Betaxolol hydrochloride (tablets and eye drops)

How Medicare covers it

Part D (forms used at home). Part A during a covered inpatient stay. No Part B clinician-administered form in the CMS Part B spending file.

What it treats

The oral tablets treat high blood pressure. The eye drop form treats high pressure inside the eye in people with chronic open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

What it is for, in depth

Betaxolol is a beta blocker used in two different ways. The oral tablets treat high blood pressure. The eye drop form treats high pressure inside the eye in people with chronic open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. For high blood pressure, it is prescribed as a daily tablet treatment that controls blood pressure but does not cure it, and the full benefit may take 1 to 2 weeks or longer. In tablet form it mainly blocks beta-1 receptors, slows the heart, and relaxes blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure. In the eye it lowers the amount of fluid made in the eye, which lowers eye pressure. It comes as betaxolol 5 MG/ML Ophthalmic Solution, betaxolol hydrochloride 10 MG Oral Tablet, and betaxolol hydrochloride 20 MG Oral Tablet. Tablets are usually taken once a day, and eye drops are usually used twice a day.

How it works

Betaxolol is a beta blocker that mainly blocks beta-1 receptors. In tablet form it slows the heart and relaxes blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure. In the eye it lowers the amount of fluid made in the eye, which lowers eye pressure.

How it is taken

Tablets: taken by mouth, usually 10 mg once a day to start, with or without food, at the same time each day. Eye drops: usually one drop in the affected eye or eyes twice a day. Do not stop the tablets suddenly without talking to your doctor.

Common side effects

Slow heartbeat, tiredness, shortness of breath, feeling very tired or sluggish, headache, dizziness, upset stomach, and trouble with erections. Eye drops can cause short-term eye discomfort, dry eyes, and watering.

Serious warnings

Like other beta blockers, betaxolol can worsen heart failure, slow the heart too much, or cause heart block. It can hide signs of low blood sugar in people with diabetes and can make breathing problems worse. Tell your care team if you faint, feel very short of breath, or your heart feels very slow.

Who should be careful

People with heart failure, a very slow heart rate, heart block, asthma or other breathing problems, diabetes, thyroid problems, kidney problems, or poor blood flow in the legs. Older adults can be more sensitive to a slow heartbeat.

Major interactions

Other beta blockers, verapamil and other heart-rate-lowering drugs, quinidine, and drugs that lower blood pressure can add to the slowing and blood-pressure effects. Tell your doctor about all heart, blood pressure, and diabetes medicines you take.

Cost and saving notes

If this drug is on your Part D plan's formulary at a high tier, you can ask your plan for a tier exception to try to lower your cost. Extra Help (the Low Income Subsidy) can also lower Part D drug costs if you qualify.

Why it is in its tier

Betaxolol is most often placed on Tier 3. It is listed by 99.51% of Part D plans, and 66.48% of listing plans place it on Tier 3, which is a majority. Tier 3 is the preferred brand level, where you usually pay a mid-level flat copay or a share of the cost, called coinsurance, which is more than the low generic tiers but less than non-preferred tiers. This package covers both tablet and eye drop forms together, which helps explain the higher placement in the combined data. For cost context, CMS reports average spending of $279.67 per beneficiary in 2024 as a CMS program average, not a copay, so it is not what you pay for one fill. Individual plans vary, so check your own plan's tier and cost for this drug.

Sources

• BETAXOLOL HYDROCHLORIDE tablet, coated — DailyMed
• MedlinePlus — National Library of Medicine
• MedlinePlus — Betaxolol

What official patient guides say

The MedlinePlus page used here covers betaxolol tablets taken by mouth for high blood pressure only; this packaged drug also includes an eye-drop form, which that page does not cover, and the daily-life facts below describe the tablets. Betaxolol comes as a tablet to take by mouth, usually once a day, at around the same time every day. Take it exactly as directed — do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose and may increase your dose after 1 to 2 weeks if your blood pressure is not controlled. Betaxolol controls high blood pressure but does not cure it, and it may take 1 to 2 weeks or longer before you note the full benefit, so keep taking it even if you feel well. Do not stop taking betaxolol without talking to your doctor — if you suddenly stop, you may have serious heart problems, so your doctor will probably lower your dose gradually over about 2 weeks, watch you carefully during that time, and may tell you to limit physical activity while your dose is being lowered. If you forget a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it, but if it is almost time for the next dose, skip it — do not take a double dose to make up for one you missed. Keep it in the container it came in, tightly closed and out of the reach of children, stored at room temperature away from excess heat and moisture, not in the bathroom. Take unneeded medicine to a take-back program instead of flushing it.

Source: MedlinePlus — Betaxolol

Part D formulary coverage

Source: CMS Prescription Drug Plan Formulary, Pharmacy Network, and Pricing Information Files — Monthly file 2026-10-15 (plan year 2027), file 2027_20261008.zip (data.cms.gov dataset ed1496ea-23e7-41f1-9292-172fa842ccfb): basic drugs formulary file + plan information file, both dated 20261031 inside the zip; downloaded and aggregated 2026-10-30. Medication RxCUI sets resolved through the NLM RxNav (RxNorm) API.

What you pay

Without insurance, the cash benchmark is $0.5866 per unit (BETAXOLOL 10 MG TABLET) — about $17.60 for 30 units. NADAC benchmark — the average price pharmacies pay (CMS, as of 2026-11-04). Pharmacy shelf prices vary.

A tier is not a price; what you pay depends on your plan, pharmacy, and benefit stage; Extra Help or Medicaid can lower it further.

Sources: CMS Plan Benefit Package + formulary data; CMS NADAC · Checked 2026-11-07

Coverage by plan and tier

Of the 5,495 Medicare drug plans we track for 2027, 5,468 list Betaxolol hydrochloride (tablets and eye drops) — 99.5% of plans. Most of those plans put it on Tier 3: 3,635 plans, 66.5% of the plans that list it. Other plans place it on Tier 2 (1,229 plans), Tier 1 (526 plans) or Tier 4 (78 plans). For example: Aetna Medicare Dual Extra (HMO D-SNP) puts it on Tier 3; Aetna Medicare Dual Extra Care (PPO D-SNP) puts it on Tier 3; Aetna Medicare Value Plus (PPO) puts it on Tier 3. You can compare these plans side by side on our Medicare Advantage hub. A tier is not a price. What you pay also depends on whether you have met your plan's deductible, whether the drug costs a flat copay or a share of the price, and whether you get Extra Help or Medicaid.

Read next

• Part D in 2027: The $700 Deductible, the $2,400 Cap, and the $35 Insulin Rule
• Extra Help in 2027: Lower Drug Copays and Who Qualifies
• Checking Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help

Part D spending averages (2024)

Source: CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug (Drug Spending Dashboard), release RY26 P04 V10, data through 2024 (DSD_PTD_RY26_P04_V10_DY24_BGM.csv), downloaded 2026-10-30

Companies covering this drug

Part D and Medicare Advantage plan sponsors that list this drug on a formulary, 50 at a time.