Start with the all-in monthly total
Add every required charge: medication, clinical membership, consultation fees, shipping, supplies, and any recurring program fee. If a provider shows $75 medication plus a $74.99 program fee, the comparison number is $149.99 before optional services. If a membership is prepaid annually, record both the monthly equivalent and the cash due today.
Introductory pricing deserves its own column. A first-month discount is useful, but it is not an ongoing cost. Keep “first month,” “ongoing,” and “highest disclosed dose” separate so a teaser does not masquerade as the annual budget.
Match the medication format
Compounded semaglutide, compounded tirzepatide, Wegovy pens, Wegovy pills, and Zepbound pens are not interchangeable price lines. Brand-name cash-pay programs can include manufacturer pricing that varies by dose. Compounded programs may use different formulations or individualized doses and are not FDA-approved.
Compare semaglutide injection with semaglutide injection first. Then compare tirzepatide injection with tirzepatide injection. Oral options belong in their own group. This prevents a low oral or starter-dose figure from distorting an injection comparison.
Model the first 90 days
Create a simple three-month budget. Month one may contain a promotion. Month two may add the full membership. Month three may use a higher dose. A provider with a higher headline price but flat, bundled billing can be less expensive than a provider with two separate charges and dose escalation.
Also note refund rules and commitment length. A “$169 per month” annual plan can require a large prepaid amount. The monthly equivalent is mathematically correct, but your cash exposure and cancellation flexibility are different.
Price is a filter, not the clinical decision
Do not choose a prescription medication solely from a price table. A licensed clinician has to review medical history, current medication, contraindications, and treatment goals. No directory can determine eligibility or the appropriate medication and dose.
Before checkout, verify who provides the clinical care, which pharmacy may dispense the medication, how follow-up works, what happens if you are not eligible, and how the program handles a change in treatment.
Where the numbers come from
We use publicly accessible provider-owned pricing pages and preserve the condition attached to each figure. See the full methodology, source list, and current provider comparison.