Prescription home delivery

The pros of prescription home delivery outweigh the cons

Have you tried home delivery for your prescription drugs? This method of filling prescriptions became popular during the covid pandemic, but it can be just as effective today. Read on to see how home delivery can be a good fit for you.

Pros of Medicare prescription home delivery

• Helps improve adherence and consistency
  Many individuals don’t take their prescribed medications in the way they’re recommended. Some of the reasons for this could be not getting to the pharmacy in a timely manner, having difficulty with transportation, or living in a pharmacy “desert,” with few or distant pharmacy locations. Using a mail-order pharmacy for a 3-month supply increases the likelihood of taking medication as prescribed by up to 20 percent. This is especially important for those with chronic conditions, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.    
• Makes prescription medication more affordable
  Buying medication in a 3-month supply can reduce out-of-pocket costs by up to a third. Other ways mail-order pharmacies may save you money is by substituting generic drugs for brand-name drugs and identifying and discontinuing non-essential medication. You’ll also be saving money on gas, and most mail-order pharmacies offer free shipping.
• Is convenient
  Waiting in long lines is not ideal, and now that many pharmacies are offering other services, like vaccines, the wait times can be even longer. With mail-order prescriptions, your doctor will send the prescriptions you need right to the pharmacy. Most mail-order pharmacies offer an online portal or app, so you can log in and track your medications. Some individuals like receiving alerts and tracking information via text or email. You can fill orders with the click of a button, so there’s one less thing on your mind.
• Uses precautions to maintain safety
  Most mail-order pharmacies use state-of-the-art dispensing methods, as well as quality measures to ensure an individual’s safety. Also, by having all your medications in one place, the pharmacist can review and make sure there are no drug interactions that could be harmful. 
• Lists all of your medications in one place 
  By offering online portals or access via an app, most mail-order pharmacies can offer 24/7 access to your prescriptions, as well as your order history. This level of detail can be helpful when seeing new providers or specialists.

Cons of Medicare prescription home delivery

• May not have a fast turnaround time
  There may be cases where an individual needs a prescription filled urgently. This is a situation where a neighborhood pharmacy may be able to fill a medication faster. 
• Is less personalized
  A local pharmacist can offer immediate, customized answers to questions about medication or drug interactions in face-to-face interactions. Local pharmacists may also know you on a more personal level, be familiar with your history, and offer advice or health education tailored to your circumstances.
• May have delivery issues
  Though rare, sometimes medications can have delays or backorders. This is true for local as well as mail-order pharmacies, but with the added shipping time, the delay may feel greater. There is also a potential for lost medication, delivery errors, and possible exposure to extreme temperatures if the medication was improperly packaged. 
• Sometimes leads to a surplus supply
  A possible complication of using a mail-order pharmacy is accumulation of unused medication, especially if doses or medications are changed or canceled unexpectedly. Many people don’t know how to properly dispose of the extra medication. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has a zip code search to look up medication collection sites near you. You can also purchase drug mail-back envelopes or check with your pharmacy to see if they offer them free of charge. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) also lists medications that can be flushed down the toilet.

Taking medication as directed can save your life.

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