Before going to see a dress at the store we check its price online to see if the dress is cheaper somewhere else.
Now, we usually get a better deal through buying items online. The same goes for prescription medicine and buying it at online pharmacy.
Prescription costs keeps increasing:
You can get medicine delivered at home through online medicine apps. Each year, the cost of prescription medicines goes up and it seems like a trend that's here to stay. This has forced people to look for different options. One way to potentially get medicine at a lower cost is to order through a mail order pharmacy.
What is a mail order pharmacy?
A mail order pharmacy, which is sometimes called an online pharmacy, allows you to get your prescription medicine through the mail. Depending on your plan, these prescriptions might be cheaper. With some mail order companies you may only pay two copay’s for a three-month supply of medicine through doctor app.
Health Partner members:
Learn more about our VIPPs certified mail order pharmacy here!
If you search online, you can find a lot of mail order pharmacies. But, many of these aren’t real pharmacies. Meaning they aren’t regulated by any agencies and they may send you unsafe medicine.
The dangers of a rogue pharmacy
Not all online (mail order) pharmacies are safe or legal. We really don’t want you to get into a situation where you’re getting unsafe medicine. These fake pharmacies, often called “rogue pharmacies,” seem like a good option because they offer cheaper medicine. But there’s something to that old saying “you get what you pay for”. Some studies have found that medicine from these pharmacies didn’t have enough of the actual medicine to be effective.
Top three things to look in a mail order pharmacy
Before you purchase your prescription medication online after taking consult doctor online, look for these three things:
Certification:
Mail order pharmacies should be certified as a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS). There are fewer than 50 pharmacies in the United States that have this accreditation. VIPPS certified pharmacies must be reviewed every three years. You can tell if a mail order pharmacy is VIPPS certified by looking for the official VIPPS logo on their website.
Affiliated with a reputable organization:
Rogue pharmacies come and go. They tend to pop-up online and then disappear quickly. That’s why it’s important to get your prescription medicine from a mail order pharmacy that’s part of a company you know and trust.
Always need to know prescription:
Rogue pharmacies will say they don’t need a prescription for medicine, controlled substances or narcotics. This is not only alarming, it’s illegal. Any certified mail order pharmacy will require a doctor’s prescription before sending medicine and then give prescribed medicines with online medicine order. If you are looking for cheaper prescription medicine, contact a health insurance provider to discuss your options. They can advise you lower-cost alternatives.