By Mariam Sunny
(Reuters) -GoodRx said on Wednesday it has partnered with Kroger’s healthcare unit to expand its prescription savings services for branded drugs, including Novo Nordisk’s popular weight-loss drug Wegovy.
The retail tie-up, RxSmartSaver, could help customers access GoodRx savings services for branded treatments at nearly 2,200 Kroger pharmacies across the U.S. as well as help drug manufacturers expand the reach of their direct-to-consumer programs, the telehealth firm said.
Patients can use GoodRx services to check what discounts are available for a drug at a particular pharmacy.
“It is a new channel for us getting close to the point of pick up, where most discussions around how much a prescription costs happen is right at the pharmacy counter,” David Graziano, head of retail network at GoodRx said, adding that it is also a “flexible branding opportunity”.
The company said it has also launched the program with a smaller retailer Hy-Vee and plans to roll it out with additional retailers in the coming months.
The initiative also strengthens GoodRx’s relationship with its retail partners, Graziano said, adding that it ensures the “distribution mechanism for a large majority of prescriptions stays intact”.
The savings program also includes Dexcom’s continuous glucose monitor Dexcom G7, Sanofi’s long-acting insulin Lantus among others, the company said.
GoodRx collaborates with Novo to sell Wegovy and similar diabetes drug Ozempic for $499 a month to eligible self-paying patients regardless of their insurance status.
It had signed a contracting agreement with Kroger in 2024 for cheaper generic drugs.
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
