Best Online Pharmacies
Based on In-Depth Reviews
- 200+Hours of research
- 50+Sources used
- 53Companies vetted
- 4Features reviewed
- 6Top
Picks
- Only use online pharmacies with VIPP certification
- Make sure to buy from U.S.-based pharmacies
- Check that your pharmacy has accessible customer support
- Never use a pharmacy that doesn’t ask for a valid prescription
How we analyzed the best Online Pharmacies
Our Top Picks: Online Pharmacies Reviews
Online pharmacies are a great option for multiple reasons. For starters, you can conveniently order your medication at the click of a button without ever leaving your home. Additionally, many pharmacies offer 24/7 pharmaceutical assistance for questions or doubts that may come up when taking your medication, such as possible side effects or interactions with other drugs. And, for those with rare or chronic conditions, specialized online pharmacies may provide financial and clinical assistance. As a bonus, most of them make it very easy to order.
Nevertheless, the world of online pharmacies can be a vast and messy place. There are thousands of websites out there, and not all are as legitimate as they claim to be. Buying from these unregulated sites could leave you at risk of purchasing “medication” that is made with inactive or even harmful ingredients. That’s why in our search for the best online pharmacies, we focused exclusively on those which have been approved by the National Association of Board of Pharmacies (NABP), and that have a VIPP certification, ensuring they are deemed safe for patients to use.
In addition to this standard requirement, we chose pharmacies with easy to navigate websites, and clear information on the services they provide, as well as the steps necessary to enroll. We also focused on pharmacies that show dedicated customer support, meaning they provide pharmaceutical assistance and technical support every step of the way, during flexible hours.
It’s important to keep in mind that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, regular services may be affected, and several pharmacies are reporting a backup in their orders. Nonetheless, perhaps now more than ever, it’s time to consider online pharmacies as a viable and safe option for getting your medication, especially if you’re part of a high-risk group.
Truepill review
Screenshot Truepill.com, May 2020
Headquartered in San Mateo, California, growing newcomer TruePill now ships medication to all 50 states. Although its primary services are geared towards helping other online pharmacies ship and distribute their prescription medication, TruePill also offers its own pharmaceutical services.
As with several online pharmacies, they offer prior authorization, meaning they’ll coordinate your prescription with your insurance and doctor directly, as well as handle any transfers from your previous pharmacy. They also claim to “always check your insurance co-pay and compare it with the cash price for the drug” in order to pick the lower price.
They accept most major insurance plans, and they make sure to inform you of your copay before they process any medication. Like competitor PillPack, TruePill also offers customizable, easy-to-read packaging, perfect for patients with multiple pills and dosages.
Screenshot TruePill.com, May 2020
TruePill also provides 24/7 pharmaceutical support. One important difference from other online pharmacies is that you will need to contact the TruePill team by phone in order to start the enrollment process.
RX Outreach review
Screenshot RXOutreach.com, May 2020
RX Outreach, an ex-subsidiary of ExpressScripts turned independent charitable organization, has been operating since 2010 in St. Louis Missouri and serving around 60,000 patients annually. Their services are available to individuals and families with incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty line. All in all, RX Outreach boasts having helped patients save more than $662 million dollars.
Unlike many other online pharmacies, RX Outreach lists the 400+ medications they offer followed by their price by quantity, available dosages, and the condition they’re used for.
Though RX Outreach will ask for income and household information in order to determine if you qualify for their pharmacy services, you won’t be required to submit any documentation as proof of your income. However, if your enrollment is denied, you will be asked for proof of annual income at the moment of appeal. Enrollment is valid for one year; after which time you’ll have to reapply and provide your household information once again. Ordering prescription medication will require that you submit a copy of your Social Security Card or Green Card. Pharmacists are available from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Saturday (CST).
PillPack review
Screenshot PillPack.com, May 2020
PillPack, which emerged as a startup in 2013 and was subsequently bought by Amazon in 2018, has become a household name in the world of mail-order pharmacies.
