US Medical Term · pharmacy
Maintenance Drug
Medicamento de Mantenimiento
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Maintenance Drug |
| Spanish (Español) | Medicamento de Mantenimiento |
| Chinese (中文) | 维持性药物 |
| Korean (한국어) | 유지 약물 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Thuốc duy trì mãn tính |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Maintenance Drug |
| Portuguese (Português) | Medicamento de manutenção |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ยาบำรุงรักษาระยะยาว |
| Japanese (日本語) | 維持薬 |
What it means
A maintenance drug is a prescription medication taken regularly on a long-term basis to manage a chronic condition such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, or depression. Because patients refill these medications repeatedly, many insurance plans offer discounts—sometimes waiving one month's copay—when you obtain a 90-day supply through a mail-order pharmacy instead of monthly retail refills. Maintenance drugs are typically listed on a plan's formulary at preferred generic or brand tiers. Some plans require step therapy, meaning you must try a generic before the plan covers a brand-name maintenance drug. Checking that your maintenance drugs remain on your new plan's formulary before switching coverage helps prevent unexpected cost surprises.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
maintenance medication for chronic conditions
medicamento de mantenimiento para condiciones crónicas
long-term prescription drug
medicamento de prescripción a largo plazo
chronic disease ongoing medication
medicamento continuo para enfermedad crónica
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026