Publix just rolled out a new way to cut prescription costs. It involves a new card

Publix and its more than 1,200 pharmacies has partnered with a California company to potentially help customers, those with and without insurance, to cut prescription drug costs on many commonly prescribed medications.

GoodRx, a prescription drug savings card and app that customers can show at pharmacies nationwide to shave the price off prescription medications, also has a membership program that charges a monthly fee. That upgraded GoodRx Gold network option, now accepted at Publix, can save patients more on many common drugs taken for blood pressure, cholesterol, reflux, depression and other health ailments.

In April, the Santa Monica-based company announced that Publix has joined its GoodRx Gold network. The card is accepted at Publix pharmacies across eight states in the southeast, including Florida.

“If customers are GoodRx Gold members, Publix Pharmacy can process their prescriptions under GoodRx Gold,” Publix spokeswoman Lindsey Willis said in an email to the Miami Herald.

Expanding into the Lakeland-based Publix was a strategic move for the company because the Florida grocery giant has pharmacies inside the majority of its 1,337 supermarkets in eight states, including Florida, said Jim Sheninger, pharmacy strategy officer at GoodRx.

“As we continue our mission of making prescriptions more affordable and accessible, the expansion of GoodRx Gold into Publix will offer even more opportunities for consumers to see meaningful savings on their much-needed medications,” he said in a statement.

The GoodRx Gold partnership is the latest prescription savings option Publix Pharmacy has paired with in the last seven months. Last September, Publix partnered with Visory Health, a prescription savings company based in Orlando, to offer discount cards that can be used at its pharmacies.

Consumers may have questions about GoodRx Gold and how its deal can work at the Publix pharmacy counter. Here are some answers:

What is GoodRx Gold?

What it is: GoodRx Gold is a monthly healthcare membership that gives consumers access to discounted prices on their FDA-approved generic medications. More than 1,000 popular prescriptions may be priced at less than $10 when using the service, according to the company.

How to join: To join GoodRx Gold, consumers can sign up online at www.goodrx.com/gold or download the GoodRx app to their iPhone or Android smartphones. Present the GoodRx Gold card at the pharmacy counter or show the app to access savings.

Cost: Individual plans are available for $9.99 per month and family plans are available for up to six people for $19.99 per month.

Average cost savings: According to the company, in 2023, GoodRx Gold individual plan members saved an average of $3,961 for the year on retail prescription prices. Family plan members saved an average of $5,177 for the year.

Pharmacies that accept GoodRx Gold: The card and app is accepted at 38,000 pharmacy locations nationwide. In addition to Publix, GoodRx Gold can be used in South Florida at CVS, including CVS pharmacies inside Target; Navarro Discount Pharmacy; Costco; Cano Pharmacy; EP Medical Equipment Pharmacy; Jackson Memorial Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy; Miami Beach Community Health Center; Mount Sinai Pharmacy Express and others.

Medical insurance

Anyone — health insured or not — can sign up to be a GoodRx Gold member. Out-of-pocket payments made with GoodRx Gold are not applied to insurance deductibles. So in some instances you’re better off using your insurance. In general, you can show your pharmacist your GoodRx Gold coupon or code and see if the savings beats your co-pay. Co-pays vary based on the insurer and plan details.

Price comparisons

Here are how some common medications and how the retail price at a Publix pharmacy in the Miami area compares to a free GoodRx plan and for a GoodRx Gold member who pays the monthly membership fees, according to the company. The Gold program is probably best geared to individuals or families managing monthly multiple medications or those without health insurance.

▪ Atorvastatin (Lipitor). Taken to treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

— Retail price: $47.95.

— Standard GoodRx coupon: $19.58.

— GoodRx Gold: $12.83.

▪ Fluoxetine (Prozac). Taken to treat certain mental/mood disorders, such as depression, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder.

— Retail price: $45.

— Standard GoodRx coupon: $10.31.

— GoodRx Gold: $5.56.

▪ Omeprazole (Prilosec). Taken to treat certain stomach and esophagus problems such as acid reflux and ulcers.

— Retail price: $89.

—Standard GoodRx coupon: $19.36.

—GoodRx Gold: $12.61.

▪ Amoxicillin. Taken to treat certain infections caused by bacteria, such as pneumonia; bronchitis and infections of the ears, nose, throat, urinary tract, and skin.

— Retail price: $13.58.

— Standard GoodRx coupon: $11.38.

—GoodRx Gold: $6.63.

▪ Carvedilol (Coreg). Used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure.

— Retail price: $45.45.

— Standard GoodRx coupon: $23.61.

— GoodRx Gold: $16.36.

▪ Losartan (Cozaar). Taken to treat high blood pressure.

— Retail price: $27.

— Standard GoodRx coupon: $19.

—GoodRx Gold: $12.25.

Publix is opening 4 Florida stores in April, including the Miami area. Let’s take a look