Kroger to carry Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs

Patients who use Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs can now pick up some of their prescriptions at one of the 2,000 stores operated by Kroger, reports Business Insider. 

Mark Cuban, the billionaire known for owning the Dallas Mavericks NBA team as well as his appearances on “Shark Tank,” started Cost Plus in 2022. The company is “dedicated to producing low-cost versions of high-cost generic drugs,” according to its website,  with a goal of transparency when it comes to manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of its drugs to pharmacies.

Cost Plus Drugs tweeted this week that generic prescription drugs will now be available at Kroger pharmacies in a partnership with Mark Cuban's online pharmacy.

The partnership is part of Kroger’s latest push into healthcare and related offerings, Business Insider said. In January, the grocer said that some of its pharmacies would host clinical trials and is also tying in grocery offerings with health such as offering dietitians to advise patients on what to eat.

Cuban’s venture started out with a strategy similar to what Costco does with its own pharmacy, offering “biosimilar versions” of other prescription drugs (i.e. a biosimilar version of Humira which treats arthritis). Cost Plus Drugs buys directly from the manufacturer and ships to patients at a 15% markup plus pharmacy fees, but avoids any “middlemen” or pharmacy benefits managers who often tack on additional costs.

Kroger is the largest supermarket chain in the U.S. and operates supermarkets under multiple names, including Ralph’s and City Market. The Cost Plus Drugs company already has over 1 million accounts. Additionally, if the Kroger, Albertsons merger gets approved, it could add up to 1,700 pharmacies from Albertsons’ network to Kroger’s.

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