There are many different types of pharmacies that people can use to get their prescriptions filled. An online pharmacy does not differ much from a brick-and-mortar pharmacy.

 You can use prescription coupons and cards, like GoodRx, in both places.

What are the different types of pharmacies?

Pharmacies can be divided first into two categories — online and offline.

Offline pharmacies include:

  • retail pharmacy
  • Hospital pharmacy
  • Clinical pharmacy
  • Industrial Pharmacy
  • Compounding pharmacy
  • Consulting pharmacy
  • Ambulatory pharmacy
  • Regulatory pharmacy
  • And home care pharmacy

The most well-known pharmacies are retail and hospital pharmacies. These are the pharmacies that most people visit to get their prescriptions.

The other types of pharmacies mostly deal with the research, regulation, and production of medicines. The exception to this is the home care pharmacy, consulting pharmacy, and ambulatory pharmacy.

A home care and ambulatory pharmacy are typically in the same field as a home health care provider. They travel to the patient’s home to organize and administer medication to patients who need extra help.

How do they differ?

An online pharmacy is a business that prepares, sells, and delivers the medicine by phone, internet, and mail order.

You can use discount cards and coupons at both to save more money.

Some online pharmacies are based on brick-and-mortar retail or clinical pharmacies. These were made to provide ease of ordering for people who cannot leave their homes. Other online pharmacies include pharmacies based in other countries.

One of the main differences between an online pharmacy based in another country, a brick-and-mortar pharmacy, and a pharmacy that is an online version of a retail or clinical one is the savings you can acquire.

An online pharmacy that is based in another country typically can save you hundreds of dollars.

Which is better?

For those who need their medicine immediately, a trip to a brick-and-mortar pharmacy is the best option — a pharmacy online shipping from another country can take some time to deliver your medicine.

If you’re after convenience, savings, and privacy, an online pharmacy is a perfect option. To benefit from an online pharmacy and not miss an important dose, it’s important to order well before you run out, and order in quantities that will last two to three months.

Regardless of popular belief, an online pharmacy is not hard to order from — even the least tech-savvy can do it. Those who do have issues navigating the site of an online pharmacy can utilize the site’s chat feature or call the 24/7 pharmacist from the site.

Is it safe and legal to have your medicine delivered?

There are several agencies that regulate the delivery and possession of prescription drugs.

The most regulated drugs are used for pain, sedatives, stimulants, and anabolic steroids. These are considered controlled substances. If you do not have a prescription for them, you can get charged with their possession as if they were street drugs, such as cocaine and meth.

As for the safety of ordering your medicine online, an online pharmacy is very safe, so long as you do your research.

There are websites that claim to be legitimate online pharmacies, but do not have licenses and will often take your money or deliver dangerous, diluted, or outdated drugs.

There are many different types of pharmacies that fill prescriptions.

One of the best ways to get your medicine is to have it delivered by an online pharmacy. Whether you use a brick-and-mortar or an online pharmacy, you may still use discount cards like Goodrx or prescription coupons to save even more money.

The savings and convenience of an online pharmacy are undeniable either way.