 302.6 |
| Sertraline | Zoloft 100 mg tablet | Sertraline HCl 100 mg tablet | $14.94 | $0.0507 | 294.5 |
| Atorvastatin | Lipitor 80 mg tablet | Atorvastatin 80 mg tablet | $19.00 | $0.0693 | 274.4 |
| Escitalopram | Lexapro 20 mg tablet | Escitalopram 20 mg tablet | $16.09 | $0.0632 | 254.8 |
| Topiramate | Topamax 25 mg tablet | Topiramate 25 mg tablet | $6.58 | $0.0268 | 245.1 |
| Alprazolam | Xanax 0.25 mg tablet | Alprazolam 0.25 mg tablet | $5.63 | $0.0236 | 238.9 |
| Gabapentin | Neurontin 300 mg capsule | Gabapentin 300 mg capsule | $7.37 | $0.0314 | 234.6 |
| Pregabalin | Lyrica 25 mg capsule | Pregabalin 25 mg capsule | $9.69 | $0.0414 | 234.0 |
| Modafinil | Provigil 200 mg tablet | Modafinil 200 mg tablet | $80.35 | $0.3436 | 233.8 |
| Citalopram | Celexa 40 mg tablet | Citalopram hbr 40 mg tablet | $9.47 | $0.0414 | 228.9 |
| Lurasidone | Latuda 40 mg tablet | Lurasidone HCl 40 mg tablet | $47.11 | $0.2095 | 224.9 |
| Lamotrigine | Lamictal 100 mg tablet | Lamotrigine 100 mg tablet | $10.92 | $0.0487 | 224.0 |
| Montelukast | Singulair 10 mg tablet | Montelukast sod 10 mg tablet | $9.21 | $0.0419 | 219.8 |
| Modafinil | Provigil 100 mg tablet | Modafinil 100 mg tablet | $53.15 | $0.2479 | 214.4 |
| Gabapentin | Neurontin 400 mg capsule | Gabapentin 400 mg capsule | $8.87 | $0.0422 | 210.0 |
| Ezetimibe | Zetia 10 mg tablet | Ezetimibe 10 mg tablet | $13.94 | $0.0667 | 208.9 |
| Pregabalin | Lyrica 50 mg capsule | Pregabalin 50 mg capsule | $9.68 | $0.0471 | 205.7 |
| Celecoxib | Celebrex 200 mg capsule | Celecoxib 200 mg capsule | $15.65 | $0.0762 | 205.3 |
| Entecavir | Baraclude 0.5 mg tablet | Entecavir 0.5 mg tablet | $44.19 | $0.2186 | 202.2 |
| Topiramate | Topamax 200 mg tablet | Topiramate 200 mg tablet | $21.07 | $0.1102 | 191.3 |
| Gabapentin | Neurontin 800 mg tablet | Gabapentin 800 mg tablet | $16.88 | $0.0883 | 191.2 |
| Olanzapine | Zyprexa 5 mg tablet | Olanzapine 5 mg tablet | $16.62 | $0.0871 | 190.8 |
| Letrozole | Femara 2.5 mg tablet | Letrozole 2.5 mg tablet | $27.12 | $0.145 | 187.0 |
| Pregabalin | Lyrica 75 mg capsule | Pregabalin 75 mg capsule | $9.67 | $0.0528 | 183.1 |
| Simvastatin | Zocor 40 mg tablet | Simvastatin 40 mg tablet | $9.73 | $0.0538 | 181.0 |
| Acetaminophen and oxycodone | Percocet 10-325 mg tablet | Endocet 10-325 mg tablet | $41.40 | $0.2308 | 179.3 |
| Pregabalin | Lyrica 150 mg capsule | Pregabalin 150 mg capsule | $9.69 | $0.0542 | 178.7 |
| Paroxetine | Paxil 20 mg tablet | Paroxetine HCl 20 mg tablet | $10.74 | $0.0611 | 175.8 |
| Clopidogrel | Plavix 75 mg tablet | Clopidogrel 75 mg tablet | $8.23 | $0.0472 | 174.4 |
| Aripiprazole | Abilify 5 mg tablet | Aripiprazole 5 mg tablet | $18.68 | $0.1097 | 170.3 |
| Pregabalin | Lyrica 100 mg capsule | Pregabalin 100 mg capsule | $9.70 | $0.0571 | 169.8 |
| Aripiprazole | Abilify 10 mg tablet | Aripiprazole 10 mg tablet | $18.62 | $0.1117 | 166.6 |
| Lamotrigine | Lamictal 150 mg tablet | Lamotrigine 150 mg tablet | $11.47 | $0.0695 | 165.1 |
| Sumatriptan | Imitrex 100 mg tablet | Sumatriptan succ 100 mg tablet | $72.40 | $0.4388 | 165.0 |
| Pregabalin | Lyrica 200 mg capsule | Pregabalin 200 mg capsule | $9.68 | $0.0593 | 163.1 |
| Aripiprazole | Abilify 2 mg tablet | Aripiprazole 2 mg tablet | $18.66 | $0.1146 | 162.8 |
The table shows the first 60 of 300 rows.
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) weekly files, data.medicaid.gov, read October 8, 2026
How it was measured
NADAC descriptions of the newest weekly file, paired within a medicine by the same strength and form text (for example "5 MG TABLET"); brand and generic are CMS's own classification for rate setting.
What it cannot show
NADAC is what retail pharmacies paid wholesalers, before rebates and dispensing fees; it is not a patient price. Strength text that differs in wording is not paired.