Like TruePill, PillPack also offers innovative containers for their medication—instead of packaging each in individual bottles, they provide packets that include the pills that should be taken together, clearly labeled with the names, dosages, and the time they should be taken. This can make it easier for those who have to take different pills throughout a day. It is also helpful for those with some degree of visual impairment, as the labeling is much easier to read than the traditional medication bottle.
Screenshot PillPack.com, May 2020
PillPack also sends a monthly medication list detailing all your meds and their pertinent doses, along with colorful images of each to help you tell them apart.
PillPack also offers an app for IOS users where you can set reminders based on your packet times, request new meds, make changes to your orders, and access your full medication list. You can talk to pharmacists and customer representatives via email or chat through your PillPack web account.
Costco Online Pharmacy review
Screenshot Costco.com, May 2020
Costco Pharmacy is not only one of the biggest retail pharmacies in the United States, it’s also one of the most affordable drugstores out there.
Unlike the rest of their store, Costco Pharmacy is not restricted to members, so anyone can make an account and benefit from their discounted prices. In addition to its extensively proven affordability, prices can get even lower if you join the Costco Member Prescription Program (CMPP), which works as a discount card program. You must be a Costco member to join CMPP, however, and you must choose between paying your insurance’s copay or the full discounted CMPP price.
On the customer support side, Costco has a live online chat where you can speak to pharmaceutical representatives. You can also call during their available service hours, Monday-Friday 5:00 am-7:00 pm and Saturday 9:30 am-2:00 pm (PT). Note that, due to the pandemic, they are no longer accepting emails, just phone calls. Standard free shipping could take between 6-14 days, but they also provide expedited shipping.
HealthWarehouse.com review
Screenshot Healthwarehouse.com, May 2020
HealthWarehouse.com is one of the most affordable pharmaceutical options in the online pharmacy world, with surveys having shown it to beat even Costco in terms of affordability. The company claims to service more than 500,000 customers and is able to ship to more than 80% of the U.S. in 2-3 days. However, Healthwarehouse.com does not accept insurance, claiming that this would increase the cost of medication.
HealthWarehouse.com has pharmacists available Monday through Friday 8 am - 6 pm (ET). Customer support is also available through telephone, email, and live chat. In addition to their catalogue of prescription drugs, HeathWareHouse.com also offers pet medication, home medical supplies, diabetic supplies (such as insulin pens and syringes), and a variety of over-the-counter medication.
BioPlus review
Screenshot Bioplusrx.com, May 2020
BioPlus Specialty pharmacy is a specialty pharmacy that focuses on the following conditions:
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Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis
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Dermatology
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Hepatitis C
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HIV
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Multiple Sclerosis
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Oncology
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Oncology - Pediatric
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Oncology - Urology
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Osteoporosis
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Rheumatology
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Transplant
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Women's Health
BioPlus has received various awards for its customer service. In addition to their traditional phone and email lines, patients also have access to an app where they can ask questions about their medication, possible side effects and interactions, etc.
Pharmacist support is available 24/7. BioPlus works quickly and has a 2-Hour Patient Acceptance Guarantee which they claim ensures immediate benefit coordination with the new patient’s insurance company and communication with their doctor’s office. In the event that they are unable to fill out the prescription, they’ll transfer it to the specialty pharmacy approved by your benefits plan and then notify you and your doctor. Finally, they also try to comply with a 2-day processing window in which medications are ready to ship.
Because specialty medication can be some of the most expensive on the market, BioPlus connects eligible customers with financial assistance resources from non-profit foundations. Their financial team walks you through the enrollment process while also submitting any documents on your behalf. Once enrolled, they also make sure to keep track of how long you’re covered and how much funding you have left along the way.
Blink Health review
Blink Health is an online pharmacy that touts itself as providing the same care as a traditional pharmacy for a fraction of the price. The company was founded in 2014 and is based out of New York City. Blink Health works with a network of pharmacies across the nation in order to dispatch your prescriptions in a timely manner, or you can request free two-day shipping.
Blink also provides the service of scheduling your visit with an online doctor for some prescriptions, allowing you to schedule the whole process of getting a prescription, ordering it and having it delivered it to you without leaving the comfort of your home. You can also order by phone or through its proprietary app available on both Apple and Android devices.
