TrumpRx, NovoCare Pharmacy or LillyDirect: which route for a GLP-1?
For Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound and Foundayo, all three routes charge the same self-pay price, $349 for Wegovy 2.4 mg; what differs is how the prescription gets filled.
TrumpRx.gov, NovoCare Pharmacy and LillyDirect are three ways into the same self-pay prices, not three competing discounts. TrumpRx, the federal site, lists each GLP-1 at the price its manufacturer agreed, $349 for Wegovy 2.4 mg against a list price of $1,349, $449 for Zepbound 10 mg, and then hands over: for Novo Nordisk drugs it shows a coupon a retail pharmacy can scan, and for Lilly drugs it sends you to LillyDirect. NovoCare Pharmacy is Novo Nordisk’s own pharmacy, which sells Wegovy and Ozempic at those prices with free home delivery, or lets you pick up at a local pharmacy with a savings offer. LillyDirect is Lilly’s platform for Zepbound, Foundayo, Mounjaro and Trulicity, with home delivery and the 45-day refill condition at higher doses. All three require a prescription, all three are self-pay only, and none counts toward an insurance deductible or the $2,100 Medicare Part D cap. The choice is about convenience; the price is the same.
TrumpRx price against the list price
Saved over 12 months
$12,000
| TrumpRx a month | $349 |
| List price a month | $1,349 |
| Discount | 74 % |
Self-pay only: does not count toward a deductible. Estimate only.
Prices read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and data
Side by side
| TrumpRx.gov | NovoCare Pharmacy | LillyDirect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run by | Federal government (HHS) | Novo Nordisk, through a partner pharmacy | Eli Lilly, through partner pharmacies |
| GLP-1 drugs | Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound, Mounjaro, Foundayo, Trulicity | Wegovy, Ozempic (pens and pills) | Zepbound, Foundayo, Mounjaro, Trulicity |
| How you get it | Coupon at a retail pharmacy, or link to LillyDirect | Home delivery or local pickup | Home delivery or pickup |
| Price for Wegovy 2.4 mg | $349 | $349 | – |
| Price for Zepbound 10 mg | $449 | – | $449 |
| Counts toward deductible or Medicare cap | No | No | No |
Which route when
If you want your usual pharmacy, the TrumpRx coupon is the simplest for Wegovy and Ozempic: the pharmacist runs it like an insurance card with fixed processing codes. If you prefer delivery, NovoCare Pharmacy and LillyDirect ship to your home; your prescriber sends the prescription electronically. For Lilly drugs TrumpRx simply forwards you to LillyDirect, so there is nothing to choose.
When none of them is the best route
With insurance that covers the drug, a plan copay, possibly lowered by a savings card, is usually cheaper and counts toward your limits. On Medicare, if the drug is covered for your use, the Part D cap limits the year; for weight management, the $50 Medicare GLP-1 Bridge costs far less than any self-pay price. Using a cash route while covered also means telling your plan, if asked, that you bought outside it: the TrumpRx terms require it.
What to check before paying
- The exact product and dose: vials, KwikPens and single-dose pens are priced differently, and only some forms have a self-pay price.
- The conditions: Novo Nordisk’s $199 offer is for new patients until December 31, 2026; Lilly’s higher-dose prices need refills within 45 days.
- Your coverage: a covered copay or the Bridge may be lower and counts differently.
Prescriptions and pharmacies
Every route needs a valid prescription from a licensed prescriber. For the TrumpRx coupon, the prescription goes to your usual retail pharmacy as normal; you show the coupon and the pharmacy enters its codes. For NovoCare Pharmacy and LillyDirect, the prescriber sends the prescription electronically to the partner pharmacy named on each program’s page, and you complete an enrolment that confirms you are paying cash. Telehealth services can write the prescription, but none of them changes the price: the programs set it.
Switching routes between fills is possible. A patient can start with the coupon at a local pharmacy and move to home delivery later, or the reverse; each route treats the fill as a cash purchase. What does not combine is self-pay and insurance on the same fill.
A note on Medicare and Medicaid enrollees
Nothing forbids a Medicare or Medicaid enrollee from paying cash through any of the three routes. The terms only require that the purchase stay outside the plan: no claim, no reimbursement, and an honest answer if the plan asks. For a covered use, the plan route is usually cheaper over a year; for weight management on Medicare, the $50 Bridge beats every self-pay price we track, from $149 upward.
What changes in 2027
Novo Nordisk’s starter offer ends on December 31, 2026, and Lilly’s temporary Foundayo prices at 2.5 and 5.5 mg end the same day. The three routes will reflect the new prices together, since TrumpRx shows the manufacturers’ figures; the calculator’s 2027 setting already applies the regular prices.