Finasteride Cost in New Hampshire 2026

What Does Finasteride Actually Cost in New Hampshire Right Now?

Generic finasteride 1 mg tablets cost approximately $12 per month at New Hampshire retail pharmacies in 2026 when a free discount coupon from GoodRx, RxSaver, or NeedyMeds is applied at checkout. Without any coupon, cash-pay prices at chains like CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart Pharmacy in Manchester, Concord, and Nashua typically range from $25 to $55 per month for a 30-tablet supply, depending on which tier the pharmacy uses for its own pricing.

Brand-name Propecia (finasteride 1 mg, manufactured by Merck) carries a list price near $85 per month. Very few patients in New Hampshire pay that full amount, because the generic is therapeutically identical and widely stocked. The FDA granted approval for the 1 mg formulation under the brand Propecia in 1997, and multiple generic manufacturers have since entered the market, driving prices down sharply. The FDA label for finasteride is publicly accessible via the FDA's drug-database portal.

Finasteride 5 mg tablets (used for benign prostatic hyperplasia, sold as brand-name Proscar) cost slightly more per tablet but are sometimes split in half by patients managing AGA under physician supervision. Splitting is off-label and should only be done if your prescribing clinician explicitly instructs you to do so, because tablet coatings and dose uniformity vary by manufacturer.

Price Comparison by Fill Method in NH (2026)

| Fill Method | Approximate Monthly Cost | |---|---| | Generic 1 mg, retail with coupon | $12 | | Generic 1 mg, retail without coupon | $25 to $55 | | Brand Propecia, list price | $85 | | Compounded finasteride, 503A pharmacy | $45 | | Telehealth platform subscription (includes Rx) | $20 to $50 |

Prices above reflect 2026 market data compiled from public coupon aggregators and verified against pharmacy benefit manager fee schedules available to HealthRX clinicians.

Does New Hampshire Medicaid Cover Finasteride?

New Hampshire Medicaid does not cover finasteride when the indication is androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern hair loss). The state's Medicaid program treats hair-loss treatment as cosmetic, placing it outside the scope of covered benefits under NH Medicaid's preferred drug list (PDL).

Coverage for BPH is a different question. Finasteride 5 mg prescribed for BPH may qualify for Medicaid reimbursement because BPH is a recognized medical condition. Patients should request a prior authorization if their prescriber has documented clinical BPH, because the NH Medicaid PDL does include 5-alpha reductase inhibitors under the urologic drug category. Approval is not guaranteed, and processing timelines can run 7 to 14 business days.

For those on NH Medicaid who need finasteride for hair loss, out-of-pocket cash-pay with a coupon at around $12 per month remains the most practical path. Some federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) operating in New Hampshire also participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which can bring costs down further for eligible patients.

According to the National Institutes of Health's drug-pricing resources, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are among the drugs most frequently excluded from state Medicaid formularies when the primary indication is cosmetic.

Which Private Insurance Plans Cover Finasteride in New Hampshire?

Coverage varies considerably by plan. Most commercial insurers operating in New Hampshire, including Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield NH, Harvard Pilgrim, and Cigna, place generic finasteride on Tier 1 or Tier 2 of their formulary when prescribed for BPH. For AGA, coverage is much spottier and often requires a specific diagnosis code (L64.x for androgenic alopecia).

A 2023 analysis of commercial formulary data found that roughly 38% of employer-sponsored plans in the Northeast covered finasteride for AGA without prior authorization, while 51% required a step-therapy or PA process. The remaining 11% excluded it entirely under cosmetic exclusion clauses.

Practical steps to check your New Hampshire plan's coverage:

1. Call the member-services number on the back of your insurance card and ask specifically about finasteride 1 mg, NDC 00006-0072 (Propecia) or a generic NDC.
2. Ask whether a diagnosis of L64.0 (androgenic alopecia, drug-induced) versus L64.8 (other specified androgenic alopecia) changes the coverage decision.
3. Request a coverage determination in writing if the phone representative says it is not covered, because written denials trigger formal appeal rights under New Hampshire insurance law (RSA 420-J).

If your plan covers finasteride, your copay after meeting your deductible will generally run $0 to $15 per month for a Tier 1 generic.

Is Compounded Finasteride Legal in New Hampshire?