The company is a member of the National Association of Board of Pharmacies. Its website is easy to navigate, with its search bar allowing you to access any medication with a few clicks. Its patient support team is available Monday through Friday 8AM - 10PM EST, and Saturday and Sunday 9AM-7PM EST.
In terms of the company’s reputation, it is important to note that Blink Health is an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau, holding an A+ rating and having closed 34 complaints in the last three years. However, the company holds a 1.8 out of a possible 5 on Trustpilot after 31 reviews, with most complaints revolving around the presence of hidden fees and a disorganized process when scheduling the pickup of your prescription.
All in all, Blink Health’s easy-to-use website and free two-day shipping gets high marks from us, although their user reviews on Trustpilot could present some red flags to some. Still, the company’s affordable prices mean you can try it out and see if it’s a good fit for you without too much commitment.
More insight into our methodology
Because the world of online pharmacies can be full of dangerous and illegitimate companies claiming to sell prescription drugs, it was important for us to establish some basic requirements in our search for the best online pharmacies. As a rule, we only chose pharmacies that have earned a VIPPS (Digital Pharmacy Accreditation) seal of approval, meaning that, from the get-go, all these pharmacies meet the safety criteria that has been established by the NABP. We also looked at three other important factors that should always be considered when choosing an online pharmacy: how accessible their customer and pharmaceutical support is, how easy it is to navigate their website and subscribe to their services, and whether they provide some sort of financial assistance or relief.
NABP Accreditation
Since the world of online pharmacies is riddled with unsafe and unverifiable companies claiming to provide the cheapest access to drugs (often providing drugs that are not FDA-approved and may even be harmful or illegal), we focused on those pharmacies that have been approved by the National Association of the Boards of Pharmacists (NABP), which sets out a list of criteria to be met in order certify a pharmacy. All pharmacies on this list hold a digital pharmacy accreditation (known as VIPPS), meaning amongst other things that they:
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Are in the U.S. and provide a physical street address
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Have a U.S. licensed state pharmacist available to answer questions (customer support)
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Require a valid prescription from a doctor
Ease of Use
When shopping online for essentials such as prescription medication, it’s absolutely necessary for companies to explain their services, process, and how to reach them, in clear and understandable language. It’s not enough that pharmacies have accreditation, after all, if you can’t understand how to order a prescription from their website. We looked for companies whose webpages offer an attractive and simple to use interface, so that buying your medication online is as seamless—or more so—than going to a physical location.
Customer Support
Any company that provides prescription medication should also offer on-call call-in pharmaceutical assistance within a broad range of company hours. Whether it’s due to unwanted side effects, doubts about packaging, shipment questions, or overall medication inquiries, online pharmacies should provide different contact options for patients. We preferred companies with several communication options and flexible contact hours.
Financial Assistance
As independent, online pharmacies are sometimes able to cut out middlemen in processing and distributing drugs and, in some cases, actually produce their own generics, their prescription medicines can be considerably cheaper. Additionally, some pharmacies go as far as providing assistance in helping you figure out your most cost-effective option, depending on your insurance. Other pharmacies work as specialty pharmacies, geared towards providing specialized medication for rare or chronic illnesses, such as HIV and cancer. These drugs are often unattainably expensive for many, so we looked at companies that provide some sort of financial assistance, either by offering payment plans or partnering with organizations that can help patients obtain lower costs.
Helpful information about Online Pharmacies
Online pharmacies can be a convenient, safe way to get your prescription medications without having to leave your home. Currently, with most of the country implementing strict stay-at-home measures due to Covid-19, online pharmacies have taken on an added importance in American lives.
As it is, there’s actually many benefits to buying from online pharmacies. For one, it’s a great convenience for those who are homebound, can’t drive, are disabled, or simply live in rural areas. Shopping online also offers the convenience of being able to shop around comfortably for the best prices with a wide variety of options at your disposal. In sum, digital pharmacies are worth taking a look at, but not before you understand how to do so safely.
