How to Help Your Patients Save Money on Relador: A Provider's Guide to Savings Programs

When a patient is prescribed Relador (lidocaine-prilocaine 2.5%/2.5% cream) before a procedure, cost can become a significant barrier to care — brand Relador Pak has a retail price of approximately $1,528.79 per kit. Patients who hit this cost barrier may skip the topical anesthetic altogether, impacting their procedural experience and your clinical workflow. This guide gives providers actionable tools to help patients obtain Relador or its equivalent at dramatically lower cost.

The Core Strategy: Prescribe Generic by Default

The highest-impact change you can make is to prescribe generic lidocaine-prilocaine 2.5%/2.5% cream as your default — not Relador Pak by brand name. This single practice change can reduce your patient's out-of-pocket cost from $1,528 to as little as $19–$34 with a discount card.

Best prescribing practice:

Write: "Lidocaine 2.5%/prilocaine 2.5% topical cream — DAW 0 (generic substitution permitted)"

Specify the quantity needed (typically 5–30 g depending on the procedure area)

Include application instructions in the prescription or procedure prep notes, as patients will need to know how much to apply and for how long

Note that patients can use a standard Tegaderm or plastic food wrap as the occlusive dressing if using generic cream without the kit

Prescription Discount Cards: Direct Patient Savings Tools

Prescription discount cards are one of the most powerful savings tools available to uninsured or underinsured patients — and they require no application, no income verification, and no waiting period. Consider printing or posting these in your practice:

GoodRx (goodrx.com): Shows prices at pharmacies near the patient's ZIP code. Generic lidocaine-prilocaine is typically $15–$30 with GoodRx at major chains. Patients can show the coupon on their phone at the pharmacy.

SingleCare (singlecare.com): Lists generic lidocaine-prilocaine as low as $19.62 per kit at participating pharmacies. Free card with no enrollment.

Rx.com: Compares prices across 60,000+ US pharmacies and can reduce costs by up to 90% on generics.

Clinical workflow tip: Add a GoodRx or SingleCare QR code to your procedure prep handout. Patients can scan it directly to find the lowest-cost option near them before picking up their prescription.

Insurance Coverage Optimization

For patients with insurance, help them navigate coverage effectively:

Generic lidocaine-prilocaine is Tier 1–2 on most commercial formularies and Medicare Part D — a $0–$50 copay in most plans

Brand Relador Pak may require prior authorization or not be covered at all — prescribing generically avoids this barrier entirely

Some plans may classify lidocaine-prilocaine as a procedure supply and require a different billing pathway — check with your billing team if patients are reporting coverage denials

For Medicare patients: Part D covers prescription topical anesthetics; confirm the specific plan formulary using Medicare's drug plan finder

HSA and FSA: Pre-Tax Dollar Savings for Insured Patients

Remind patients that prescription medications, including Relador and generic lidocaine-prilocaine cream, are eligible for payment through Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). Most patients are unaware they can use their HSA/FSA card at a standard pharmacy. For patients in the 22–32% tax bracket, using pre-tax dollars reduces effective medication cost by that percentage.

Manufacturer and Patient Assistance Programs

As of 2026, Accelis Pharma (maker of Relador) does not appear to operate a publicly listed patient assistance program (PAP) or manufacturer copay card. For patients with financial hardship who cannot afford the generic with a discount card, the following resources may help:

NeedyMeds.org: A database of patient assistance programs, disease-specific funds, and community pharmacy assistance

Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA): Connects patients with manufacturer assistance programs for brand-name drugs

Hospital social workers and financial counselors: Can identify local resources for uninsured patients facing medication cost barriers

In-Office Supply: Reducing the Burden for Procedure Patients

For practices performing procedures that regularly require topical anesthesia, consider supplying Relador or generic lidocaine-prilocaine cream as a practice-supplied procedural item rather than requiring a separate patient prescription fill:

Purchase generic lidocaine-prilocaine in bulk through medical distributors (Cardinal Health, McKesson, Cencora) at significantly lower per-unit cost than retail

Apply the cream in-office 60 minutes before the procedure, eliminating the need for the patient to source and bring it

Bill as a procedural supply or include in the procedure fee, depending on your payer contracts

This approach is especially useful during shortage periods when patients struggle to fill prescriptions at retail pharmacies

When Patients Can't Find Relador: Using medfinder

Cost is only part of the challenge — availability is the other. Patients who cannot find Relador or generic lidocaine-prilocaine at their pharmacy can use medfinder for providers, a paid service that contacts pharmacies on the patient's behalf to find which ones currently have the medication in stock. Directing patients to medfinder reduces missed procedures and saves your staff from taking patient callback calls about unavailable medications. For more guidance see our provider guide to helping patients find Relador.