Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
HealthSource vs Royal Medical Center
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.
HealthSource
Cost-first shoppers who want nothing distinguishing was found — the least-disclosed of the sites researched here.
Visit HealthSourceRoyal Medical Center
Shoppers drawn to a low, bundled-fee headline price who are comfortable calling for the dose-specific breakdown.
Visit Royal Medical CenterThe verdict
HealthSource and Royal Medical Center tie on the Cost-Efficiency Index at 61/100, so neither wins outright on the numbers. For most shoppers we'd start with HealthSource (ranked #229, a hair above #235) — Cost-first shoppers who want nothing distinguishing was found — the least-disclosed of the sites researched here. But Royal Medical Center 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 HealthSource.
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 | HealthSource | Royal Medical Center |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 61/100 | 61/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | Not disclosed | $67/mo (starting dose, compounded) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | — | $804 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | — | — |
| Coverage | All 50 states | Coverage not published |
| Oral / sublingual | Yes | No |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #229 | #235 |
HealthSource
61/100Where the value is
- Offers an oral tirzepatide option in addition to injectable, which not every site in this set does
- States medication ships from an 'FDA 503A licensed partner pharmacy'
- 3-5 business day shipping stated
The tradeoffs
- Billed every 4 weeks rather than by calendar month, which adds roughly one extra charge per year versus a true monthly rate — an 8%+ real-cost increase the headline price doesn't convey
- The compounding pharmacy is never named, only described generically as 'FDA 503A licensed partner pharmacy'
Royal Medical Center
61/100Where the value is
- Claims an all-inclusive bundled price covering labs, medication, physical, and MD consultation with no itemized add-ons, per its own homepage
- Real physical clinic address (Deerfield Beach, FL) rather than a purely virtual operation
- Dispenses through Belmar Pharma Solutions, a recognizable compounding pharmacy network
The tradeoffs
- The $67/mo figure's dose tier could not be verified — every deeper pricing/program page returned HTTP 403
- The named physician, 'Dr. Rodriguez,' has no full name, license number, or NPI published on the homepage
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.