Two complicating factors - latency, when I’m sick, I need antibiotics now, not tomorrow afternoon. B - It isn’t legal to mail some classes of drugs. These includes, but os not limited to, pain meds, anxiety meds, and sleep meds.
My local CVS was offering free mail delivery for the first year or so during Covid. My experiences were generally good, but I have a couple meds in the unable-to-be mailed category, so I end up having to by there every couple weeks anyway.
Last few insurance plan sheets I’ve looked over have also all had higher copays (like 3x higher, iirc) for mailed drugs. Not sure why.
They were probably 90-day supplies. Most mail order is.
- Online prescriptions are very cost-effective compared to retail. Typically free next-day delivery. I don't have any hard stats, but my estimate is that at least 50% of prescriptions are filled online.
- Deliveries are typically shipped to the house's/apartment's mailbox or when chosen so or if the package doesn't fit, to the closest pickup place, typically inside a grocery store. When that happens you need to show an ID to pick it up.
- Retail drug stores, particularly in small villages have been forced to raise prices dramatically. Essentially an old-people tax. :( It's not unusual for them to have 2x prices in retail compared to online.
- There is some debate about shipping hard drugs directly to mailboxes. Some want to require those things going to a pickup-place with ID verification. That makes a lot of sense, I think.