February 21, 2005

Purdue pharmacist: Mail-order meds require customer caution

Health insurance companies are increasingly encouraging their policyholders to obtain prescription drugs through mail order rather than at the corner drug store, a process which some pharmacists say demands extra attention from patients.

"Getting prescriptions through the mail is reasonably safe, but because you do not talk to a pharmacist face to face when you do so, you need to be a bit careful," says Matthew Murawski, associate professor of pharmacy administration in Purdue's School of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences. "Mail-order drug companies generally have pharmacists available to advise you by phone, but there are a few things you should always be aware of when making use of their services."

Murawski raises the following issues, and recommends how to deal with them:

• A mail-order drug company does not always know all the drugs you may be taking, only those you have ordered from them. If you call the company to get advice from their pharmacists, be sure to advise them about all the medicines you are taking or have taken within the past year.

• While on the phone with you, a pharmacist can hear what you say but cannot see how you look – which is sometimes how pharmacists notice adverse drug reactions. Once you have started on a medication, pay close attention to any changes in your overall physical condition and bring them to the pharmacist's attention.

• Mail order takes time – sometimes four days or more – to get your medications to you. Be sure to plan ahead and order refills well before your old prescription runs out. If possible, have your doctor write a second prescription for a week's worth of your medication to tide you over in case of emergency or unforeseen delay.

Murawski says many of the big chain pharmacy companies, such as CVS and Walgreens, are developing their own mail-order facilities in order to provide this service.

"Someday, your mail-order prescription will be filled by a pharmacist with your entire drug history in their computer system, lessening some of the issues with mail-order prescription service. Until then, patients need to keep in mind they are getting their medications from multiple sources and act accordingly. The face-to-face benefits of using a local pharmacy may be impossible to recreate in a mail-order system. Still, with adequate attention to details and a few simple precautions, mail order can be an economical and convenient method of filling prescriptions for many patients."

CONTACT: Murawski, (765) 494-1470, murawski@pharmacy.purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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