PillPack

What is PillPack?

PillPack from Amazon is an online pharmacy that works with your doctors to coordinate the delivery of your prescription medications straight to your door.

Nearly half of our population uses prescription medications. Filling your prescription often includes multiple phone calls, missed school or work, doctor appointments, and trips to the pharmacy.

Can you imagine a world where you can avoid much of the extra work getting your medications often entails? PillPack can.

Their methods are pretty straight-forward:

1. They coordinate with your doctors and insurance providers to obtain your prescriptions.
2. For your convenience, they organize your pills by the date and time you must take them.
3. Lastly, they deliver your pills to your door.

The idea is that PillPack does the heavy lifting so you can get back to your life.

In this article, we’ll review how to sign up, the services, and the cost to help you determine if PillPack is what you need to manage your prescription medications.

Getting Started With PillPack

PillPack seems to make signing-up simple.

Getting started is accomplished in a few easy steps - here’s what you’ll need:

1. Your medication list
2. Your doctors’ contact information
3. Your insurance provider contact information
4. Your payment method

That’s really it. Pretty painless, right? After you provide this info, simply sit back and relax while PillPack gets to work.

In the first 2-weeks after you sign-up, PillPack works as the facilitator between your doctors and an insurance company. Once these details are ironed out, they schedule your first shipment.

PillPack’s Services

While PillPack’s methods are relatively easy to understand, there’s actually much more going on behind the scenes.

Here, you can read about the steps PillPack takes to ensure your satisfaction.

Packaging

Whereas traditional pharmacies were designed to dispense single medications, nearly a quarter of those taking prescription drugs use 3 or more.

For those that fall into this category, managing their medications can be challenging and potentially dangerous.

PillPack limits your risk by delivering your medications organized by the day and time you are directed to take them. A pharmacist checks every single packet for accuracy and reviews your medication list to ensure there are no dangerous drug interactions.

In addition to your prescription medications, dietary supplements, and over the counter medications are also available through PillPack.

Delivery

PillPack coordinates shipping based on your prescriptions and doctors’ instructions. Though you may have 90-day refills, your medications are filled on a 30-day cycle.

Refills are automated and will arrive before you run out.

Support

PillPack support is available, both day and night, through various means of communication. You can call 855-745-5725, email hello@pillpack.co, or reach out through the app.

Also, there is always a 2-way line of communication with PillPack. Each month, they send you a detailed list of your prescriptions that includes images of each pill and dosing instructions.

What Do These Services Cost?

So far, it may seem like all this is too good to be true. As we haven't discussed the cost yet, the catch must be pricey shipping charges or hidden fees, right?

According to PillPack’s website, there is no catch. Both their services and shipping costs are always free. Also, they work with most insurance plans - call support to check your coverage.

Thus, your responsibilities include only insurance copays and any out-of-pocket expenses that your insurance doesn’t cover.

If you opt to include any vitamins or over the counter medications with your prescriptions, simply pay market prices - no up-charges or convenience fees.

Payment options are flexible; you can edit account information from any device at your convenience.

You can choose to use a debit or credit card, pay directly from a bank account, or cover the cost with a health savings account.

PillPack also allows you to select a billing date or simply pay when your medications are delivered.

Are There Any Alternatives?

While online pharmacies do seem to be a relatively new phenomenon, PillPack does have a few competitors.

Some well-known retailers are cashing-in on this model by adding delivery options to their pharmacy services.

CVS is one example. You now have the option to log in online or through their mobile app to manage prescriptions, schedule delivery, and also add any other items available from their store to your order.

Most locations offer 1-2 day delivery, though some accommodate same day service as well. They limit delivery to medications that are not considered controlled substances and those that do not require refrigeration.

While delivery charges can vary by location, your insurance may cover these fees.

CVS may not be able to ship some medications, and you are likely to incur shipping costs, but being able to add other necessities available in their stores is convenient.

The Bottom Line

While PillPack seems to offer a great deal of convenience, users do not seem to find value in their services.

At HighYA, 81 users rated PillPack 2 out of 5-stars on average. Over 65% of users assigned a 1-star rating.

These negative reviews seem to revolve around poor customer services, misinformation provided to doctors, mistakes made in prescription packaging, and delivery issues.

It is challenging to recommend this company when users seem to consistently report issues with the pillars of PillPack’s services.

While the upside is the convenience PillPack claims to offer, the downside appears to be more hassle than it takes to fill prescriptions in the first place.

If you’re looking for a delivery service, going with an established company like CVS may be a better option until it is clear that PillPack has made a concerted effort to address the complaints of its users.