{"uid":"cap_53EF6PNKChM-Q3Wtytisu","slug":"findmydirectdoctor-medication-cost-benchmark-api-4e2a4589","name":"FindMyDirectDoctor Medication Cost Benchmark API","description":"Medicine cost benchmarks for people without insurance, by drug or drug class (67 guides). Shows the pharmacy acquisition cost per unit (NADAC, what pharmacies pay, not a retail price), Medicare Part D average spending per claim, posted cash price examples, brand names and whether the medicine is prescription-only, each with its quote and source link. Benchmarks only, not a pharmacy price.","url":"https://api.findmydirectdoctor.com/v1/costs/medication?utm_source=zero.xyz","method":"GET","headers":{},"bodySchema":{"type":"object","$schema":"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema","required":["input"],"properties":{"input":{"type":"object","required":["type","method"],"properties":{"type":{"type":"string","const":"http"},"method":{"enum":["GET"],"type":"string"},"queryParams":{"type":"object","required":["drug"],"properties":{"drug":{"type":"string","maxLength":120,"minLength":1,"description":"The medicine, as a generic name (atorvastatin), a brand name found in a guide title, a drug class (blood thinner) or a guide slug. GET /v1/guides/index lists the guides."}}}},"additionalProperties":false},"output":{"type":"object","required":["type"],"properties":{"type":{"type":"string"},"example":{"type":"object","required":["query","guide_url","last_reviewed","quick_answer","price_points","credit","data_as_of"],"properties":{"drug":{"type":"string"},"facts":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"quote":{"type":"string"},"section":{"type":"string"},"source_url":{"type":["string","null"]}}}},"group":{"type":"string"},"guide":{"type":"object","required":["slug","title","url","last_reviewed"],"properties":{"url":{"type":"string"},"slug":{"type":"string"},"title":{"type":"string"},"last_reviewed":{"type":"string"}},"description":"The guide the answer comes from."},"query":{"type":"object","description":"The request as understood, with the guide it matched."},"steps":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"items":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"string"}},"section":{"type":"string"}}}},"credit":{"type":"string","description":"Physician-reviewed, FindMyDirectDoctor Foundation"},"source":{"type":"string"},"related":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"url":{"type":"string"},"slug":{"type":"string"}}}},"sources":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"url":{"type":"string"},"publisher":{"type":"string"}}}},"guide_url":{"type":"string","description":"Public page of the guide."},"data_as_of":{"type":"string"},"disclaimer":{"type":"string"},"brand_names":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"string"}},"price_points":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","required":["quote","amounts_usd","basis","basis_label"],"properties":{"as_of":{"type":["string","null"]},"basis":{"type":"string","description":"Machine name of the basis."},"quote":{"type":"string","description":"The sentence from the guide that states the figure."},"section":{"type":"string"},"source_url":{"type":["string","null"]},"amounts_usd":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"number"}},"basis_label":{"type":"string","description":"What kind of figure this is, in plain words. A Medicare payment or a drug acquisition cost is not a cash price."},"is_cash_price":{"type":["boolean","null"]}}}},"price_status":{"type":"string"},"quick_answer":{"type":"string"},"last_reviewed":{"type":"string","description":"Review date of the guide (YYYY-MM-DD)."},"price_drivers":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"items":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"string"}},"section":{"type":"string"}}}},"medicare_part_d":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"year":{"type":["integer","null"]},"fills":{"type":["integer","null"]},"quote":{"type":"string"},"source_url":{"type":"string"},"avg_spend_per_fill_usd":{"type":["number","null"]}}}},"lower_cost_routes":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"items":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"string"}},"section":{"type":"string"}}}},"price_status_note":{"type":"string"},"how_to_get_a_quote":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"items":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"string"}},"section":{"type":"string"}}}},"prescription_quote":{"type":["string","null"]},"cost_benchmark_note":{"type":"string","description":"NADAC is what pharmacies pay, not a retail price."