There’s no doubt we live in a type A kind of society, where everyone wants everything yesterday, trends come and go in the blink of an eye, and the motto seems to be “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” More often than not, that kind of lifestyle means we may end up catching every little germ that comes knocking at our door (but we’re not home anyway, right?).

In order to be prepared, you’ve got to have an arsenal waiting for you when you inevitably end up with the sniffles. Enter Curist, an expert-backed, straight-to-your-door pharmacy in a box, with cute packaging, easy-to-digest info, and cheaper than Amazon pricing (really!).   

What is Curist?

Curist was born in 2018 from founder Ethan Goldstein’s quest to find allergy meds in an affordable, accessible way. The company considers itself “Little Pharma” (which is actually its official business name). Their mission is twofold, according to Goldstein. One is to help people save money on medications for common conditions like allergies, heartburn, pain relief, and digestive issues. And the second part of that mission is accessibility. 

“We’re an e-commerce business so we ship direct to your door,” Goldstein says. “We also try to be really helpful for a consumer as they navigate their symptoms and what to take.”

Why should I check out Curist? 

Curist not only sells a wide variety of over-the-counter meds but has an extensive blog, written by their panel of experts and doctors, to help consumers navigate their symptoms and understand what products will be most beneficial to them. Goldstein says their model has proven to be highly successful, with many consumers signing up for subscription medication services in addition to the one-time purchase option on their site. 

“I thought there was an opportunity for us to come in as a new brand that could not only help people understand their symptoms, what they’re trying to solve, and buy that product, but do it at a better price,” Goldstein says. 

Goldstein says Curist is often the least expensive option nationwide, for the medicines they carry, whether that’s in-store or online. And in an expensive world that demands convenience, it’s even better that it arrives at your door when you need it most. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, Goldstein says business was good since a lot of places were out of stock on certain medications and people weren’t leaving their homes. New customers started streaming through the website, more open and willing to try a new brand since both the products and the business model were valuable to them. And since the convenience, price, and products proved to be excellent, Goldstein says Curist started to see repeat customers. 

What kinds of medicines does Curist offer? 

Curist started off with allergy medications and has since expanded to heartburn, topical pain relief, cold and flu, digestive, hemorrhoid relief, and soon, arthritis and acne medications. The company plans to expand its offerings in the future as well by releasing a number of products every year.

“Our goal is to basically be doing everything over-the-counter, so we don’t do any prescription medicines, but anything that you could purchase without that doctor’s note is something that we might be helping our customers with,” Goldstein says.

Who is Curist best for? 

If you wake up with a cold, Goldstein says, it may not make the most sense to hop on their website, but by stocking your medicine cabinet well in advance or planning ahead if you have chronic conditions, you can make good use of Curist’s services. 

Curist is committed to the quality of its products. Their medications, which are FDA-approved, are just as effective (if not more so) as the brand-name products since they contain the same key ingredients and don’t include any unnecessary additives such as dyes or artificial ingredients. 

Because Curist cuts out the huge marketing and advertising pieces that big brands have, the cost savings are passed on to you as the consumer, so you get the same product at a fraction of the cost. 

“I think the key difference,” Goldstein says, “is that we can provide the same therapy and the same relief that you’re accustomed to getting from a brand or something from a pharmacy but deliver it at a much lower cost.”

And Curist is serious about that affordability piece for their customers. They offer a price match guarantee for their medications, so if you find the same medication at a lower price after you buy from Curist, simply email their team and they’ll refund you the difference.

“People rarely email us because they often can’t find a cheaper alternative,” Goldstein says. 

Goldstein’s motivating success story

Goldstein says starting Curist was tough with lots of hoops to jump through, but because of his vision, commitment, and belief that there was a need for this type of business in the market, he never gave up. 

“I remember my first meeting with a potential investor,” he says. “I thought I did a great job. And he said, ‘You know this will never work. CVS and other pharmacies will crush you. This is never, ever, ever going to be successful.’”

He says that conversation in the early days of Curist was so motivating to him as he believed there was an untapped corner of the market where they could be competitive and provide better pricing and accessibility to customers. 

“It was just so in my face but so motivating at the same time,” Goldstein says. “It’s something that now, five years later, he probably doesn’t even remember [but] it still sticks in my mind every day.”

Goldstein says the company still has hurdles and things pop up that need taken care of but he stays positive and committed to his vision.

“No one thought we would be where we are,” Goldstein says. “We have served tens of thousands of customers (if not more) and saved people hundreds of dollars every year so it’s pretty rewarding to continue providing that.”