The New York Times recently published an article on two new online ventures, GoodRx and Blink Health. Their goal is to make prescription drugs more affordable. GoodRx is doing this by offering coupons that greatly reduce the cost of prescription drugs and Blink Health is letting consumers buy their drugs online and pick them up at a local pharmacy. But how much of a difference in prices is their really? Here’s a few stats from the article illustrating the impact:
- Ten of the country’s 15 most commonly prescribed drugs, for example, cost less than $10 on Blink Health, including generic versions of drugs like Lipitor, which manages cholesterol, and the diabetes drug metformin.
- The listed price for a 30-day supply of the generic version of Lipitor, for example, is $196 at Kmart, according to GoodRx, and $61 at Kroger. With a coupon obtained through GoodRx, the drug is about $12. Blink Health is offering Lipitor for $9.94.
Why it Matters:
With high-deductible insurance plans on the rise, and those plans requiring consumers to pay more out of pocket for their prescriptions, chronic illnesses that require multiple medications are becoming a large financial burden. These ventures could make an impact on a system that could bring an online retail approach to a system that lacks transparency.
Want more details? You can read the New York Times article here.
About the Author:
As Managing Director of Innovation and Insights for Syneos Health Communications, Leigh is responsible for building and scaling a global team of healthcare experts who together help life science leaders better understand the complex lives, influences and expectations of their customers. Specifically, they uncover actionable insights that fuel empathy and creativity; lead co-creation events that let marketers learn from peers, trends, and new possibilities; and help clients identify the most valuable and useful new customer experiences to create.
Leigh has worked with Fortune 1000 companies to craft their digital, mobile, social and CRM strategies for nearly 20 years.She’s worked for category-leading agencies in retail, public affairs, B2B technology, and higher education. Prior to moving to Syneos Health Communications, she held several leadership roles at our largest agency, GSW. There, she founded an innovation practice fueled by the zeitgeist and spearheaded digital and innovation thinking across the business.
Leigh has taken a special interest in complex healthcare products that can change lives in meaningful ways. She was recently a strategic lead on the 3rd largest launch in pharmaceutical history: Tecfidera. Before that she had keys roles with Eli Lilly Oncology, Abbott Nutrition, Amgen Cardiovascular, and Eli Lilly Diabetes.
A critical part of Leigh’s work is trends and new ideas. Every year, she convenes a group of trend watchers from across our global network to identify the shifts most critical to healthcare marketers. This year, she led over 250 experts to experts to focus on the most important changes in the commercial, consumer, marketing, digital and healthcare landscapes. (See reports at trends.health)
Leigh is a sought-after writer and speaker. Recognized as one of the most inspiring people in the pharmaceutical industry by PharmaVoice and Top 10 Innovation Catalysts of 2017 by MM&M, Leigh also was recognized as a Rising Star by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) for her overt passion, industry thought leadership and significant contributions in new business, strategy and mentoring.