},"prescription_status":{"type":"string"},"posted_cash_examples":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"quote":{"type":"string"},"source_url":{"type":"string"}}}},"pharmacy_acquisition_cost":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"kind":{"type":"string"},"rows":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","properties":{"strength":{"type":"string"},"per_unit_usd":{"type":"number"}}}},"as_of":{"type":["string","null"]},"quote":{"type":"string"},"source_url":{"type":"string"},"basis_label":{"type":"string"},"is_retail_price":{"type":"boolean"}}}}}}}}}},"responseSchema":{"type":"json","example":{"drug":"atorvastatin","facts":[{"quote":"We looked at that price page ourselves in October 2026.","section":"What a fill of atorvastatin costs","source_url":null}],"group":"medication","guide":{"url":"https://findmydirectdoctor.org/guides/atorvastatin-cost-without-insurance/","slug":"atorvastatin-cost-without-insurance","title":"What atorvastatin costs if you have no insurance","last_reviewed":"2026-10-24"},"query":{"drug":"atorvastatin","matched_by":"prefix","matched_slug":"atorvastatin-cost-without-insurance"},"steps":[],"credit":"Physician-reviewed, FindMyDirectDoctor Foundation","source":"FindMyDirectDoctor Foundation guides (findmydirectdoctor.org/guides)","related":[{"url":"https://findmydirectdoctor.org/guides/ask-for-cash-price/","slug":"ask-for-cash-price"}],"sources":[{"url":"https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a600045.html","publisher":"medlineplus.gov"}],"guide_url":"https://findmydirectdoctor.org/guides/atorvastatin-cost-without-insurance/","data_as_of":"2026-10-02","disclaimer":"General information quoted from published guides. Not medical, legal or tax advice. In an emergency call 911.","brand_names":["Lipitor"],"price_points":[{"as_of":"2026-10","basis":"list_price","quote":"One public hospital in Nashville, Tennessee lists 30 tablets of generic atorvastatin for $4 on its pharmacy price list, which we checked in October 2026.","section":"quick answer","source_url":null,"amounts_usd":[4],"basis_label":"manufacturer or device list price","is_cash_price":false}],"price_status":"has_price_points","quick_answer":"One public hospital in Nashville, Tennessee lists 30 tablets of generic atorvastatin for $4 on its pharmacy price list, which we checked in October 2026. Medicare drug plans and their members spent an average of $10.31 per fill in 2024, according to a federal spending report. The brand-name version costs far more, so ask for the generic.","last_reviewed":"2026-10-24","price_drivers":[],"trademark_note":"Lipitor is a trademark of its owner. The FindMyDirectDoctor Foundation is not connected to or endorsed by the trademark owner, and we name the brand only so readers can find information about the product.","medicare_part_d":[{"year":2024,"fills":73349032,"quote":"CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug, 2024: Atorvastatin Calcium (generic, overall manufacturers) 73,349,032 claims, average spending per claim $10.3 (10.31); Lipitor 23,269 claims, $1,151.67 per claim. Spending includes plan plus beneficiary payments, not a cash price. Fetched 2026-10-23","source_url":"https://data.cms.gov/data-api/v1/dataset/7e0b4365-fd63-4a29-8f5e-e0ac9f66a81b/data?keyword=atorvastatin","basis_label":"Medicare plan spending per claim, not a cash price","avg_spend_per_fill_usd":10.31}],"lower_cost_routes":[],"price_status_note":"The guide states price figures. Each keeps its basis label.","how_to_get_a_quote":[],"prescription_quote":"No, atorvastatin is not sold over the counter. FDA records list atorvastatin tablets as prescription medicines, so a clinician has to write the prescription. If you have no insurance, you can pay for the visit yourself, so ask for the price of the visit first.","cost_benchmark_note":"NADAC is the average price pharmacies pay to buy a drug (pharmacy acquisition cost). It is a cost benchmark, not a retail price and not what a patient pays at the counter. Medicare Part D figures are plan plus member spending per claim, also not a