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Although there are many great benefits of mail-order pharmacy, there are times when it may not be the right choice.
History
Prescriptions have been provided to patients by mail in the United States for more than a century. Once available in only remote or rural areas, mailing a prescription to a patient’s home has since become more widely accepted.
1946
In 1946, the United States saw the first pharmacy dedicated to mailing prescription drugs to a patient’s home. The Veterans Administration (VA) was the first to offer services to eligible veterans. Today, the VA still accounts for nearly one-third of the mail-order prescriptions that are dispensed in the United States.
1959
The American Association of Retired Persons and the National Retired Teachers Association formed a mail pharmacy that was not-for-profit and served only their membership. By 1963, for-profit entities began to market mail-order pharmacy services to corporate, government, and union employers. There was some opposition to this type of pharmacy throughout the 1960s.
1980s
The 1980s saw the most rapid growth of the mail-order pharmacy industry with revenues soaring from $100 million to $1.5 billion. The trend would continue to grow throughout the 1990s mirroring the growth of the internet. Mail-order pharmacy became more cost effective and convenient.
2000s
As more employers began to offer the mail-order pharmacy option, and in some cases mandated usage, we continued to see this trend increase. Although there was an increase in the number of patients using mail-order pharmacy services, there has been a slow-down in actual use over the past decade. A comparison of mail-order pharmacy use showed mail order accounted for 18.6% of prescriptions dispensed to in 2011 compared with 18.5% in 2012, according to research published by the Drug Channels Institute.
The Future of Mail-Order Pharmacy
Mail-order pharmacy has taken hold and grown over the last half century, currently mailing billions of prescriptions annually. Many employers offer a mail-order pharmacy option as part of their comprehensive prescription benefits. If a patient are unsure whether mail-order pharmacy is right for their needs, they should consider the following benefits to make an informed decision.
Not Always the Best Choice
Although there are many great benefits of mail-order pharmacy, there are times when it may not be the right choice.
Professional Experience
Having worked in a mail-order dispensing pharmacy for more than 10 years, I can tell you first-hand, mail-order pharmacies provide accurate and efficient pharmacy services. Quality is our most important priority second only to customer service. Each prescription is reviewed by no less than 2 pharmacists to ensure accuracy of both the data entry and the verification of the product. A pharmacist is only a phone call away and available for any and all questions or concerns. If it is offered as a pharmacy benefit and a good fit for you, using a mail-order pharmacy can save you time and money without concession of quality or pharmacist availability.
About the Author
Nicole Kruczek earned her B.S. in Pharmacy degree from Temple University and is currently enrolled in the Masters of Pharmacy Business Administration (MPBA) program at the University of Pittsburgh, a 12-month, executive-style graduate education program designed for working professionals striving to be tomorrow’s leaders in the business of medicines. She has spent the last two decades in management roles in various pharmacy operations in long-term care, specialty, and PBM.