People prefer to get their medications directly from their pharmacist.
“Most Americans clearly are not willing to substitute personal care for the perception of convenience,” said B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist, CEO of the NCPA. “When they need medicine, they want to talk to a health care provider who knows them.” Eighty five percent prefer to get their prescription drugs from a local pharmacist instead of mail-order service, according to the survey of 1,390 adults. Thirty-six percent credit their personal relationships with pharmacists, with 32% saying their pharmacist answers questions and provides counsel. Additionally, 15% say they’re worried about their drugs getting lost in the mail, exposed to elements or stolen. “Americans have been ordering many more things in the mail because of the pandemic, but they are still reluctant to get their prescriptions that way,” Hoey said. “COVID-19 has changed many consumer behaviors, but it doesn’t seem to have changed the basic relationship between patients and local pharmacists. There’s a trust factor that mail-order companies can’t replicate.”
