Key takeaways
- Cost per pound = total spent ÷ pounds lost.
- Include the same period in both numbers.
- Early on the figure is large, because little has been lost. It falls as weight comes off, or rises if it stalls.
- Weight is not the only thing a treatment is for.
What this tool does
This tool divides the money spent on a medication by the weight lost in the same period. It is a way to see a number. It is not a measure of whether a treatment is worth it, and it says nothing about health.
How the arithmetic works
- Total spent = price per month × months, plus any other costs you choose to count, such as syringes or clinic fees.
- Weight lost = starting weight − current weight.
- Cost per pound = total spent ÷ weight lost. For kilograms, divide by kg lost instead.
If weight lost is zero or negative, the figure is undefined. A tool should say so rather than show a number.
A worked example
Example. These numbers are made up to show the steps. They are not a label value and not a suggestion.
Made-up: $400 a month for 3 months is $1,200. Weight went from 200 lb to 188 lb, so 12 lb lost.
- 1,200 ÷ 12 = $100 per pound.
One more month at the same price and 3 lb more lost: 1,600 ÷ 15 is about $107 per pound. The figure can go up even while weight goes down.
What to check against your label
- That the price is what you actually paid, after insurance or discounts.
- That both numbers cover the same start and end dates.
- That you counted every cost you meant to count, and no others.
Frequently asked questions
Is a lower figure better?
Not necessarily. It is only arithmetic.
Why does it change month to month?
Both the numerator and the denominator move.
Should I use pounds or kilograms?
Use whichever you weigh in. The method is the same.
How Reko does this in the app
Reko keeps your weight over time in pounds, stone or kilograms, so the weight-lost half of the sum is already in your record. Reko does not track what you pay for a medication, so enter the cost side yourself. Doses export as a spreadsheet if you want to do the sum there.
Reko records what you and your prescriber decide. It never suggests a dose, and this page is not medical advice.
- No external source is needed for this arithmetic.