Call your dermatologist. He or she may be able to give you enough free samples that you won't need a prescription, or coupons to help you pay for the medication. They are often really helpful with these things. Otherwise, try calling the company--they will often send you coupons. You can also ask if you can use benzoyl peroxide instead of duac.

I couldn't offer you necessarily exact alternatives to these products. Tazorac is tazarotene, a topical retinoid, and Duac contains both benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin.

Benzoyl peroxide alone is available over the counter, on this website for example. As for topical retinoids, you'd need to try a different approach to complement use of BP. Examples include mandelic acid and a vitamin A serum. You could also try "Green Cream," which is a retinol product. Retinols and retinoids are different but are in the same family of topicals.

In the end, an alternative regimen will still be expensive (in the neighborhood of $100-$150, including the gels, creams, toner and cleanser). But it's still LESS than those prescriptions.

Tazorac is a brand-name retinoid. I don't think there is a generic of it yet. However, there are generic forms of other brands of retinoids that will probably work just as well.

Brand name: Retin-A Generic: Tretinoin

Brand name: Differen Generic: Adapalene (with my insurance, generic Differen is only $10)

You can get benzoyl peroxide over the counter (ProActive, AcneFree, Clearasil, Neutrogena...so many brands make benzoyl peroxide products).

You can then get your derm to prescribe generic topical clindamyacin. Use these together with your OTC benzoyl product and it will be like Duac.

Some other notes:

1) Mention to your derm that money is an issue, some only prescribe expensive brand names unless you push them to give you a cheaper option

2) If you don't have insurance, you can get a savings card that may cover some of the cost...there are also cards your derm can give you that will help pay even if you have insurance. For example, my Retin-A-Micro (brand name) prescription is $50 with insurance, but with my coupon I got 3 prescriptions filled for $20 each.

3) Where you fill your prescription can make a huge difference. When I filled my prescriptions at Wal-Mart, it was $100 cheaper than filling at Walgreens!!

I was just reading up on retinol online then came to the boards here to check some items out. From what I read, retinol can be just as beneficial, even in low concentration as retin a. Now as far as Tazorac, I am uncertain. But the problem with retinol appears to be the breakdown in light/air. As I understand, it is the delivery and storage methods that are important so you can deposit a sufficient amount of retinol into the skin for conversion to retinoic acid. (Should be sealed in a lighproof container. Mine is in an aluminum can and has an airless pump of some type--and I only apply at night) This is interesting to me because i do not have insuracne, so getting to a doc for a possible prescript plus actually buying the products at the phamarcy aren't an option for me at this time. Until I can get insurance, I am just doing the best that I can with OTC items.

Personally, even with drugstore brands (neutrogena) I noticed peeling and pore clearing (and everyone seesm to agree those have the absolute lowest concentrations and probably plamitate or somethign and not pure retinol). I jumped up to Skinceuticals .3% retinol because I wanted to start out slowly. No irritation from it, though it is drying somewhat and I use BP in the mornings close to my period. I have noticed clearer pores. I still break out but haven't have the huge deep cysts like before. I am thinking of going to the 1%, but I may try Avene.

Here is the conversion step:

Retinyl Palmitate (or other esters of it)---must be converted into retinol

Retinol---must be converted into retinaldehyde (retinal)

Retinaldehyde must be converted into retinoic acid

Retinoic acid is what affects the skin cells.

So, the fewer conversions needed, the more product can be converted and therfore should increase the effectiveness. Retinoic acid is prescript only, so the next closest thing would be Retinaldehyde. I believe that is exactly what Avene has in their line. I am uncertain on price, but I may check this out. The higher up you go in the chain, the more irritation is likely. The higher up you go, the less concentration you should need.

Anyways, wanted to add that in case someone else was looking around like me. Maybe this might help others who must rely on OTC. I'm hopeful of good results, especially after reading that even Retinol CAN be as effective as prescripts (epending on certain factors). But more than that, I personally have experienced good results from just the .3%.