How the GLP-1 Cost & Access Index is researched and calculated

Purpose

The GLP-1 Cost & Access Index evaluates treatment-program prices, required fees, access pathways, insurance support, fulfillment models, and consumer disclosure practices. It is designed to help consumers understand what programs advertise, what they actually charge, and how clearly they disclose the terms that affect real out-of-pocket costs.

We do not create clinical-quality scores, safety scores, legality scores, or "best provider" rankings.

Inclusion criteria

A program must meet all of the following minimum requirements to be included in the Index:

• • Publicly identifiable program — the program has a public website or identifiable operational presence
• • Available to U.S. consumers — the program currently serves or ships to U.S. patients
• • Current treatment or access offering — the program is actively offering GLP-1 medication access at the time of research
• • Sufficient source-backed information — enough documented information exists to produce a substantive profile
• • Current review date — the profile has been reviewed within the recommended freshness window
• • Clear program classification — the program type and medication classification (FDA-approved or compounded) can be determined
• • At least one verified primary source — at least one source at evidence level 1–4 supports the program's pricing or access claims

Exclusion criteria

Programs are excluded from the Index if they meet any of the following:

• • Research-peptide sellers — entities selling semaglutide or tirzepatide labeled "for research purposes only" or "not for human consumption"
• • Medication marketplaces without identifiable clinical services — platforms that connect buyers and sellers without a verifiable prescribing medical entity
• • No current source support — no source could be found or verified during the research period
• • Cannot be independently identified — the program's existence, pricing, or operations cannot be confirmed through independent sources
• • Archived or closed programs — the program has ceased operations or is no longer accepting new patients
• • Incomplete records — insufficient information exists to produce a substantive, source-backed profile
• • Included solely because of an affiliate relationship — no program is included merely because GLP-1 Primer may earn a commission from it

Price methodology

For each program, we document the following price components when publicly available:

Missing information rules

When information is not publicly available, we use one of the following values — never converting missing information into "No" or zero:

Missing information means we could not confirm a detail, not that it does not exist. Missing amounts are never filled with zero.

Independence

• • Program inclusion is not endorsement. A program's presence in the Index means it met our inclusion criteria, not that we recommend it.
• • Affiliate relationships do not determine findings or placement. GLP-1 Primer may earn affiliate commissions from some linked programs. This does not influence which programs are included, how they are described, or where they appear.
• • Sponsored placement, if ever used, will be clearly identified. Any paid placement or advertising will be visually and textually distinguished from editorial research content.
• • Providers cannot purchase favorable findings or removal of accurate information. A program cannot pay to improve its disclosure findings, change its price observations, or suppress accurate data we have published.

Read our full Editorial Policy for more on how we manage conflicts of interest.

Source hierarchy

Every price, fee, or program term must be supported by a documented source. Sources are classified by evidence level, from strongest to weakest:

1. Government or regulatory source — FDA, state pharmacy board, or other official regulatory documentation
2. Manufacturer source — Official manufacturer pricing pages, savings program terms, or press releases
3. Provider's official pricing and terms — The program's own website, pricing page, or published terms of service
4. Pharmacy or fulfillment documentation — Official pharmacy pricing or fulfillment documentation
5. Written provider confirmation — A written response from the program confirming a price or term
6. Documentation submitted by a user — Screenshots, receipts, or documents submitted by community members, reviewed before use
7. Unverified self-reported information — User-reported claims that have not yet been independently confirmed; never used as the sole basis for a published finding

Private evidence attachments and copyrighted source captures are never published as public page content.

First-year cost calculation

The first-year estimated cost includes only required costs supported by approved data:

When a program uses dose-dependent pricing, we do not assume the medication price remains constant. A month-by-month cost schedule or documented cost assumptions are used instead.

Every published first-year estimate displays:

• • Medication or scenario used
• • Starting assumptions
• • Dose or pricing assumptions
• • Months included
• • Required fees
• • Excluded costs
• • Date of data collection
• • Limitations

Data freshness controls

Each record is assigned a freshness status:

• • Current — Reviewed within the recommended window
• • Review Due — Approaching the review window boundary
• • Stale — Past the review window; flagged for admin review
• • Superseded — A newer observation has replaced this record; the historical record is preserved
• • Unverified — Not yet independently verified

Recommended review windows:

• • High-priority current prices: 30 days
• • Program terms and disclosures: 60–90 days
• • Full profile review: 90 days

We do not automatically remove a published page when a record becomes stale. Instead, we flag it for admin review, display a public caution if appropriate, and prevent stale data from being included in a new Index edition unless approved.

Publication threshold

An Index edition is not published until:

• • At least 10 programs meet the completeness requirements
• • Every included current price has an observation date
• • Every material claim has a source
• • Every program has been reviewed
• • The methodology page is complete
• • Charts and calculations have been validated
• • An admin approves publication

Limitations

• • Prices change frequently and may not reflect current pricing at the time of reading
• • Individual treatment costs vary based on dose, duration, insurance, and geographic factors
• • Insurance eligibility varies by plan, employer, state, and individual circumstances
• • The Index does not evaluate clinical quality, safety, or appropriateness
• • Compounded medication is not FDA-approved
• • Missing information may affect findings; suppressed metrics are documented
• • Program inclusion is not an endorsement