Dilaudid Street Price & Prescription Cost

Hydromorphone HCL is a semi-synthetic opioid drug prescribed by healthcare providers to treat moderate to severe acute pain or, in extended-release formulations, severe chronic pain. 

Brand name products made with hydromorphone include Dilaudid (immediate-release) and Exalgo (extended-release).

Dilaudid and other hydromorphone medications are classified by the FDA as Schedule II controlled substances, indicating that the medications carry a high abuse potential and the development of physical and psychological dependence and addiction.

Selling, giving away, or taking Dilaudid without a prescription, or taking it in any way other than as directed, is considered drug abuse. Those engaging in Dilaudid abuse can be prosecuted by law enforcement authorities under federal or state drug laws.

Dilaudid Street Price

Despite being controlled substances, opioid/opiate prescription drugs are frequently diverted and sold outside the medical system, often for recreational use. This leads to a wide variation in street prices of prescription opioids.

According to studies and government information, Dilaudid’s street value can be as little as $5 per milligram and up to $50 per milligram (2, 4, and 8 mg tablets are generally available). Generic versions tend to be somewhat cheaper.

Street Value Of Other Opioids

Compare the street value of Dilaudid to the black-market prices of other common opioid/opiate pain relief medications, such as:

• Vicodin (hydrocodone and acetaminophen): around $5 per pill
• Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen): around $10 per pill
• Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone): around $20 per pill
• Opana (oxymorphone): around $10 per pill
• OxyContin (oxycodone): around $20 per pill
• Ultram (tramadol): around $5 per pill
• fentanyl (pharmaceutical product): around $40 per transdermal patch
• codeine: around $5 per pill

Dilaudid Street Names

Dilaudid has developed its own slate of street names and slang terms derived from the drug’s name, physical appearance, and effects when used.

Known street terms for Dilaudid include:

• dillies
• dust
• D
• juice
• smack
• footballs

Dilaudid Prescription Cost

Dilaudid prices at a legitimate pharmacy with a prescription vary depending on your location, the pharmacies’ prices, your insurance coverage, and other factors. Generic hydromorphone medications may also be more affordable than equivalent brand name formulations.

However, in general:

• a prescription refill containing 30 Dilaudid 2 mg IR oral tablets will generally cost between $70-80 (around $2.5 per tablet)

• a prescription refill containing 30 Dilaudid 4 mg IR oral tablets will generally cost between $120-130 (around $4 per tablet)
• a prescription refill containing 30 Dilaudid 8 mg oral tablets generally costs between $200-220 (around $6-7 per tablet)

Online search platforms are available to help you locate the most affordable pharmacy prices for your specific medication, including differences between brand name and generic options. 

You may also be able to save money using memberships or discount cards, coupons, Medicare or Medicaid coverage, and other forms of financial assistance.

Dilaudid Abuse

Hydromorphone is 2-8 times stronger than morphine by weight, making it even more potent than oxycodone, a drug that played a key role in the development of the ongoing American opioid epidemic. 

Hydromorphone can be addictive if misused, with abuse also carrying a high risk for adverse effects like sedation, respiratory depression, and overdose death.

A person’s risk of overdose is further increased if hydromorphone is mixed with other forms of substance abuse, with some of the most dangerous combinations including alcohol, other opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines, and the illicit drugs cocaine and methamphetamine.

Dangerous counterfeit Dilaudid medications containing unapproved synthetic “designer” opioids in place of hydromorphone have also been reported in Ohio and other U.S. states.

Dilaudid Addiction Treatment

Opioid use disorder (Dilaudid addiction) is a treatable behavioral health condition that begins with medical detoxification.

Medical Detox

Due to hydromorphone’s potency, medical providers urge those who have become dependent on this medication to discontinue the drug carefully and with professional help. 

This may mean a gradual tapering-down of your medication or participation in a medical detox program to manage withdrawal symptoms. Detox programs are short-term and help prepare the body and mind for addiction treatment.

Inpatient Care

After detoxification, prescription drug abuse is best treated within a residential/inpatient addiction treatment center. 

With inpatient care, participants receive treatment services that may include medication-assisted treatment with methadone or buprenorphine, dual diagnosis care for co-occurring mental health disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy, counseling, and alternative therapies.

If you or someone you love struggles with painkiller abuse, dependence, or addiction, we can help. To learn more, please contact Ohio Recovery Center today.