Walgreens teams up with GoodRx to cut prescription prices

Walgreens is partnering with an online platform that provides affordable prescription medications to consumers.

The drugstore giant is launching a new initiative in collaboration with prescription drug savings platform GoodRx that is designed to reduce prices on nearly 200 prescription medications by an average of 40%, with higher savings available for select medications.

Consumers can now purchase many prescriptions at Walgreens for less than $15 for a 30-day fill, without any deductibles, restrictions, paperwork, approvals or quantity limitations. The new lower prices include medications for heart disease and mental health; as well as categories often not covered by insurance, such as acne, insomnia, men’s health, and weight loss.

Walgreens is building on an existing partnership with GoodRx.

The following is a sample list of the most common prescriptions available now for lower prices at Walgreens with a GoodRx coupon:

Amazon, Mark Cuban get into discount prescriptions

Walgreens is expanding its affordable prescriptions as both Amazon and Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and co-star of the TV show "Shark Tank,” are attempting to compete on price in the $300 billion-plus prescription market. Traditonally, prescription sales have been dominated by pharmacy giants such as CVS Health, Walgreens and Rite Aid, along with supermarkets and discounters that offer prescriptions, such as Walmart.

Amazon, which launched Amazon Pharmacy in November 2020, has been active in the healthcare space in general, and the pharmacy vertical in particular, in the past few years. In January 2023, Amazon Pharmacy launched RxPass, a new offering for U.S. Prime Members.

The plan allows Prime members in most states to order as many prescriptions as they need from a list of some 50 generic drugs — for a flat monthly add-on fee of $5 to Prime membership, with no other mark-ups.  The available medications, which will be delivered free of charge, treat more than 80 common health conditions, including high blood pressure, acid reflux and diabetes.

Amazon also began automatically applying manufacturer-sponsored coupons directly to Amazon Pharmacy orders from eligible customers in March 2023, and added instant savings on more than 15 insulin and diabetes care brands in August.

In addition, Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and co-star of the TV show "Shark Tank," launched an online pharmacy with an initial inventory of more than 100 generic drugs, the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug (MCCPDC) Company, in January 2022.

The cash pay pharmacy's prices reflect actual manufacturer prices plus a flat 15% margin and a $3 pharmacist fee, with prescription fulfillment and delivery through a partnership with digital healthcare company Truepill.

“Americans shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to be able to afford their medications,” said Jim Sheninger, pharmacy strategy officer of GoodRx. “Walgreens has been part of our network since nearly the beginning, enabling us to offer their customers lower prices on the most commonly prescribed medications to make it even easier for people to save money. We believe everyone deserves affordable healthcare, and this initiative will help more Americans access the treatment they need.”