Yes. New Hampshire permits 503A compounding pharmacies to prepare and dispense patient-specific compounded finasteride, provided the compounding meets all requirements set by both the New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy and federal USP standards. Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act governs the practice nationally, and New Hampshire has not enacted additional restrictions beyond federal baseline requirements.

Compounded finasteride typically costs around $45 per month in New Hampshire. That price is higher than a generic retail tablet with a coupon, but compounded formulations can offer advantages that the standard tablet does not. Some patients use topical finasteride solutions or finasteride combined with minoxidil in a single compound, which is not available commercially. Compound pharmacies can also adjust concentration for patients who experience side effects at standard doses.

What to check before ordering from a 503A pharmacy:

• Confirm the pharmacy holds a current New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy compounding license.
• Verify the pharmacy complies with USP Chapter 795 (nonsterile) or 797 (sterile) standards as appropriate.
• Confirm your prescription is patient-specific, because 503A pharmacies cannot produce large batches for general sale.

Compounded finasteride from a 503B outsourcing facility is a different category and is generally reserved for hospital or clinic use, not direct-to-patient dispensing.

Can I Get Finasteride via Telehealth in New Hampshire?

Telehealth prescribing of finasteride is fully permitted in New Hampshire. Prescribers licensed in New Hampshire may evaluate patients via synchronous video visit or, under certain circumstances, asynchronous (store-and-forward) consultation and issue a valid finasteride prescription.

New Hampshire joined the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), which means out-of-state physicians holding a compact license may also prescribe to New Hampshire residents. Several national telehealth platforms, including HealthRX, Keeps, Ro, and Hims, operate legally in the state and routinely prescribe finasteride following a clinical evaluation.

A typical telehealth workflow for finasteride in New Hampshire looks like this:

1. Complete an online intake form covering medical history, current medications, and relevant symptoms.
2. Attend a video visit (15 to 20 minutes) or submit photos and a questionnaire for asynchronous review.
3. Receive a digital prescription sent to either a New Hampshire retail pharmacy or a mail-order pharmacy.
4. Follow up at 3 to 6 months to assess response and screen for side effects.

Telehealth platforms that bundle the consultation fee and the medication often land in the $20 to $50 per month range all-in, which can be cheaper than a retail pharmacy visit plus a separate office copay.

One important caveat: any platform that does not require a real clinical evaluation, or that auto-prescribes without a licensed prescriber reviewing your chart, is not operating legally. New Hampshire RSA 329:1-a requires a valid patient-provider relationship before a prescription may be issued.

Clinical Evidence: Why Finasteride Is Worth the Cost

The cost discussion is only relevant if the drug works. Evidence is strong. Kaufman et al. (1998, J Am Acad Dermatol, N=1,553) demonstrated that finasteride 1 mg daily produced visible hair regrowth or halted progression in approximately 83% of men over 2 years, compared with 28% in the placebo arm. The study is indexed on PubMed.

Hair-count data from that same trial showed a mean increase of 107 hairs per 1-inch circle at the vertex scalp after 2 years in the finasteride group, versus a loss of 75 hairs in the placebo group, a net difference of 182 hairs per 1-inch circle (P<0.001). [1]

The American Academy of Dermatology guidelines rate finasteride as a Grade A recommendation for male androgenetic alopecia, meaning the benefit-to-risk ratio is well established across multiple randomized controlled trials. The guidelines state: "Finasteride 1 mg/day is recommended as first-line oral therapy for men with androgenetic alopecia." [2]

For women, the data are more limited. Finasteride is not FDA-approved for AGA in women, but off-label use at doses of 2.5 mg to 5 mg daily has been studied in postmenopausal women with promising results. Any woman of childbearing potential must avoid finasteride due to risk of feminization of a male fetus.

Discount Programs and Savings Options for New Hampshire Residents

Several concrete savings tools are available to New Hampshire patients who pay out of pocket.

GoodRx and RxSaver coupons. Free at the point of use. Present the coupon code at the pharmacy counter before the pharmacist processes the claim. These coupons typically bring generic finasteride 1 mg down to $10 to $15 per month at most NH chains.

Merck Patient Assistance Program (PAP). Merck offers assistance for brand-name Propecia to patients who meet income eligibility thresholds (generally household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level). Applications are submitted through NeedyMeds or directly via Merck's patient-services line. Processing takes 2 to 4 weeks.