A Closer Look at Online Pharmacies
Despite the confusion surrounding online pharmacies, these types of dispensaries are for the most part, legal and completely safe—so long as they’re listed in the National Board of Pharmacists (NABP) database of verified digital pharmacies.
Pharmacies without NABP certification have a high risk of being phony and unregulated in their procedures, meaning that what you receive as “medication” can actually be detrimental to your health. We’ll get into that further down.
Similarly, despite popular belief, buying from an online pharmacy doesn’t have to be difficult. Many have a simple process that can be summed up as follows (of course, details will vary from pharmacy to pharmacy):
1. Make an Account: You make an account on their website, where you log in pertinent info such as your shipping address, payment method, your prescriber’s contact information, and insurance information (if applicable). With this account you’re often also able to track your prescription once it’s processed and shipped.
2. Get a Valid Prescription: Ask your doctor to either e-prescribe or fax the company your prescription.
3. Wait for Pharmacy Verification: The company takes care of looking into your insurance plan to coordinate copays and price reductions. The company will call you if it needs additional information.
4. Pharmacy Processing: Once the pharmacy has verified your prescription and insurance details, it begins processing your medication and getting ready to ship it. Sometimes you can see the progress of all this in your account.
5. Receive Your Medication: The company ships your medication, generally within a 2-3-week span.
Although the details of how each online pharmacy goes about this may differ—for example, some pharmacies will reach out more by phone, while others have apps you can use to make your orders—the information customers are expected to provide doesn’t change. You will always need to give out payment information, your physician’s details, and a valid prescription.
Which leads to the biggest caveat of all: never choose a pharmacy that doesn’t require a prescription sent directly by your prescriber.
Pharmacies that don’t ask for prescriptions, or allow you to send one in yourself, are not abiding by NABP guidelines and are likely not legitimate.
It’s important to note that you could also get a valid online prescription using a qualified telemedicine website. However, by law, telemedicine doctors cannot prescribe controlled substances, and you will need to obtain a physical evaluation from your doctor in order to get a valid prescription.
Types of Online Pharmacies
While the goal of all online pharmacies is relatively the same, namely, to provide the prescription medicines you need by delivering them straight to your door, not all pharmacies have the same focus.
Specialty pharmacies provide specialized medication for chronic or rare illnesses, such as cancer or HIV. They often offer a greater level of customer support and services, both because of the complexity of the conditions they deal with, and because the medication being handled is often extremely pricey. These pharmacies therefore try to connect patients with different options so they can significantly lower their medication’s co-pays.
Community or retail pharmacies are those that we regularly think of when we think of where to get a prescription filled. Any patient can go into one and receive information from a pharmacist. Community pharmacies can be small and individually owned, or they can be larger chain stores, such as CVS and Walgreens. While the latter are often the most well-known, thanks to hundreds of brick and mortar stores throughout the country, they can also be pricier than lesser known pharmacies, so it’s always important to cross-check prices.
Compounding pharmacies are specialized, making drugs that are specific and unique to the patient. This happens if a patient has a particular medication need that can't be fulfilled with the current ingredients of a specific drug (for example, if a patient is allergic to an ingredient). A physician will always have to write a prescription for a compound medication.
Financial assistance available
Medication costs with online pharmacies
The United States has rightfully garnered a reputation for being one of the most expensive places in the world for prescription medication. Many online pharmacies try to remedy this by offering generic options and cutting out the third parties in the development process that ultimately increase the price of medication. For this reason, many online pharmacies can actually be cheaper than large retail pharmacies. Specialty pharmacies go a step further and try to pair patients with organizations that could help fund their medication.
There are also websites, such as GoodRX and RXSaver by RetailMeNot, that can even help get you coupons and additional discounts on your prescription medication. These are usually best used with large retail pharmacies like Costco and CVS, but at times include online pharmacies, such as and Healthwarehouse.com.
Additionally, there are also a variety of other websites that could help you find the best prescription options if you don’t have insurance, such as the Partnership for Prescription Assistance and RX Hope.
