GoodRx negotiates prescription drug prices with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and passes the discounted price to consumers through a free card or app. For a growing list of generic medications, GoodRx prices are lower than what most patients pay through insurance, including patients with copay coverage. Understanding when to use GoodRx versus insurance, and how to check both, saves money on medications that are already inexpensive at the generic level.
How GoodRx Works
GoodRx aggregates prices from multiple pharmacy networks and displays the lowest price available at each pharmacy near you. When you present a GoodRx coupon at the pharmacy, the pharmacist runs your prescription through the GoodRx discount program rather than your insurance, and you pay the GoodRx price.
GoodRx makes money through fees from the PBMs whose negotiated rates it displays. The service is free to consumers. No personal financial information is required, you provide a name and zipcode, and the coupon is generated.
GoodRx works at most major pharmacy chains (CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, Kroger, Costco) and many independent pharmacies. Some pharmacies have signed exclusive agreements and will not accept GoodRx; this is most common with Walmart, which prefers its own $4 generic program.
When GoodRx Beats Insurance
For generic medications that have been on the market for several years, GoodRx prices are often lower than insurance copays. Common examples in men’s health:
Testosterone cypionate (injectable): GoodRx price for a 10 mL vial at 200 mg/mL (several months’ supply) is typically $30-80 depending on pharmacy. Insurance copays for the same vial with most plans are $15-100 depending on formulary tier. The comparison is medication-specific, check both.
Generic finasteride 1 mg: GoodRx price is typically $20-45 for a 90-day supply. Insurance copays for generic medications at many plans are $10-15 per 30 days ($30-45 per 90 days). Similar range; worth checking.
Generic sildenafil 20 mg: This is where GoodRx most clearly outperforms insurance for many patients. Generic sildenafil (the same molecule as Viagra) 20 mg tablets are sometimes available for $1-3 per tablet through GoodRx compared to $15-30 per tablet for branded Viagra through insurance.
Generic tadalafil 5 mg (for daily ED or BPH): GoodRx prices are approximately $25-60 for 30 tablets, often lower than insurance copays for the same medication.
How to Check Both Options
- Search the medication on goodrx.com with your zip code to see pharmacy-specific prices
- Check your insurance card for the pharmacy benefits phone number or log into your insurer’s website to see your formulary copay
- Compare the two and present whichever is lower at the pharmacy
You cannot use GoodRx and insurance simultaneously for the same prescription, you choose one or the other for each fill. Note that GoodRx purchases do not count toward your insurance deductible, which matters at the beginning of the year when you have not yet met your deductible.
Manufacturer Savings Programs
Manufacturer savings cards are a third option for branded, non-generic medications. Novo Nordisk’s savings card for Wegovy, Eli Lilly’s savings card for Zepbound, and similar programs from other manufacturers can reduce copays substantially for commercially insured patients who qualify. These programs typically exclude Medicare, Medicaid, and VA patients.
When Insurance Is Clearly Better
For medications that are not available as generics, or for high-cost specialty medications, insurance coverage is almost always better than discount card pricing. Brand-name Wegovy at list price ($1,349/month) is not meaningfully discounted through GoodRx, the manufacturer savings program or insurance coverage produces far better pricing than GoodRx can negotiate.
Similarly, for patients who have met their insurance deductible and have low copays (under $10 per fill for generic tier medications), insurance is typically better than GoodRx for that calendar year.
Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs (Another Option)
Cost Plus Drugs (costplusdrugs.com), founded by Mark Cuban, offers a third option for a growing list of generic medications at transparent pricing: their cost plus a 15% markup plus a $3 dispensing fee. For some medications, Cost Plus Drugs prices are lower than even GoodRx. The selection is more limited and requires mail-order, but for maintenance medications used monthly, it is worth checking alongside GoodRx.
For context on how prescription savings programs fit into the broader online medicine landscape, see How to Evaluate Any Online Men’s Health Clinic Before Signing Up.
