Prescription drugs can put big holes in our wallets as we embark on our quest for a healthier and happier life. The average cost of a prescription or refill in the U.S. has risen to $75, and if you need specialty prescriptions, that price can triple or quadruple at the drop of a hat. With the technological revolution in full gear, many Americans have started ordering their prescription drugs on the web, but risks abound. Here at Sitejabber, we want to offer some ways to avoid the pitfalls but still find cost savings when ordering prescriptions online.
What are the risks?
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In Sitejabber’s 2011 article on online pharmacies, we exposed some of the risks associated with pharmaceutical websites: counterfeit drugs (which can be both illegal and dangerous), under-regulation, credit card misuse, and pharmacy fraud. Despite legislation and regulation in the U.S., many online drug stores sell dangerous substances to the masses and manage to find tricky ways to avoid prosecution and punishment. On top of it all, many of these online pharmacies take customers’ money without sending any products. Look at what some of our Sitejabber reviewers have to say about their experiences:
“The drug they sent me did NOT have the intended effects. I think it was a fake medication.”
“They took my money and sent no product. Even though I used them successfully in the past, this time they simply didn’t send any product. They will not respond to email or their contact form on the website.”
“They took $850.00 from my account and never sent me any product. I tried to contact them and after my 7th attempt they responded that its my loss, they then went on to tell me they have all my information and could easily obtain a photograph. So not only was I robbed but I was also threatened!”
So now that we are sufficiently wary, we want to know: is there a way to get quality (real) pharmaceutical products at a fair, cheap price online? Take a look below, and you may find your options to be pleasantly surprising.
What are your options?
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The Sitejabber team has scoured the virtual globe for safe and reliable places to order your medications, and luckily for us all, safe and affordable online pharmacies do exist!
LegitScript
LegitScript is a pharmacy-verification website that aims to make the world of online medications safer and more transparent for the consumers. Wondering if your online pharmacy is reliable? Head over to the LegitScript website and check out their legitimacy ranking system. Better yet, LegitScript has a partnership with Sitejabber that allows you to see your chosen website’s Sitejabber reviews any time you conduct a search. One of our reviewers put it this way:
“This website helps you see if an online pharmacy is legitimate or not. It’s the only one approved by the national pharmacy boards association. You can also report spam and fake online pharmacies. One big point in its favor: since it is approved by the pharmacy boards, it has some accountability built into the process…Legitscript is definitely legitimate and very helpful if you need to know if a Internet pharmacy is on the up and up.”
GoodRx
GoodRx is one of the top-rated prescription sites on Sitejabber, and it also happens to be a legitimate and fair website, even by LegitScript’s standards. GoodRx searches hundreds of reliable websites for you to find the cheapest and safest medications. Not only does GoodRx save you time, but it can save you money. GoodRx also has a number of coupons available that can be redeemed at your local pharmacy. Check out these positive GoodRx reviews:
“I used goodrx and found that CVS.com had my prescription for 50% less. Obviously I can trust CVS and so I saved myself considerable money. What goodrx.com is useful for is figuring out which drugstore carries the prescription for the least amount of money. Sure you could call all of them but that would take forever. It is so easy to save money.”
“This app is easy to use and saves me money each month. My medication is typically $70, but with this app, I only pay $8.50. I thought it was too good to be true, but when I brought it to the pharmacy the first time (and every time since) it worked.”
Want to get some good discounts, too?
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Just to give you a little more bang for your buck, we found some awesome pharmacy coupon websites that our reviewers stand by. Check out these sites before your next pharmacy trip:
NeedyMeds
NeedyMeds contains discount offers for generics and brand name drugs, and their site has great search functionality! You can search for your medication by name or even by diagnosis. If additional resources are needed, NeedyMeds also has lists of additional coupon suppliers as well as health insurance information. Head over to their website to start saving, like this lucky reviewer:
“My own doctor told me about needymeds.org and he said it was a non profit and that other patients had saved money using it. “
SimpleSavingsCard
“I cannot believe I did not find out about this sooner. Not all of my medications are covered by my insurance, mostly only generic are covered. If I need a brand name medication, I can get it cheaper using the card.”
The review says it all: SimpleSavingsCard is a pharmacy discount card that can be used in the case of absent insurance coverage. Everyone is eligible, so download your savings card and start saving money.
Have an online-pharmacy story? Or another site you’d recommend? Share your experiences in the comments or by writing a review.
May all your medication-purchasing experiences be safe and cost-effective!
