Direct Pharmacy Price List vs Marketplace: Run a Matched-Basket Test
Ordering direct from a pharmacy feels like the lowest-cost route, but a direct price list shows one pharmacy's price and nothing to compare it with. The way to settle it is a matched-basket test: price your top 10 SKUs direct and across a multi-pharmacy marketplace, shipping included, and compare the totals. On AffinityRx, where several of 10+ licensed compounding pharmacies compete for each SKU, clinics typically save about 10% versus their current price, and it is $0 to join with no subscription, no per-order fees and no minimum order.
By Tim Yoon, CEO, AffinityRx. Published
Why a direct price list can't tell you if you are overpaying
A direct price list answers one question: what does this pharmacy charge? It cannot say what the next pharmacy charges for the same strength, and a pharmacy can change its prices at any time. Buyers often say a pharmacy raised its GLP-1 prices on them, and the first sign was the invoice.
A marketplace changes the question. When several pharmacies fill the same SKU and show prices side by side, the lowest price is visible and the gap is measurable. In AffinityRx's marketplace prices as of October 1, 2026 (18 common SKUs, each priced by 3 or more pharmacies), the lowest price for a SKU averaged 13.7% below the median pharmacy price, and the most expensive pharmacy was 13.5% to 100% above the lowest. For semaglutide and tirzepatide vials alone (13 SKUs), the lowest averaged 9.8% below the median.
One anonymized weight-loss telehealth brand's per-vial compounded tirzepatide cost decreased after comparing pharmacies on AffinityRx. That is one example, not a promise, which is why the test below uses your own SKUs.
Direct price list vs marketplace: what each one tells you
| Criterion | Direct pharmacy price list | Marketplace with several pharmacies per SKU |
|---|---|---|
| Prices you can compare for one SKU | One | Several, side by side |
| What moves your price | The pharmacy's decision | Competition between pharmacies |
| Shipping | Varies by pharmacy | Added on top, typically $15 to $30 per order, shown before ordering |
| If the pharmacy is out of stock | You call another pharmacy and open another account | AffinityRx moves the order to your next favorite automatically (prescriber re-sign is the default) |
| Accounts, invoices and logins | One of each per pharmacy | One login, one invoice, one order history, one support contact |
| Cost to find out | A quote request per pharmacy | $0 to join; run the test with your own SKUs |
The first three rows are about price. The last three are the operating cost of staying direct, and that cost grows with every pharmacy you add.
How AffinityRx solves the price test
AffinityRx is a B2B compounding pharmacy marketplace for clinics and telehealth brands, not a retail pharmacy. It is built so the basket test can be run on the ordering screen and acted on SKU by SKU:
Medication prices are specific to your account. Sign in to view your prices before ordering.
- Price set at signing. What you see is what you pay for the medication, so the basket total will not drift after you decide.
- Turnaround per pharmacy. About 1 day to 5 days depending on the pharmacy, shown per pharmacy, so speed is part of the comparison.
- No cost to test. $0 to join, no subscription, no per-order fees, no minimum order. Clinics preload credit applied 100% to orders; it never expires and is refundable if the clinic decides not to continue after a 90-day trial.
- Move only what wins. Route the SKUs where a marketplace pharmacy is lower and keep the rest direct. See the pricing page for terms.
Printable worksheet: The matched-basket worksheet
Print this worksheet and complete it with your own records.
Pick your 10 highest-spend SKUs. Use the same strength, volume, fill and add-in on both sides. Add one month of volume.
| SKU (strength, volume, add-in) | Units per month | Direct price | Direct shipping per order | Marketplace price | Marketplace shipping per order | Difference per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ________ | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| 2 ________ | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| 3 ________ | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Continue to 10 | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Basket total | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
To run it: (1) list the 10 SKUs by monthly spend; (2) copy your direct unit prices from each price list; (3) ask for a demo that shows the same 10 SKUs on AffinityRx; (4) add shipping to both columns using your usual order size; (5) compare totals and note which SKUs flip.
FAQs
Is a compounding marketplace lower-priced than ordering direct from the pharmacy?
Often, because several pharmacies compete for each SKU. Clinics typically save about 10% versus their current price on AffinityRx, a typical result and not a guarantee. On the SKUs where your direct pharmacy is already the lowest, the marketplace shows that too.
Do compounding marketplaces mark up prices?
The question to ask is what you pay in total. AffinityRx has no subscription and no per-order fees, and the price is set at signing, so the medication price on screen is the price you pay. Shipping, typically $15 to $30 per order, is added on top and shown before you order. Compare that total to your direct total in the basket test.
My direct pharmacy gave me a volume discount. Does the marketplace still win?
Test it. Put the discounted direct price in the basket and compare. Net and invoice terms for larger groups are negotiated through a demo, and you can route only the SKUs where the marketplace is lower while the rest stay direct.
What if my direct pharmacy is the lowest on a SKU today?
Then keep it as primary. Set it as the first favorite on AffinityRx and add a second and third pharmacy behind it. If the primary is out of stock or rejects an order, the order moves to the next favorite automatically.
What does the test involve, and do I have to switch?
Pull your 10 price lists, then see the same SKUs on AffinityRx in a demo. Running the test does not require moving any orders, and joining costs $0.
Book a demo
Press the Book a demo button on the right side of this page and bring your 10-SKU basket; AffinityRx will price it across its pharmacies with you. For what the platform costs, read AffinityRx Pricing: $0 to Join, No Per-Order Fees and a $5,000 Credit.
Sources
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