cash price.","prescription_status":"prescription_only","pharmacy_acquisition_cost":[{"kind":"generic","rows":[{"strength":"10 mg","per_unit_usd":0.02301},{"strength":"20 mg","per_unit_usd":0.02858}],"as_of":"2026-10-21","quote":"NADAC as-of 2026-10-21 (latest week), generic atorvastatin tablets (classification G): 10 mg $0.02301, 20 mg $0.02858, 40 mg $0.03688, 80 mg $0.06804 per tablet. Arithmetic: 30 x 0.02858 = $0.86, 30 x 0.06804 = $2.04","source_url":"https://data.medicaid.gov/api/1/datastore/query/fbb83258-11c7-47f5-8b18-5f8e79f7e704/0","basis_label":"pharmacy acquisition cost (NADAC), a cost benchmark and not a retail price","is_retail_price":false}]}},"example":null,"exampleRequest":null,"tags":["x402"],"displayCostAmount":"0.02","displayCostAsset":"USDC","priceDynamic":false,"priceHint":null,"priceStatus":"priced","priceSource":"probe","requiresHandshake":false,"reviewCount":0,"rating":{"score":"0.00","successRate":"0.00","reviews":0,"stars":null,"state":"unrated"},"availabilityStatus":"unknown","priceObserved":null,"sessionDeposit":null,"pricing":{"kind":"static","summary":"$0.02/call","primary":{"kind":"static","protocol":"x402","network":"base","amountUsd":"0.02","per":"call","confidence":"exact"},"accepted":[{"kind":"static","protocol":"x402","network":"base","amountUsd":"0.02","per":"call","confidence":"exact"}]},"paymentMethods":[{"uid":"pm_8QA8geVxni384u3rBor4y","protocol":"x402","methodType":"crypto","chain":"base","mode":"charge","costAmount":"0.02","costPer":"request","priority":0,"asset":"0x833589fCD6eDb6E08f4c7C32D4f71b54bdA02913","unit":"request","depositMicros":null,"planRef":null}],"brandName":null,"brandSlug":null,"brandBaseUrl":null,"brandDocsUrl":null,"whatItDoes":"Returns medicine cost benchmarks for uninsured patients — including NADAC pharmacy acquisition cost, Medicare Part D average spending per claim, and posted cash price examples — for a given drug or drug class.","exampleAgentPrompt":"What does atorvastatin cost without insurance? I want to see the NADAC pharmacy acquisition cost, Medicare Part D average spending per claim, and any posted cash prices.","exampleUseCases":[{"title":"Uninsured patient researching drug cost","prompt":"I don't have insurance — how much should I expect to pay for metformin? Can you pull up the NADAC benchmark, any Medicare average spending data, and real cash price examples?"},{"title":"Comparing brand vs generic statin cost","prompt":"What's the cost difference between Lipitor and generic atorvastatin for someone without insurance? Show me the pharmacy acquisition cost and any posted cash prices."},{"title":"Cost benchmarking for a drug class","prompt":"I'm looking at blood thinner medications — what are the cost benchmarks without insurance, including what pharmacies actually pay and what Medicare spends per fill?"}],"resultDescription":"Returns a structured JSON object with a quick_answer narrative, price_points array (each with basis, quote, amount in USD, and source URL), NADAC and Medicare Part D benchmark data, brand names, prescription-only status, related guide links, data freshness date, physician-reviewed credit, and a disclaimer. Includes the matched guide slug and URL for deeper reading.","failureModes":["Drug not found in any of the 67 guides — returns no match or empty result","Ambiguous drug name matches multiple guides — may return best-guess match","Guide data may be outdated if last_reviewed date is old","Price points reflect benchmarks, not real-time retail prices — may differ from actual pharmacy quotes","Truncated or malformed drug query string may fail input validation"],"whenToPreferThis":"Use this endpoint when you need physician-reviewed, sourced cost benchmarks (NADAC, Medicare Part D, posted cash prices) for a specific drug or drug class for uninsured patients. Prefer this over generic web searches when you need structured, citable price data with provenance. Not suitable for real-time pharmacy pricing, insurance copay lookups, or prescription fulfillment.","instructions":null,"reviewSummary":null,"reviewSummaryHighlights":null,"reviewSummaryConcerns":null,"reviewSummaryGeneratedAt":null,"activationCount":0,"lastUsedAt":null,"lastSuccessfullyRanAt":null,"lastHealthCheckAt":"2026-10-31T18:40:18.541Z","isFirstParty":false,"canonicalSlug":"findmydirectdoctor-medication-cost-benchmark-api-4e2a4589"}