HOUSTON – In the ever-increasing struggle to find reasonable prescription drug prices, a new Texas company is helping consumers save money on the meds they need most.
ScriptCo, based in Waco, was founded by Zack Zeller and Mark McCormick, to offer consumers discounted prices on prescription drugs. Why? Because they grew tired of consumers paying ridiculously huge price variations for the same medications.
“There’s a huge discrepancy in what people pay,” said Zeller. “You could have 10 different people come in for the same medication and all 10 of them would pay something different.”
And that’s where ScriptCo comes in.
The member’s only online discount pharmacy sells generic drugs only, at a wholesale cost. ScriptCo doesn’t accept insurance, but according to Zeller, the cost he pays is the same cost you pay. No inflation or markups. The company makes its money from its membership fees, which range from $140 for a year, or $50 for three months.
“The premise is, become a member at ScriptCo and buy all your medications at the actual wholesale cost. We make no money from medications, we only make money from the membership, that’s it,” explains Zeller.
Getting Specific On Generic Medications
According to the Federal Drug Administration, by definition, a generic drug is “medication created to be the same as an already marketed brand-name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics, and intended use. A generic medicine works in the same way and provides the same clinical benefit as a brand-name medicine. In other words, you can take a generic medicine as an equal substitute for its brand-name counterpart.”
Comparison Shopping on Common Generic Medications
We compared the costs of five common medications to see where the numbers stacked up with ScriptCo’s prices and other discount drug plans offered by GoodRx.
Brand Name: Wellbutrin (antidepressant)
Generic: Bupropion
ScriptCo: $3.00
GoodRx at CVS: $11.30
GoodRx at Walgreens: $11.15
GoodRx at Kroger: $10.27
GoodRx at HEB Grocery: $8.41
GoodRx at Costco: $8.41
Brand Name: Nexium (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
Generic: Esomeprazole
ScriptCo: $6.00
GoodRx at CVS: $50.80
GoodRx at Walgreens: $83.95
GoodRx at Kroger: $16.79
GoodRx at HEB Grocery: $16.54
GoodRx at Costco: $20.30
Brand Name: Singulair (asthma)
Generic: Montelukast
ScriptCo: $ .90
GoodRx at CVS: $19.65
GoodRx at Walgreens: $48.95
GoodRx at Kroger: $12.19
GoodRx at HEB Grocery: $9.80
GoodRx at Costco: $8.00
Brand Name: Lipitor (lowers cholesterol)
Generic: Atorvastatin
ScriptCo: $0.90
GoodRx at CVS: $20.40
GoodRx at Walgreens: $49.40
GoodRx at Kroger: $9.80
GoodRx at HEB Grocery: $8.90
GoodRx at Costco: $14.99
Brand Name: Flomax (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
Generic: Tamsulosin
ScriptCo: $1.50
GoodRx at CVS: $21.90
GoodRx at Walgreens: $35.94
GoodRx at Kroger: $9.80
GoodRx at HEB Grocery: $9.80
GoodRx at Costco: $9.80
*all price comparison on 30-day prescriptions
If you would like to check the price that ScriptCo offers on the prescription drugs you take, click on this link.