Most Americans are aware of GoodRx, a service that delivers drug discounts at the pharmacy. Heather Landi reports for FierceHealthcare that GoodRx’s value is increasing as it builds its reach in partnership with Kroger. Now, GoodRx hopes to power TrumpRx.
GoodRx stock was up 14 percent in a week. The company believes it will benefit from TrumpRx, possibly from a partnership with it. GoodRx already is set up to do what TrumpRx plans to do–offer prescription drug discounts at point of sale.
GoodRx gives people the ability to compare drug prices as well as to offer coupons to lower people’s drug costs at the pharmacy. About 30 million people use GoodRx each year. The company does not see TrumpRx as a competitive threat but rather as an opportunity for even more business.
GoodRx believes that pharmaceutical companies will decide which pharmacies they want to use to provide drug discounts through TrumpRx. In order to do that, GoodRx is well poised to serve as the middleman. That’s what GoodRx does today.
At the same time, GoodRx is helping the Trump administration understand that Americans do not want to rely on just a few pharmacy options. Americans want to be able to get their drugs at whatever pharmacy they please. GoodRx can make that happen with discounted prices.
Today, GoodRx works with more than 70,000 pharmacies across the US, including CVS, Costco, Walgreen’s and Walmart. It also has a program through Kroger–RxSmartSaver–that offers discounts on brand-name drugs. The program is available in 35 states at 2,200 pharmacies.
GoodRx makes deals with pharmaceutical companies that bring down the cost of some high-priced drugs. For example, in partnership with Novo Nordisk, GoodRx offers Ozempic and Wegovy at $499 a month.
This all said, the prescription drug market is so complex and uncompetitive that sometimes you’re better off using your insurance to buy your drugs and sometimes you spend less than you would on your copay if you buy the drug without insurance. Sometimes, Costco mail-order might be the best deal, sometimes it’s Mark Cuban’s Cost-Plus Pharmacy, and sometimes you’re best off buying your drugs from a verified pharmacy abroad.
Of course, if the pharmaceutical companies did not have a stranglehold on our elected officials, the US would be negotiating prices for all drugs for everyone in the country, as every other wealthy nation does for their residents. Drug costs for all Americans would be at the same level as they are in France and the UK. Drugs don’t work if people can’t afford them.
Forcing people to go through multiple hoops in order to fill a prescription at lower cost is insane. It keeps people from getting the drugs they need, particularly the most vulnerable people.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Online pharmacies can save you money
- Case study: Costco saves one couple hundreds of dollars over Medicare Part D
- GAO finds US drug prices more than four times those in France
- FDA allows Florida to import lower-cost drugs from Canada
- 2025: Programs that lower your costs if you have Medicare
