The traditional GP route costs roughly $94/month for medication alone, plus ongoing GP fees. Forme starts from $31/month.
The traditional way to get finasteride is a GP visit for a Propecia prescription, then buying the medication (and minoxidil, if you want it too) yourself. Priced out, that route runs noticeably higher per month than a NZ telehealth plan like Forme's, mainly because you're paying for a GP consultation on top of retail pricing, and repeating that consultation to keep the script current.
Forme's plans start from $31/month for finasteride alone, or $44/month for finasteride and minoxidil combined into a single capsule, with the doctor review already included in that price, not billed separately.
What it costs through a GP.
Propecia 1mg, 28 tablets (a one-month supply) currently retails for around $51 through NZ pharmacies. That's before the GP consultation needed to get the prescription in the first place, which typically runs $50–$85 per visit depending on the practice, and needs repeating periodically to keep the script current.
Add minoxidil and the gap widens. Regaine's 5% solution, sold as a 4-month supply, retails for around $171, about $43 per month on its own. Buying both separately, that's roughly $94 per month for the medications alone, on top of ongoing GP visit fees.
Forme's pricing, for comparison.
Prevention Plan (finasteride only): starting from $31/month.
Complete Tablet (finasteride + minoxidil, combined oral capsule): starting from $44/month.
Complete Spray (finasteride + minoxidil, topical): starting from $50/month.
Advanced Tablet (higher-strength combination): starting from $56/month.
Advanced Spray (higher-strength topical combination): starting from $63/month.
First-order pricing: New patients typically pay less on their very first order, since Forme discounts the initial order to offset the cost of doctor review. Renewal pricing after that first order is the more accurate ongoing number.
Why topical costs more than tablet, usually.
Topical (spray) formulations are priced higher per month than the equivalent oral tablet dose. This reflects the more complex compounding process for a topical solution, not a difference in the active ingredients themselves.
If cost is the deciding factor between tablet and topical, that's worth raising directly with your doctor. The choice between them is a genuine clinical one (absorption, side-effect profile, personal preference), not purely a pricing decision, and your doctor can help you weigh it properly rather than picking on price alone.
What isn't included in the sticker price.
Watch for what's bundled into the quoted price: doctor review, NZ-wide delivery, and ongoing prescription renewals are all included in Forme's pricing without extra fees. Through the GP route, the doctor consultation is billed separately every time you need it, which is easy to leave out when comparing the two side by side.
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