A visit to the doctor’s office costs money. If you’re lucky, you might only pay a co-pay of $10-$25. Handing over cash for medication when you already know what you need and why seems like a costly, roundabout way to get the care you need.
It’s not unreasonable to wonder: can you get medication without a prescription?
The answer is no. A reputable pharmacy won’t give your medication if you don’t have a valid prescription. However, you may be able to get out of that doctor’s visit. Here’s what you need to know.
Can You Get Medication without a Prescription?
Let’s say you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), and you need some antibiotics to clear it up. You’ve had UTIs before, so you know the signs. You’re confident a doctor will ask you the same questions and then write you up a script.
Is there any way to bypass the process and just get your antibiotics?
The answer is no, at least not legally. It’s both illegal to distribute and take a prescription drug without a valid prescription. Any pharmacy willing to hand you even the most basic medication without a prescription is breaking the law.
You won’t get away with it by ordering online either. Every trustworthy pharmacy, like 90DayMeds.com, requires you to upload a prescription on the site as well as a team to review the prescription and call your doctor if required.
Can You Get Medication without Seeing a Doctor?
You still want to skip the visit. Is there any way around sitting in a doctor’s waiting room? The answer to this question depends on your state and its rules around telemedicine.
Telemedicine allows you to see a doctor online. The doctor then writes you the appropriate prescription and sends it away to the pharmacy you choose.
Choosing an online doctor is the best way to get routine refills or try a different brand of a prescription you are already on. Although there’s an increase in the availability of at-home testing, you won’t be able to get everything from an online doctor. These doctors tend to specialize in:
- Acne
- Asthma
- Bacterial infections
- Contraception
- High cholesterol
- Sexual dysfunction
- Smoking cessation
- Travel diseases
- Weight loss
You’ll get a 15-minute consultation with your online doctor, who can then prescribe the appropriate medication.
However, you’ll still need to visit your regular physician for the vast majority of prescriptions. You should also tell your physician if you have seen and received a prescription from an online doctor so that they can make a note in your file.
Save Yourself Two Trips and Get Your Medication Sooner
In today’s world, you can do almost anything online, including seeing a doctor and ordering a prescription. But you can’t get medication without a prescription.
Medications are controlled substances, and it’s illegal for a pharmacy to give you even a single dose without the proper documentation. What’s more, you don’t want to take a medication without a prescription. Doing so can be dangerous to your health.
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