26-04-2024 | Editorial
Direct-to-Consumer Pharmacies: Disruptive Innovation or More Complexity?
Author:
Ravi Gupta, MD, MS
Published in:
Journal of General Internal Medicine
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Excerpt
In recent years, direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmacies have been among the newest entrants in the United States’ byzantine pharmaceutical system. Unlike retail pharmacies, characterized by opaque prices, DTC pharmacies allow patients to view prices and purchase prescription generic drugs without the use of health insurance. The DTC pharmacies—of which there are now many—may serve as an important option for those who face difficulty affording medications at retail pharmacies, such as patients who lack insurance or incur high out-of-pocket costs through their insurance. However, whether DTC pharmacies are a disruptive innovation or simply add another layer of complexity for clinicians and patients remains unclear. …