Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Citizen Meds vs OnlyRx
Two GLP-1 programs on the bench, scored on the same six factors. Here's how their real cost of ownership compares — and which one we'd start with.
Citizen Meds
Shoppers who want to buy a low-dose starting month without any subscription commitment.
Visit Citizen MedsOnlyRx
Shoppers who want a 50-state marketplace with multiple pharmacy options and named prescribers.
Visit OnlyRxThe verdict
Citizen Meds and OnlyRx tie on the Cost-Efficiency Index at 64/100, so neither wins outright on the numbers. For most shoppers we'd start with Citizen Meds (ranked #176, a hair above #180) — Shoppers who want to buy a low-dose starting month without any subscription commitment. But OnlyRx is a genuine coin-flip alternative here.
Worth knowing either way: our overall #1 pick is CoreAge Rx (Cost-Efficiency Index 94/100 — the top of the ranking). See how it stacks up: CoreAge Rx vs Citizen Meds.
Factor by factor
Both providers scored on our six Cost-Efficiency Index factors. The stronger side on each row is marked in teal.
Normalized Cost/Month
Price Transparency
Nationwide Access
Formulation Options
Clinical Oversight
Contract Flexibility
Pricing, coverage & formulary
The disclosed facts behind the scores. Lower price wins its row (teal).
| Spec | Citizen Meds | OnlyRx |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 64/100 | 64/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $125/mo (0.25 mg dose, compounded) | $179/mo (starting dose, compounded) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $145/mo (2.5 mg dose, compounded) | $249/mo (starting dose, compounded) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $1,500 | $2,148 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $1,740 | $2,988 |
| Coverage | Coverage not published | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | No | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Yes |
| Rank here | #176 | #180 |
Citizen Meds
64/100Where the value is
- No subscription — every month is a separate one-time purchase, so there's no auto-renewing commitment to cancel
- LegitScript badge genuinely renders on the live homepage (seal 11945825), correcting the prior claim of no certification
- PCCA compounding-pharmacy trade-association badge and PCAB-labeled imagery displayed
The tradeoffs
- The headline '$125'/'$145' price is Month-1-only at the lowest dose; the mandatory titration schedule pushes maintenance-dose months to $395-$545, roughly 3-4x the advertised figure
- No compounding pharmacy is named anywhere on the site
OnlyRx
64/100Where the value is
- Serves all 50 states per its own claim, wider than most compounded-GLP-1 competitors
- Two named prescribers with published NPI numbers (Dr. Ana Lisa Carr, Dr. Kelly Tenbrink), plus two supporting providers
- Sources medication from four named, recognizable 503A-style pharmacy partners rather than one undisclosed source
The tradeoffs
- The $179 headline price is explicitly labeled a 'Summer Promo' on the site's own homepage — no post-promo price is published
- No dose-tier (mg) breakdown is published for any of the four price points
Assume any provider we list may compensate us — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes the Cost-Efficiency Index. Pricing, states and verification reflect each provider's public disclosures at last review; prices change — confirm on the provider's site. Not medical advice. See our disclosure.