Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Next Vial vs MEDGm
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.
Next Vial
Shoppers who want a named pharmacy partner and verified LegitScript status without a membership fee.
Visit Next VialMEDGm
Readers who want the dispensing pharmacies and the prescribing practices named, and who will price the second month rather than the first.
Visit MEDGmThe verdict
Next Vial takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 63 to 60. Next Vial is a telehealth marketplace prescribing compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide (plus microdose variants) starting at a blended $249.97/month, with a named compounding pharmacy (Manifest Pharmacy). MEDGm still earns a C — Readers who want the dispensing pharmacies and the prescribing practices named, and who will price the second month rather than the first.
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 Next Vial.
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 | Next Vial | MEDGm |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 63/100 | 60/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $249/mo (all doses, compounded) | $299/mo month-to-month (the advertised $179 is the first month only, after an automatically applied coupon) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $249/mo (all doses, compounded) | $399/mo month-to-month (the advertised $279 is the first month only) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $2,988 | $3,588 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $2,988 | $4,788 |
| Coverage | 49 states | All 50 states |
| Oral / sublingual | No | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #188 | #193 |
Next Vial
63/100Where the value is
- Names its compounding pharmacy partner explicitly (Manifest Pharmacy, Greer, SC)
- Genuine LegitScript verification link found in the footer
- Explicit 44-state coverage list published in the FAQ
The tradeoffs
- Starting price is blended/generic ($249.97/mo) and not broken out by drug or dose tier anywhere public
- No individual medical director named
MEDGm
60/100Where the value is
- Names all four pharmacy partners in its terms, with street addresses, phone numbers and websites, and says which compounding classes they operate under
- Names seven prescribing professional corporations on its consent page rather than referring to an unnamed medical group
- Publishes the full ladder for three GLP-1 routes — injection, oral tablet and tirzepatide — at one, three, six and twelve months
The tradeoffs
- "Starting at $179" is a first-month rate produced by an automatically applied coupon; the standing month-to-month price is $299, and the same shape applies to the oral tablet and to tirzepatide
- The treatments FAQ says "your price never increases" on a plan whose price increases by $120 at the first renewal
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.