What to watch out for with Online Pharmacies
Illegal or unaccredited pharmacies
“You have to ask yourself: Is it worth it for me to choose an online pharmacy? How much do I really earn or save with this?", says Nelly Conte, professor at the University of Puerto Rico and a licensed pharmacist with over 40 years of experience in community pharmacies. She warns that patients should evaluate whether a low price is worth the risk. "Balance the price, which is what most people are looking out for, against how sure you are that what you're going to ingest will not harm you due to it being a fraudulent or contaminated substance.”
Maybe the most controversial aspect of online pharmacies is the large amount of illegitimate and fake companies that present themselves as bona fide options. The FDA estimates that only three percent of online pharmacies actually comply with U.S. pharmacy laws. Similarly, the NABP has also found that 95% of websites selling prescription drugs online are doing so illegally. Pharmacies that haven’t been verified by the NABP cannot prove they abide by the U.S.’ Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), “when drugs come from other countries, we don’t have a guarantee that they’ve gone through these,” Conte explained. And so there are enormous health risks that come from ordering from an unaccredited pharmacy. As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) puts it:
“What looks like an online pharmacy could be a front for a scammer or identity thief. The sites may use official looking seals and logos, guarantee satisfaction or your money back, and "look" legitimate. All that can be faked. You could end up with products that are fake, expired, or mislabeled, or products that contain dangerous ingredients. Or you may pay for a prescription and never get your order — or your money back.”
According to the FDA, these pharmacies may sell products that:
1. Contain harmful ingredients
2. Contain the wrong doses of ingredients
3. Contain inactive or fake ingredients (such as acetaminophen packaged and sold as a “cancer drug”)
Larisa Nieves is the Experiental Program Director at the UPR's Doctor of Pharmacy Program, with vast experience in both independent and chain community pharmacy. Explaining the dangers of buying from unaccredited online pharmacies, Nieves says that even if the drugs you’re buying don’t cause you immediate harm, and their ingredients are harmless, an inactive drug can cause just as much harm: “You can never be completely sure these drugs have the correct active ingredients.” She also emphasized the importance of dosage. “If the medication isn’t taken in the milligrams it’s supposed to, it’s going to have negative consequences on your health. This could be especially harmful for diabetics or those with heart problems who need really specific dosing.” Drugs may also be expired, which as Nieves points out, may render the medication ineffective.
Here are some of the things you need to look out for when choosing an online pharmacy, as stipulated by the NABP:
1. NABP certification and verification: Before anything else, always verify that the pharmacy you’re thinking of choosing has a clear NABP or VIPPS seal of approval somewhere on its website. If you’re unsure, you can always go to the NABP list of verified online pharmacies and check.
2. Pharmacy licensure: The pharmacy must be licensed in all states it ships to. Some online pharmacies don’t make it very clear where they’re able to ship so be sure to contact them and ask. The FDA has compiled a list of sources where you can verify whether a pharmacy is backed by state licensure.
3. Valid Prescription: An online pharmacy can only distribute medication if physicians provide legitimate prescriptions on their patient’s behalf. Beware of pharmacies that only require you fill out a questionnaire. If a pharmacy does not require a valid prescription, there is a high likelihood it’s not legitimate.
4. Pharmacy location and contact information: Check that the pharmacy has a physical address in the United States (this can be either the dispensing pharmacy or their headquarters). Also, always check that the pharmacy has a reliable phone line where you can reach customer support and pharmaceutical assistance.
Foreign Pharmacies
When thinking of online pharmacies, many people automatically think of foreign companies based in Canada or Australia, for instance. Although drugs in these countries are considerably cheaper, they may pose a big enough risk that can ultimately outweigh the savings. It’s important to note that it's illegal to buy drugs from foreign pharmacies, whether that’s by having them shipped to your door or you’re carrying them over the border. However, many people still do it, largely because of their reduced prices. According to an estimate done by Kaiser Health News, about 19 million adults in the U.S. have or have had a member of their household import drugs at some point.
It is almost impossible for the average patient to truly identify the legitimacy of foreign pharmacies that claim to be trustworthy, and even harder to ascertain where these drugs are actually coming from and what they contain. For example, many purportedly “Canadian pharmacies” sporting a bright red maple leaf flag on their websites can be traced back to South Asian countries.
