Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs • Hacker News Board

Re: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs

#11

Post by anandchowdhary » Thu, Jun 09, 2022, 2:15 PM UTC

enkid wrote: post #4

gedy wrote: post #3

I hate to be so cynical if it helps people, but with his name plastered in the company and site like this, it feels like prep for a presidential run or some other political office.

Naming a company for a founder is common

He wasn’t one of the original founders, he was an early investor.

Re: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs

#12

Post by ipnon » Thu, Jun 09, 2022, 2:16 PM UTC

swalsh wrote: post #5

So does this work by essentially bypassing the PBM rebates process, and directly negotiating with the manufacturers?

On the homepage they say they markup the manufacturing cost by 15%, include $3 for pharmacy labor, and finally apply shipping and handling based on location. It seem even with such healthy margins they're still an order of magnitude cheaper for some medications. Big Pharma looks obscene sometimes.

Re: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs

#13

Post by anon2020dot00 » Thu, Jun 09, 2022, 2:17 PM UTC

Why is this being pushed multiple times on Reddit and on Hacker News? Seems like a marketing campaign for clout.

Re: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs

#14

Post by FredPret » Thu, Jun 09, 2022, 2:18 PM UTC

nimbius wrote: post #10

[flagged]

Libertarians by definition aren’t taking one for the collective team

Re: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs

#15

Post by tonyhb » Thu, Jun 09, 2022, 2:18 PM UTC

whoomp12342 wrote: post #6

How is the cost so low? we bypass the pharmacy middleman. ooooh okay that is really neat How do I get the drugs? order it from our pharmacy. Wat?

They bypass the people who sell drugs to existing pharmacies by operating their own D2C pharmacy themselves.

Instead of:

Pharma co -> Distribution -> Pharmacy -> You

It's:

Pharma co -> Cost Plus -> You.

Cost plus is still a pharmacy by definition.

Re: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs

#16

Post by KaoruAoiShiho » Thu, Jun 09, 2022, 2:19 PM UTC

So is the cost actually low? The last time this came up on HN people agreed the costs are standard and the other pharmacies do not charge the high prices on the comparisons.

Re: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs

#17

Post by wollsmoth » Thu, Jun 09, 2022, 2:19 PM UTC

gedy wrote: post #3

I hate to be so cynical if it helps people, but with his name plastered in the company and site like this, it feels like prep for a presidential run or some other political office.

I feel like he has a shot. But from what I know about him I don't think he'd want the headache.

Re: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs

#18

Post by athorax » Thu, Jun 09, 2022, 2:20 PM UTC

I looked up a few of the medications I take and the prices were about even with what I pay at Costco. This is great if it is more accessible for more people

Re: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs

#19

Post by sct202 » Thu, Jun 09, 2022, 2:22 PM UTC

There's a $5 shipping fee that isn't included until check out, so for a lot of cheap drugs it's still cheaper to go thru GoodRX/Walmart/other discount programs.

Re: Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs

#20

Post by elliottkember » Thu, Jun 09, 2022, 2:22 PM UTC

rumblestrut wrote: post #8

enkid wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Naming a company for a founder is common

Walmart certainly comes to mind.

And Taco Bell