Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
CoreAge Rx vs Citizen Meds
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.
CoreAge Rx
Anyone optimizing for real value — a transparent flat price you can model for a full year, nationwide, without a bait-and-switch.
Visit CoreAge RxCitizen Meds
Shoppers who want to buy a low-dose starting month without any subscription commitment.
Visit Citizen MedsThe verdict
CoreAge Rx takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 94 to 64. Best value in the ranking: both molecules at one flat, all-50 price with no teaser step-ups — the lowest true cost of ownership, not the lowest teaser. Citizen Meds still earns a C — Shoppers who want to buy a low-dose starting month without any subscription commitment.
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 | CoreAge Rx | Citizen Meds |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 94/100 | 64/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $99/mo | $125/mo (0.25 mg dose, compounded) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $149/mo | $145/mo (2.5 mg dose, compounded) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $1,188 | $1,500 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $1,788 | $1,740 |
| Coverage | All 50 states | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | No | No |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #1 | #176 |
CoreAge Rx
94/100Where the value is
- Flat all-in monthly price — no intro rate that silently triples after month one, so the modeled annual cost is the real cost
- Both compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide on one account at published prices
- Available in all 50 states — no coverage gamble
The tradeoffs
- Not the rock-bottom sticker price — 30 of the 381 priced semaglutide programs we track list a cheaper figure, though most attach a term or a step-up that CoreAge does not
- No FDA-approved brand-name option (compounded only)
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
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.