U&C

Medical abbreviation · Pharmacy

U&C
Stands forUsual and customary price
CategoriesMedical

U&C stands for Usual and customary price, a pharmacy abbreviation.

Price a pharmacy charges a cash-paying customer for a prescription. Contracts usually pay pharmacies the lesser of the U&C price and the plan's formula, so insured patients should never pay more than U&C.

Example: The copay was $15, but the U&C was only $8, so the patient was charged $8.

Usage notes

Discount programs and "$4 generic" lists led to disputes over whether those low prices should count as a pharmacy's U&C for insurance billing. Several states have banned PBM "gag clauses" that stopped pharmacists from telling patients when paying cash would be cheaper.

More pharmacy abbreviations

  • susp – Suspension
  • SWFI – Sterile water for injection
  • syr – Syrup
  • tab – Tablet
  • TNA – Total nutrient admixture
  • TPN – Total parenteral nutrition
  • UD – Unit dose
  • ung – Unguentum (ointment)
  • USP – United States Pharmacopeia
  • WAC – Wholesale acquisition cost
  • XL – Extended length
  • XR – Extended release

See all 134 pharmacy abbreviations →

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.