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Online Pharmacies: How to Use Them Safely

Online pharmacies have exploded in popularity — and for good reason. They're convenient, often cheaper, and can deliver medications right to your door. But the internet is also full of rogue pharmacies selling counterfeit or substandard medications. Here's how to navigate safely.

The Legitimate Ones

Reputable online pharmacies in the US include:

• Amazon Pharmacy — integrated with Prime, accepts most insurance
• Cost Plus Drugs (Mark Cuban) — transparent pricing, often dramatically cheaper
• HealthWarehouse — NABP-accredited, low prices on generics
• Honeybee Health — transparent pricing, no membership required
• Blink Health — discount pricing, pick up at local pharmacies
• GoodRx — discount cards usable at thousands of pharmacies
• Capsule — same-day delivery in select cities
• Alto Pharmacy — full-service with insurance, delivery focused

Mail-order options through your insurance (CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, Optum Rx, Humana, Cigna) are also legitimate and often the cheapest option for maintenance medications.

Red Flags to Avoid

Be very cautious of any online pharmacy that:

• Doesn't require a valid prescription
• Offers prices that seem impossibly low
• Is based outside the US (Canadian pharmacy sites are a gray area)
• Has no licensed pharmacist available to answer questions
• Has no physical address or contact information
• Isn't accredited by NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy)

How to Verify a Pharmacy

The NABP maintains a list of verified online pharmacies at nabp.pharmacy. Look for the ".pharmacy" domain or the VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites) seal.

Mail Order for Maintenance Medications

If you take the same medication every month, mail-order pharmacy is often the most cost-effective option. Most insurance plans offer 90-day supplies through mail order at a lower copay than 30-day retail fills.

When to Use Retail vs. Online

Use retail pharmacies for:

• Urgent prescriptions you need today
• Medications you've never taken before (pharmacist consultation is valuable)
• Controlled substances (most online pharmacies can't dispense these)

Use online/mail-order for:

• Maintenance medications you take regularly
• When you want to compare prices
• When your local pharmacy is out of stock

MedTrack tracks both retail and online pharmacies so you can compare availability and pricing across all options in one place.