GoodRx, a prescription savings platform, introduced GoodRx Employer Direct on Tuesday, an offering that allows employers to lower the cost of certain brand medications like GLP-1s.
Santa Monica, California-based GoodRx helps consumers compare prescription drug prices and get coupons. With GoodRx Employer Direct, employers can choose high-cost brand medications — like Wegovy — and directly subsidize the manufacturer sponsored price on GoodRx. They can do this without adding the medication to their insurance benefit, and the subsidized amount is automatically applied at the pharmacy counter.
This comes as a lot of manufacturer companies are starting to offer direct-to-consumer avenues for some of their drugs, such as Eli Lilly with Lilly Direct and Novo Nordisk with NovoCare.
“The idea here is that in partnership with our pharmaceutical manufacturer partners, we can bring forward those manufacturer sponsored cash prices that were going directly to the patient, but then saying to the employer, ‘We can create business rules that allow you to contribute and subsidize that price even further out-of-pocket for that patient,’” said Laura Jensen, chief commercial officer and president of pharma solutions at GoodRx, in an interview.
This model was first launched at the start of the year with employer client Hy-Vee, a midwestern grocery chain.
“As an employer, we’re constantly looking for ways to make our health benefits more impactful and easier to use,” said Angie Nelson, vice president at Hy-Vee, in a statement. “GoodRx Employer Direct gives us the flexibility to support access to high-impact medications while keeping our overall plan structure intact. It’s a practical way to invest in the therapies our employees need most and ensure they see real savings when they fill their prescriptions.”
Employers can also work with GoodRx on tailored versions of GoodRx’s condition-specific telemedicine programs, such as GoodRx for Weight Loss. These programs provide clinical care, access to FDA-approved therapies and pharmacy fulfillment.
By launching GoodRx Employer Direct, the company ultimately aims to help patients pay for the prescriptions they need, Jensen said. The company will track employer and patient adoption to see how successful the program is.
“Our ultimate goal would be to help as many patients as we can afford the therapies that they need, especially as patients are shouldering so much more of the burden of their overall health care,” she said. “We think we can step into this moment and help them.”
Other companies focused on expanding access to prescriptions include Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company and Amazon Pharmacy.
Photo: cagkansayin, Getty Images
