How to Choose a Pharmacy

What to consider when choosing a pharmacy

When choosing a pharmacy, you need to think about what factors are most important to you. Maybe convenience is a priority for you, or perhaps you’d like to find the pharmacy that offers the best prices.

Convenience

In many cases, the most convenient pharmacy will be the one that is closest to your home. But there are other factors that can improve a pharmacy’s convenience, such as:

• Flexible pickup: Consider locations that offer drive-through windows or curbside pickup for faster collection of your medications.
• Home delivery: Some pharmacies offer a delivery service for your medications, making it more convenient to stick to a treatment plan.
• Automatic refills: If you’re on a long-term treatment plan, some pharmacies offer automatic refills of your medications to reduce the need for you to remember to contact them about refills.
• Digital prescription management: Some pharmacies offer a mobile app for managing refills, sending text alerts for pickups, or scheduling virtual consultations.

According to some 2020 research, convenience in the pharmacy setting can be an important factor in ensuring that patients continue taking their medications, which is essential for managing health.

Clinical expertise

Along with dispensing medications prescribed by a doctor, pharmacists are medical experts in their own right and can provide advice on health conditions and medications. A high quality pharmacy will often offer the following:

• Medication reviews: Pharmacists can conduct reviews to check whether your medications have any dangerous interactions, which can be helpful if you have various prescriptions from different doctors.
• Minor ailments: Pharmacists can provide advice on minor conditions like urinary tract infections (UTIs), sore throats, and sprains, recommending certain treatments.
• Prescribing medications: It’s becoming increasingly common for pharmacists to be able to prescribe certain medications, such as preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and contraceptives, although this depends on local regulations and protocols.

Cost savings

Prescription drug costs can vary significantly between locations, so you can do some research into which pharmacy near you offers the best deals.

You can ask if the pharmacist can help you identify savings opportunities through manufacturer savings programs, generic alternatives, or 90-day supplies of your medications.

You can also look into drug savings coupons and prescription discount cards. Not all pharmacies accept these, so it’s important to find a pharmacy near you that does. Many websites offering discounts will allow you to compare prices at different pharmacies nationwide.

Insurance

What pharmacy you use may be important for your insurance coverage. You should look for what’s called an in-network pharmacy, which is a pharmacy that has negotiated with the health insurance company to provide medications at a negotiated or discounted rate.

This means you’ll only need to pay your deductible or copay for your medications. Your insurer may also have “preferred pharmacies”, which may offer even higher savings.

Some insurance plans may not cover your medications if you go to a pharmacy that’s out of network. Most insurance websites have a search tool to help you find in-network pharmacies. You can also ask a pharmacist if they are within your plan’s network.

Chain vs. independent pharmacies

Some pharmacies belong to large national chains, while other are smaller, independent business. Each has their own benefits and drawbacks to consider when choosing a pharmacy.

Chain pharmacies

Chain pharmacies include CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart. They have many stores nationwide, so they’re very accessible — you can even pick up your medications while traveling if you go to a pharmacy in the same chain as your main pharmacy at home. They’re generally very efficient and have a wide variety of medications.

Chain pharmacies may also be more likely to offer apps and online care services. Prices may also be lower for some medications, and these pharmacies may be more likely to accept coupons and discount cards.

However, chain pharmacies may offer less personalized service due to high staff turnover and higher patient volume, so it can be more difficult to build a relationship with your pharmacist.

Chain pharmacies also provide patient support services such as refill reminder calls, patient follow-up calls, and medication therapy management (MTM). These services help maintain continuity of care and support adherence, so even in high-volume settings, chains can offer structured opportunities for personalized patient interaction.

Independent pharmacies

Although there are fewer independent pharmacies, research shows that they’re essential for many people nationwide to access medications, particularly those in rural areas and underserved communities.

Independent pharmacies are generally considered better for building relationships with pharmacists who are more familiar with your health journey because there are fewer patients, supporting relationship continuity. They’re also generally integrated within communities, involved in health initiatives and screenings.

What’s more, because they aren’t bound by strict corporate rules, independent pharmacists may have more flexibility in treatments and may be better at managing specialized needs.

However, prices may be slightly higher at these pharmacies, and they may not have the same level of technological access as chain stores.

Safety considerations when choosing a pharmacy

It’s important to ensure that you’re using a safe, legitimate pharmacy, especially if you’re using an online pharmacy for your medications. Here are some safety factors to bear in mind:

• Make sure you can speak with a licensed pharmacist.
• Check that the pharmacist reviews your medications to ensure safety.
• Stick to one pharmacy so that they can build familiarity with your medical history.
• If using an online pharmacy, make sure they clearly display a U.S. address and phone number.
• Never buy medications from an online pharmacy that doesn’t require a prescription.

The Food and Drug Administration offers some advice on identifying safe online pharmacies here.

The takeaway

Choosing the right pharmacy for you will depend on individual factors and what you prioritize most. Location and convenience are big considerations — you may prefer to pick the pharmacy that is closest to you. However, other pharmacies may offer better prices or more personalized service.

You can visit a pharmacy and ask to speak with a pharmacist to help you make your decision.