Timothy C. Hain, MD
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Betahistine is a treatment for dizziness and hearing problems. It has a strange history and in the United States, Serc is in the possibly unique position of being a substance categorized as a placebo by the FDA, that nevertheless is generally obtained by taking an ordinary prescription to certain (but not all) pharmacies and getting it filled. See the main Betahstine page if you are wondering what this is all about.
Serc is available at Walgreens
Before you start reading this, our preferred source of Serc is presently "Nucara". See below.
While in the past it was somewhat difficult to obtain betahistine, now it can be purchased easily at Walgreens' pharmacies. The cost at Walgreens is variable, but sometimes reasonable. It is somewhat of a trial.error thing. However, as of 2020, this changed and Walgreens is getting far more expensive. This must be a marketing decision because betahistine supply/ingrediants has not changed for about 50 years.
The process at Walgreens is that you take in your prescription to the pharmacy. When the technician at the front desk says that they don't carry it, ask for it to be special ordered through the Walgreens compounding service. This usually works very well. The cost per month can vary quite a bit however.
Sometimes Walgreens clerks or pharmacists will claim that they have "never heard of Serc". This does not mean that Walgreens' doesn't carry Serc -- it means that the clerk is uninformed. Here, we suggest that you politely ask for the "compounding pharmacist", and suggest to them that if they can't figure it out, to call a Walgreens branch that knows how to do this. In Chicago, the hospital Walgreens pharmacy across the street from our practice is one such place (312-951-1084).
Other ways to find Serc other than Walgreens
In the Chicago, Illinois area, betahistine is also available from many compounding pharmacies:
NuCara Pharmacy is presently our preferred pharmacy for Serc/Betahistine, as prices are most reasonable. We think a reasonable price is about $40/month for a supply of 16 mg twice/day.
Nucara Compounding for Betahistine
Nucara-- mail order 3600 University Blvd, suite 103, Ames, IA 50010 515-292-3604, 515-292-3645 (f) Nucara fills prescriptions using their mail order service in Iowa. Ottumwa is another location where they fill betahistine.
Other sources in Chicago : Some of the better known compounders in Chicago include:
Keefer's pharmacyMartin Avenue Pharmacy 5 W. Prospect Ave. 10 W. Martin Ave Mt. Prospect IL, 60056 Naperville, IL 60540 847-253-1031, 847-255-3220 630-355-6400, 630-355-6522 We have often encountered patients who go to small compounders and get a somewhat reasonable price. For example, Elm Plaza pharmacy in Hinsdale.
We commonly hear how "nice" the compounders are, but this does not seem to correlate very well with being "reasonable".
Indiana:
South Bend, Mar-Main Pharmacy (574-234-3184)
Crown Point Indiana, Custom Dosing Pharmacy, (219-662-5602)
This link contains numerous compounders in illinois. This is not a comprehensive list - -there are many others.The cost from these sources is about $50/100 capsules. Other compounding pharmacies that I have been told about also can make up Betahistine. At the Martin Avenue Pharmacy, at least one patient managed to get it covered by his insurance, and the cost for a large dose went from $100 to $10/month.
National Compounding Pharmacies.
Westlab Pharmacy in Gainesville Fla., 1-800-493-7852, FAX 352-373-8099, , $39.99/100 8mg pills and $68.99 for 100 16 mg pills. As of 2015 our patients told us that prices have gone up remarkably at Westlab for Betahistine. Very strange.
Pharmacy Innovations is another large compounding pharmacy chain that we are told carries Betahistine.
Outside the USA.
Serc (betahistine) can easily be obtained from pharmacies outside the US, because it is often available over the counter. This form of Serc comes in commercial tablets in little blister packets, instead of in gelatin capsules made up individually by the compounding pharmacist. It seems likely that this source may be more consistent than that available in compounding pharmacies, and also it may be less costly. As recent recommendations for betahistine are for quite high doses (i.e. 48 mg three times/day), cost can be a big issue.
Disclaimer: The author of this web page does not know if the off-shore sources of betahistine are legitimate or not, and this is clearly a "buyer beware" situation.
There are multiple overseas (i.e. outside of US) sources of Betahistine (most recent at end).
1. Murray Shore pharmacy in Toronto. 800-201-8590. www.mshorepharmacy.com. $36.00 plus shipping and setup fee.
For the Murray Shore pharmacy a patient needs to fax the prescription and give a credit card number over the phone. There is a Federal Express fee on top of the charge for the medication, and a one-time $10.00 charge for him to set up an account.
2. ADV-CARE Pharmacy in Ontario, Canada
at 1-877-948-0464. 70 Esna Park, Markham, Ontario, Tel: (416) 410-9222 or (905) 948-1991, $35/100 8mg pills plus mailing costs.
3. Canadadrugs (//www.canadadrugs.com), sells generic 16 mg Betahistine for $35.81.
4. Rx Canada Direct
1-877-2268769; 23541 Ford Rd, Ste A Dearborn, MI 48128
Some of our patients recommend this source for betahistine.
5. //www.northdrugstore.com/buy-Serc.html