The $8.8 Billion Gender Gap in Medication Costs

A new report from GoodRx has uncovered a stark disparity in how much women are paying for their health—revealing that women in the U.S. spent $8.8 billion more than men on out-of-pocket prescription medication costs in 2024.

The report, titled The Prescription Drug Gender Divide, confirms that what’s long been described as the “pink tax” reaches far beyond consumer products. When it comes to essential healthcare, women continue to pay more—despite often earning less, and while simultaneously carrying disproportionate responsibilities related to caregiving, fertility, and family health.

GoodRx’s data shows that women spent nearly $40 billion out-of-pocket on prescriptions in 2024—30% more than men. This financial inequality is driven by a combination of higher healthcare usage, greater incidence of chronic conditions, and the cost of treatments for female-specific health concerns like menopause, endometriosis, and fertility.

Tori Marsh, MPH, Director of Research at GoodRx, explains:

“We often think of the ‘pink tax’ as a price tag on razors or shampoo. But what we’re seeing here is far more damaging—women are paying a premium just to stay healthy. This has long-term consequences not only for women’s wellbeing, but for the wider healthcare system.”

Key findings from the report include:

• Prescription spending is consistently higher for women, with the most significant gap seen in women aged 18–44, who spend up to 64% more than men in the same age group.

• For women aged 45–64, the gap narrows slightly, but remains at 35.3%, and even among those aged 65+, women still spend 16.5% more.

• Mental health is a major cost driver, with women spending 113% more on depression medications and 103% more on anxiety treatments than men—figures that reflect not only higher prescription rates but deeper systemic gender biases in diagnosis and care.

• Out-of-pocket costs for female-specific conditions topped $1.5 billion in 2024.

  • Menopause treatments averaged $16.95 per prescription

  • Endometriosis treatment: $29.38 per prescription

  • Morning sickness medications: $37.87 per prescription

These findings sit against a backdrop of ongoing underfunding in women’s health, persistent diagnostic gaps, and a healthcare system that often sidelines female-specific needs. As women continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials and research, they are simultaneously overburdened at the pharmacy counter.

In response, GoodRx is expanding its efforts to make medications more affordable for women, offering:

• Up to 43% off fertility treatments

• Discounted hormone therapy for menopause, ranging from $99–$249 through Pfizer

• Affordable birth control options, including the first over-the-counter pill, Opill

Dorothy Gemmell, Chief Commercial Officer at GoodRx, emphasized the broader social impact of affordability:

“This isn’t just about saving women money—it’s about improving lives, families, and communities. Affordable healthcare for women drives equity and resilience across the entire system.”

Since its launch, GoodRx has been used by nearly 30 million Americans and over one million healthcare professionals annually, saving consumers over $85 billion on medications.

The takeaway? Women are still paying more—for less access, less recognition, and fewer options. As The Female Body continues to spotlight the structural inequalities shaping women’s health, this report is a critical reminder: healthcare affordability is a feminist issue.