Costco Is Now Prescribing Ozempic, But Can It Actually Meet Demand?
If you're a dedicated Costco member and shopper, you know every experience at this grocery store can be unique. From its famous rotisserie chicken and cult-favorite grocery finds to home items, beauty products, and even clothes, you can find virtually everything you need (and usually, a few things you don't) at Costco. Now, the retailer has announced a brand-new weight-loss program that includes access to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for eligible members.
As first reported by USA TODAY, Costco has teamed up with its healthcare partner, Sesame, on the new weight-loss program, which is only being offered to Costco members in the U.S. at this time. The program costs $179 per three months and includes clinical consultations, the freedom to choose your clinician, an initial video call with said clinician, a nutritional guide, and more. (It's important to note that this $179 price does not include the cost of any prescriptions that may be written.)
Given the rising popularity of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, the key takeaway is that this program will likely make obtaining prescriptions for these drugs more available to Costco consumers. David Goldhill, Sesame's co-founder and CEO, revealed to USA TODAY that, when applicable, the clinician may combine prescribing weight-loss drugs with medications, depending on availability.
"We are witnessing important innovations in medically supervised weight loss. Sesame's unique model allows us not only to make high-quality specialty care like weight loss much more accessible and affordable but also to empower clinicians to create care plans that are specific to—and appropriate for—each individual patient," Goldhill told USA TODAY. He also pointed out, "The No. 1 search term of Costco members seeking primary care on Sesame was around weight loss."
In other words, yes, if you sign up for the program, you may be prescribed Ozempic, Wegovy, or similar drugs at the discretion of your clinician. But as far as we can tell, the model described is not all that different from the services being offered by a number of telehealth companies already.
Reddit user, @suziannie had a similar take: "So. This is the same as the other telehealth companies. The fee you pay gets you the script sent to the pharmacy of your choice, they hope theirs lol. It's on you to find one with supply though."
Other social media users were also skeptical, and quick to point out that the medications themselves are still expensive. "I mean, you'll still have to pay for the medication … It doesn't sound so good to me," wrote @zernen on Reddit.
And while you may be able to get a prescription for the drug(s) via Costco and Sesame, that doesn't necessarily mean Costco pharmacies will be able to fulfill those prescriptions, which have proven difficult for other retailers to keep in stock.
Redditor @nopenotme77 also noted, "This seemed simply too good to be true. If major pharmacies can't get the drug how can Costco?"
On the other hand, TikTok user DagherMD (@chrisdaghermd) revealed in a video that he's both curious and intrigued to see how Costco's new weight-loss program plays out.
"It is really interesting that Costco has entered this field and that there's a market for this," he explained. "And I think it has to do with the fact that providers don't have enough time to talk about medications like this because it goes just beyond the medication; it has to do with diet, exercise, preserving your muscle, getting adequate nutrition, making sure you're not getting micronutrients deficiencies or insufficient protein intake. In fact, I believe that this requires monthly to every other month check-ins with your patients."
He added, "This is not something that can be done on your own; you will need someone who has experience with a medication like this … and it makes sense that there are more weight-loss programs … this does really need its own dedicated time."
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