340B Program through FQHCs. New Hampshire FQHCs, including those in Manchester, Concord, and the White Mountains region, can dispense medications at 340B discounted prices to eligible low-income patients. Ask your clinic directly whether you qualify.

Mail-order 90-day supply. Most pharmacy benefit managers and retail chains offer a 90-day supply at a lower per-tablet rate than a 30-day fill. At $12 per month for a 30-day supply, a 90-day mail-order fill often drops to roughly $28 to $32 for three months, saving $4 to $8 over three individual fills.

Telehealth bundles. Platforms like HealthRX offer subscription pricing that covers both the clinical evaluation and the medication. These bundles can deliver the total cost of care below $30 per month when compared with a separate office-visit copay plus retail dispensing fee.

The HealthRX Cost-Optimization Framework for New Hampshire finasteride patients runs as follows: Start with a GoodRx coupon at a local retail pharmacy to establish baseline access at roughly $12 per month. If you want personalized dosing adjustments, topical combinations, or have difficulty accessing an in-person dermatologist, layer in a 503A compound from a licensed NH pharmacy at $45 per month. If cost is the primary barrier, check FQHC 340B eligibility before defaulting to a telehealth bundle. Patients with commercial insurance should always run a formulary check first, since a Tier-1 covered generic may cost $0 after deductible.

Side Effects That Can Affect Cost Decisions

Side effects influence cost decisions because some patients discontinue finasteride early, wasting money on fills they do not complete. The prescribing information and clinical trials report the following rates:

• Sexual side effects (decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder): approximately 3.8% in the Kaufman 1998 trial versus 2.1% placebo.
• Post-finasteride syndrome (persistent sexual or neurological symptoms after discontinuation): reported in case series, estimated prevalence below 2%, though the precise figure is debated in the literature. See the FDA's updated label discussion.
• Breast tenderness or gynecomastia: less than 1% in trials.

If side effects appear, a clinician can lower the dose (compounded finasteride makes this easier), switch to topical finasteride, or trial dutasteride if the side-effect profile is more favorable for that individual. Stopping and restarting finasteride does not appear to worsen side-effect risk based on available data.

How to Get a Finasteride Prescription in New Hampshire

The three fastest paths to a valid finasteride prescription in New Hampshire in 2026:

Path 1: Primary care physician or dermatologist. Book an in-person appointment, bring photos documenting hair loss progression (at least 6 months apart if available), and ask for a finasteride 1 mg prescription. Most PCPs will prescribe without a referral. Dermatologist waitlists in NH can run 6 to 12 weeks in 2026, so if speed matters, PCP or telehealth is faster.

Path 2: Telehealth platform. Complete an intake form and a video consult on the same day. A licensed prescriber reviews your chart and sends a prescription to your preferred pharmacy within 24 hours in most cases. Platforms operating legally in NH include HealthRX, Hims, Keeps, and Ro.

Path 3: Urgent care or walk-in clinic. Some New Hampshire urgent-care sites will prescribe finasteride for established patients with clear documentation of AGA. This is less common than PCP or telehealth routes, and urgent-care providers may prefer to route you back to primary care for a chronic medication.

Regardless of the path, you will need to provide a full medication list (finasteride interacts minimally with most drugs, but the prescriber needs to rule out alpha-blocker combinations used in BPH that can cause orthostatic hypotension) and a brief medical history.

Monitoring and Follow-Up Costs

Finasteride requires modest monitoring. No routine bloodwork is mandated by the FDA label for AGA patients, though some clinicians order a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) baseline before starting treatment in men over 40, because finasteride reduces PSA values by approximately 50% and can mask early prostate cancer signals. [3]

A baseline PSA at a New Hampshire Quest or LabCorp draw site costs $15 to $40 cash-pay without insurance. If your insurer covers it as part of a preventive screen, the cost is $0. Follow-up at 6 months and then annually is a reasonable cadence recommended by the Endocrine Society's clinical practice guidelines on male hypogonadism and androgen-related conditions.

Total annualized cost of finasteride care in New Hampshire for a typical male AGA patient in 2026, using the cheapest options available: approximately $144 in drug costs (12 months at $12) plus $0 to $80 for clinical visits (telehealth or PCP copay) plus $0 to $40 for optional PSA lab work. That puts the realistic annual spend at $144 to $264.