3 reasons to consider home delivery for prescription medication
Today, it’s possible to order just about anything online and have it delivered to your home. That includes your prescription drugs. If you haven’t tried getting your prescriptions from a mail-order pharmacy, here are three reasons you might want to consider it.
Home delivery for medications can be convenient
Traveling to the local pharmacy for a refill takes time. And with retail pharmacies adding more services such as administering vaccines, wait times can be long. Mail-order pharmacies drop packages right at your door, and many offer free shipping.
Mail-order pharmacies can be especially helpful for people with mobility issues or people who live in a pharmacy “desert,” where there are few retail pharmacy locations or only distant ones.
Nearly a quarter of U.S. neighborhoods are considered “pharmacy deserts” or pharmacy shortage areas, according to a USC-NCPA Pharmacy Access initiative. That means a pharmacy is at least 10 miles away in a rural area, 2 miles away in a suburban area, and 1 mile in an urban area.1
Home delivery can extend the time between refills
In-person pharmacies often issue medications for a span of 1 month or several weeks. With mail-order pharmacies, some medications may be available in 3-month supplies. Using mail order may make it easier to stay stocked.
Home delivery may help people take their medications consistently
Medication adherence is a fancy way of saying “taking medications as directed.” Research has shown that people in the United States don’t take their medications as prescribed about half the time.2 One big reason for this? Simply not getting to the pharmacy to pick up a new prescription or refill.1
Using a home delivery pharmacy can help people take their medication when it's needed. For example, when people get a 3-month supply, rather than 1-month supply at a retail pharmacy, they’re 20% more likely to take their medication as prescribed.3
Taking medications as prescribed might help prevent additional doctor visits or health complications.4 Staying on top of their medications may help people better maintain their health — and save more money in the long run by avoiding costlier treatments.
The bottom line: Taking advantage of mail-order pharmacies may save time and help you take your medications as directed — and that can cut down on unnecessary doctor visits. It’s a quick pharmacy switch that may have a big impact.
