Mail-Order Pharmacies in Dermatology

Mail-order pharmacies have become commonplace in the dermatology field over the past decade. If you are a dermatology advanced practice provider (APP) and prescribe branded medications, you have likely utilized a mail-order pharmacy. These pharmacies are often used to keep the prices of medications more reasonable, but they also have other effects on patients’ overall experience.

One small study found that patients using mail-order pharmacies were more compliant with their medication regimen than patients using traditional pharmacies to retrieve their prescriptions.  Multiple factors contributed to the patient’s level of compliance. Mail-order pharmacies are often able to provide a longer day supply of medication, a lower out-of-pocket cost, and deliver the prescription directly to the patients’ homes (Fernandez 1).

Another study found that mail-order pharmacies gave patients more timely access to their medications, in part because some mail-order pharmacies often offer prescription assistance, including completing prior authorizations for patients and providing the lowest cash pay price (Gruber 2).

As a practicing APP for nearly a decade, I have seen the use of mail-order pharmacies grow exponentially in our practice. Initially, I reserved the use of mail-order pharmacies for only branded medications. Still, I now use them even for generic medications (especially when sending a single patient multiple medications that may be a mix of branded and non-branded) to simplify the patients’ process. I also utilize several different local dermatology mail-order pharmacies and choose the pharmacy based on their drug pricing in order to get the best price for my patients.

Mail-order pharmacies are typically happy to provide a medication price list showing the drug cost based on patients’ insurance coverage (commercially insured, Medicare, or self-pay). Although some patients prefer to use a brick-and-mortar facility, I have found that most patients are grateful to use mail-order pharmacies, as they allow for the most efficient use of their time and money.

References:

1. Fernandez, Elena. “Examination of the Link Between Medication Adherence and Use of Mail-Order Pharmacies in Chronic Disease States.” Journal of Manage Care & Specialty Pharmacy, Volume 22, Number 11.

2. Gruber, P. “Mail order pharmacy use in Dermatologic disease: Are patients finding value?” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Volume 76, Issue 6, AB164.