The Costco Member Prescription Program brings value and savings for you and your family—including your pets.
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Script savings

The Costco Member Prescription Program offers direct discounts

by katie coleman

Since the first Costco Pharmacy opened in 1986, this warehouse staple has continued to evolve to fit members’ needs and lifestyles. Now, the newly enhanced Costco Member Prescription Program (CMPP), Costco’s direct member medication discount plan, offers even more discounts and value to help you make the most of your membership.

What is the Costco Membership Prescription Program?

Prescription discounts through the CMPP are an added benefit of a Costco membership—at no extra charge. Through the program, Costco members and their dependents receive lower prices on medications—including ones for pets (talk about a pharmacy for your whole family). While it’s not health insurance, this program aims to help members pay less for their medications and other health-related services and supplies.

Better buying

One way Costco is able to drive this kind of value is by negotiating with various manufacturers in order to get price reductions on medications. “Once we get those discounts, we pass 100% of the savings on to our members,” explains Vivien Chan, Costco Health Solutions director.

Chan says another benefit that members can expect from CMPP is that it allows Costco to pass savings on to patients without insurance or a copay.

Oftentimes, these savings can be significant. “It’s not unheard of for our members to be able to get a prescription drug for up to 20%, 30% or even 80% off what they normally pay,” notes Chris Pierce, assistant vice president of Costco Health Solutions.

Network of pharmacies

CMPP has a network of 19,000 participating pharmacies across the country outside of Costco. “This is meant for people who have memberships and don’t necessarily live close to a Costco Pharmacy,” says Pierce. While it doesn’t offer the same discounts you would get at Costco, Pierce adds, “it is still lower than other pharmacies’ normal cash price.”

It’s easy to get your member discount at participating pharmacies. All you need to do is present your Costco member card, and you will be given the CMPP pricing. “The number that the participating pharmacy puts in your prescription is your Costco member number,” explains Pierce. “And, there are no coupons, no applications and no additional paperwork.”

Curious to see if pharmacies around you are in network? Go to Costco.com/cmpp and type your prescription name in the search bar. “It will show you a list of pharmacies by your ZIP code,” Chan says. “You can also compare prices on various quantities.”

Another option on the CMPP site for members who don’t have a scheduled trip to the warehouse is to get prescriptions via Costco Prescription Home Delivery, which is fast, safe, private and oftentimes less expensive than the closest participating pharmacy.

Pharmacy for Fido

Along with prescriptions for people, Costco has expanded its CMPP coverage to include pets. “During the pandemic, many people became new pet owners, and we want to let members know we offer great pricing for pet medicine too,” Chan says.

The savings can be substantial. For example, Costco offers a six-month supply of Simparica Trio, a once-a-month chewable tablet that prevents heartworm and other parasitic diseases in dogs, for savings up to 28%.

“It’s pretty amazing to see the positive feedback from our members,” Pierce says. “Some of them are actually thanking us for bringing lower costs through this program. We’re just excited to share the savings potential with members and bring more awareness about CMPP’s benefits and value.”

It’s just another reason why you can rest assured that, no matter what, Costco—and Costco Pharmacy—has you covered.

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