Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Royal Medical Center vs Zera Health
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.
Royal Medical Center
Shoppers drawn to a low, bundled-fee headline price who are comfortable calling for the dose-specific breakdown.
Visit Royal Medical CenterZera Health
Shoppers who want a named 503A pharmacy and full 50-state coverage at a moderate compounded price.
Visit Zera HealthThe verdict
Royal Medical Center and Zera Health tie on the Cost-Efficiency Index at 61/100, so neither wins outright on the numbers. For most shoppers we'd start with Royal Medical Center (ranked #235, a hair above #240) — Shoppers drawn to a low, bundled-fee headline price who are comfortable calling for the dose-specific breakdown. But Zera Health 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 Royal Medical Center.
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 | Royal Medical Center | Zera Health |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 61/100 | 61/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $67/mo (starting dose, compounded) | Not disclosed |
| Tirzepatide / mo | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $804 | — |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | — | — |
| Coverage | Coverage not published | All 50 states |
| Oral / sublingual | No | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #235 | #240 |
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
Zera Health
61/100Where the value is
- Named dispensing pharmacy — Strive Pharmacy, a 503A compounder — disclosed in the footer
- LegitScript Certified badge displayed
- Stated coverage across all 50 states with no exclusions found
The tradeoffs
- The advertised '$149' semaglutide price is explicitly a first-month-only rate; the standing price is $179/mo
- Tirzepatide's '$199/mo' figure has no first-month/standing clarifier on the page, unlike semaglutide, so it's unclear if it will also step up after month one
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.