DrugBuyers.Com: Buymeds

The notion of full and open accessibility to the information about obtaining a prescription from an OP remains an area in need of significant improvement before the eventual "mainstreaming" of OP-originated prescriptions into the healthcare marketplace.

I agree that knowing which pharmacy will be fulfilling a prescription is information to which a patient is entitled, and from which he or she can make an informed decision about their healthcare providers. Fortunately, however, in most cases, we are discussing non-compounded prescriptions whose preparation, dispensing, and storage require minimum oversight. While that may mean it probably isn't all that important a consideration, it in no way means that anyone should be entitled to deny patients access to, or prevent them from freely considering any information that may or may not be relevant. It's up to the patient to determine what is, or is not, important. Having said that, the criteria by which most who use OP's seem to judge success or failure is the reliable receipt of their medications.

There are several logistical reasons why using a variety of fulfillment pharmacies and keeping the information "closely-held" is understandable, not only for their business models, but for reasons relating to ensuring their continuing operation until the "final form" of the OP segment defines itself. Until then, I am comfortable with the provision that the fulfillment pharmacy is licensed in the state in which it practices, with the assumption that it is compliant with its state regulations, and ensuring that the OP entity itself has some sort of provision for preserving refills should there be a need to use a different pharmacy on subsequent fills a la Y.O.D. and Woody's, although it would have been nice to know the existence of such a policy in advance. To be fair, however, this is virgin territory, while they probably should have considered this eventuality, I can understand why they did not.

I would encourage each patient to understand his or her OP's policy regarding refill availability and their policies and options if their fulfillment pharmacies are independent entities. Y.O.D. has done a reasonable job, albeit after the fact, and N.W.W. has been publicly advising patients and customers of their plans for ensuring continuity of care. I can imagine enough reasons why it make sense to NOT publicly advertise this, (like an airline telling its customers how wonderfully they treat families if their planes crash), but others may have similar contingencies in place which can be determined by specifically asking them. Personally, I would consider their eagerness or reluctance to answer the question in my overall choice of healthcare providers as well. Anyway, the old adage holds true, "forewarned is forearmed".

Nevertheless, pricing and accessibility issues aside, my past personal experience of those with whom I know have personally used Buymeds, they have largely been reliable and perfomed as they advertise.

I hope this helps!