Even if you do find a foreign pharmacy you knew was legitimate and accredited by the appropriate evaluation agency, there is a chance that your body might not respond to the foreign drugs that well. As Nieves states, “Even though the active ingredients and milligrams are the correct ones, the excipient agents—which are the substances added to form the tablet or capsule (the form of dosage)—may vary. Perhaps in Great Britain certain excipients to create the drug are approved that may not be approved in the United States. If the person is not used to consuming this type of substance, it may harm them or cause undesired effects.”
It’s also worth remembering that it’s almost impossible to file legal claims against foreign pharmacies. If something were to go wrong with a medication, or you felt like you were scammed out of a substantial amount of money, you would have little to no legal remedies, since these pharmacies are not within United States jurisdiction, and buying from them is also technically illegal. As Conte puts it, “all pharmaceutical companies, including generic companies, must have insurance so that in the event of a lawsuit there is insurance available to respond. With foreign companies, you most likely won’t be able to litigate if something happens.”
What to Require From your Online Pharmacy
So you’ve already completed a thorough search of online pharmacies and have found a legitimate, VIPPS certified company. That doesn’t mean that all certified pharmacies will provide the same quality service. It also doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the quality care and attention you may receive from your local pharmacy. As Conte told us, “Just because a pharmacy provides its services through the internet doesn’t mean that I can’t have or feel that I have the presence and support of a health professional.”
According to Conte, a good online pharmacy should always have the following:
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Professional pharmaceutical services available at all times. If you ask to speak to a pharmacist, a phone number to call should always be made available.
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Clear guarantees that the pharmacy will step up if something were to go wrong with your medication.
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A comprehensive amount of consumer information and educational resources on their page.
As Conte put it, quality pharmacies should make life easier for people and respond to patients in the quickest time possible. Nieves added that if a pharmacy is really legitimate, it should have no problem sending a patient its official certification.
If you have doubts about how to assess all this, a good step would be calling and asking about these points. Another alternative is to check whether your own local pharmacy has an online platform. “If my community pharmacy decides to ride the wave of telemedicine and offer a service like online pharmacies, I assure you that I will continue to be faithful to my pharmacy because I’ll now have two ways to get my services, two ways to communicate, and I have already developed trust in that pharmacy”, Conte stated.
Because of the current pandemic, we may also expect a surge in pharmacies shifting to this mode of doing business, as are many businesses. As it is, online pharmacy usage has seen an increase in parts of the United States. Finally, Nieves recommended sticking to one pharmacy if you find it meets all your needs, saying that “this way, pharmacies can keep a medical profile and follow up on any side effects medications may cause.”
FAQs about Online Pharmacies
Is buying from an online pharmacy legal?
Buying from a U.S.-based online pharmacy is perfectly legal. However, not all online pharmacies are legitimate, even when they claim to be so. For this reason, you should always verify with the NABP’s list of accredited digital pharmacies to see if the pharmacy you’re considering has been certified. On the other hand, buying medication from a foreign pharmacy—unless it’s under very specific circumstances—is not allowed.
What happens when there’s a drug recall and you bought your meds at an online pharmacy?
You should take the same actions you would take if you bought the medication at a physical pharmacy if a drug is recalled. Drug recalls can occur for a variety of reasons. It may be that the FDA received numerous reports concerning the drug safety, or that the drug manufacturer found something wrong with the medication. But it might just as well be for less serious reasons, such as packaging and distribution concerns. Sometimes, drug stores will issue refunds for drugs that are recalled, but it’s important to call first.
The FDA has an active and constantly updated list of recalled drugs where you can find the specific reasons why a drug has been recalled. However, most recalled drugs are recalled for minor issues, so there’s no reason to panic. Be sure to contact your doctor if you find you’ve been taking a recalled drug in order to determine your next steps.
Do I have to pay for shipping when ordering from an online pharmacy?
Though most companies won’t charge you for shipping unless you choose an expedited option, you should contact the company to make sure. You should also keep in mind that a standard shipping option may take 8-14 days to ship, or more. Again, this depends on the specific pharmacy.