Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for mail-order services—from food delivery to pharmacy delivery—increased dramatically throughout 2020 and continues to rise in 2021. The pandemic turned everyone’s lives upside down—not only for the consumer but also for businesses, especially brick-and-mortar locations. Pharmacies were not immune from the impact of the pandemic and had to learn to maneuver their way through this chaotic time. They understood that consumers were fearful to come into pharmacies due to the concern of contracting COVID or possibly giving it to a loved one that was immunocompromised. Pharmacies began to urge consumers to use mail-order services to have their prescriptions delivered to them safely at their own homes.
Although restrictions have slightly relaxed, pharmacies continue to see a high usage of mail-order delivery. This service provides consumers with the reassurance that they can obtain their prescriptions on a timely basis while not having to worry about their safety. Besides this measure of safety, mail-order delivery can also provide potential cost savings to individuals.
As a consumer, it is always best to be educated in all options that can help lower the cost of your prescriptions. When obtaining your medications through mail-order delivery, you will have the option to obtain a 90-day supply, which could provide a cost savings. Most mail-order delivery services can provide these savings because they have purchased the medications in bulk from drug manufacturers at lower costs (“When and Why to Consider Mail-Order Prescriptions”). This option can also save time, as your prescriptions will need to be filled less often.
Research has found that having prescriptions delivered through mail order has increased medication adherence because consumers have their medications at their fingertips and do not have to worry about going to the pharmacy or remembering to order their prescription (“The Safety and Effectiveness of Mail Order Pharmacy Use in Diabetes Patients”). Most delivery services send automatic reminder notifications to individuals to advise them of their upcoming prescriptions as well as the charge that will be hitting their credit card. Unlike most local pharmacies, mail delivery services also offer access to the pharmacy 24/7 through a website or customer service phone number.
Mail-order pharmacy services are available through your local grocery stores (e.g. Wegmans, Walgreens, CVS) and insurance companies (Express Scripts, Caremark, etc.), but there are also new players that are competing within the mail-order delivery market. These players include Amazon Pharmacy, GoodRx Gold, Pillpack, and Capsule. Many of these new mail-order pharmacies are not considered in-network with most insurance companies; therefore it is recommended before using the mail-order pharmacy to confirm if they are covered by your insurance carrier.
As we continue to move through 2021 and beyond, pharmacy mail-order delivery is one service that will continue to be a part of our everyday lives. Home delivery affords consumers many benefits, so keep this option in mind the next time you need to get your prescriptions. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Bond Team at info@bondbenefits.com.
References
“When and Why to Consider Mail-Order Prescriptions.” Diatribe, 11 Nov 2019, https://diatribe.org/when-and-why-consider-mail-order-prescriptions
“The Safety and Effectiveness of Mail Order Pharmacy Use in Diabetes Patients.” PubMed Central (PMC), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278640/. Accessed 21 January 2021.