Finding the time to visit, or being able to access a pharmacy isn't easy for everyone. Whether you live rurally, struggle with mobility, or you feel too under the weather to leave home, online pharmacy services can help by delivering the goods you need, straight to your door.
What is an online pharmacy?
An online pharmacy, sometimes called a mail-order pharmacy, is just like any other pharmacy, except it operates over the internet. Instead of going to the store to pick your order up in person, the pharmacy will send it to you by post. Easy.
How does it work?
Online pharmacies work like any other online shop. You order what you want online – whether that's medicine, vitamins and health supplements, or even just everyday toiletries – and it's usually delivered to you within a few days.
If you want to order prescription medicine, the process is slightly different. You still order and pay online, but you'll have to post your prescription to the online pharmacy's physical address, and include your order information, before the pharmacy will send your medicine back to you.
If you don't want to do that, then don't worry. You can use an online pharmacy that also offers a telehealth service or an online GP. You'll speak to a doctor over the phone or via video chat and they'll write up a prescription for you and pass it on to the online pharmacy. That way, you won't have to post your prescription as it'll all be handled in the same place.
Remember, getting a prescription from an online GP usually comes at an extra cost, but you might be able to bulk bill through Medicare, or claim money back through your health insurance.
Compare online pharmacy services
Provider
Offers an online GP service
Average delivery price
Estimated delivery time
Next day/express delivery available?
Minimum spend for free delivery
$4.95
3-6 business days
$99
$7.50
5 business days
$89
$8.99
2-8 business days
$99
$8.90
2-8 business days
$99
$8.95
1-2 business days
$50
$8.95
1-2 business days
$50
$8.95
Will depend on Australian Postage
Not stated
$8.95
1-2 business days
$50
$8.99
2-8 business days
$99
$9.95
Refer to Australia Post website.
$99
$9.95
2-10 business days
$99
$9.95
3-7 business days
$149
$9.95
1-2 business days
Not stated
$11.19
5-7 business days
Not stated
How can I get a prescription online?
If your doctor has already written the prescription. You'll usually have to post your prescription to the online pharmacy before it can fill the order and send it back to you.
Just buy the medicine you need online and post the prescription to the physical address provided by the online pharmacy, and you'll get the medicine you need delivered to your door in a few days.
If you haven't had a chance to visit a doctor yet. You might want to consider an online GP service, which can issue prescriptions over the internet and then post the medicine to you.
Online GPs may come at an additional cost, but you might be able to claim some of the money back from Medicare or through your private health insurance.
Can I use an online pharmacy with no prescription?
Absolutely, but you won't be able to buy prescription medication. You'll still be able to order over-the-counter medication though. This includes things like cold and flu relief, allergy and antihistamine tablets and low-level anti-inflammatories or painkillers.
If you need a prescription but can't make it to a doctor, consider an online GP service.
How much can I expect to pay?
If you buy prescription medication through an online pharmacy, you shouldn't expect to pay any more for your medicine than if you went to a physical store. In fact, you might even pay less, as online pharmacies have lower operating costs and can pass those savings on to you.
However, you will have to pay for delivery. Delivery costs vary depending on which online chemist you choose and how heavy your parcel is, but you should expect to pay around $7 to $15 for standard delivery, or around $10 to $20 for express delivery.
Online pharmacies will provide free shipping if you spend a certain amount of money. Again, this varies between different pharmacies, but is typically close to $100.
What are some key things to consider?
Online pharmacies are convenient and can be cheaper than physical stores. However, there are a few things to be wary of when choosing an online pharmacy.
Overseas, fake or rogue pharmacies. Pharmacies which aren't licensed and regulated by Australian authorities may not be able to provide accurate advice or quality products.
You may have to post your prescription. If you don't want to use an online GP service, you may still have to post your prescription in order to receive your medication.
Nicola Middlemiss is a contributing writer at Finder, with a special interest in personal finance and insurance. Formerly a business and finance journalist, Nicola has written thousands of articles helping Australians better understand insurance and grow their personal wealth. She has contributed to a wide range of publications, including Domain, the Educator, Financy, Fundraising and Philanthropy, Insurance Business, MoneyMag, Mortgage Professional, Yahoo Finance, Your Investment Property, and Wealth Professional. Nicola has a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Leeds.
Need health cover for gastroscopy? Find out how private health insurance and Medicare cover treatment and compare the costs for the most affordable option.
Looking for health cover? This article helps you by looking at HCF's health insurance options and lets you decide whether any of its policies are what you need.
If you’re looking for private health insurance in Victoria, compare the most popular health funds in your state and how much it costs to take out cover.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stands by our editorial principles
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. You can learn more about how we make money.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
