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I was a little hesitant to buy my medication online at first, especially coming from a country where shopping for drugs and medications at online pharmacies was non-existent (that is before marijuana became legal in Canada), but truth be told, I actually prefer it now, and I’m not the only one.

According to Trustedshops.de, almost 50% of people prefer to buy their pharmacy goods online rather than in-store. This number is what led me to create this post for Life in Düsseldorf readers. I wanted to dig deeper to find out why people preferred buying medication online, which websites were reputable, and is it really safe?

Why do people buy medication online?

Before I actually opened up to purchasing anything from online pharmacies, I never in a million years thought I’d be buying my medication online. I don’t think I actually tried to order anything until a family friend from Canada asked me to order her a special cream one can only find in Germany. She sent me an online pharmacy link and suggested I buy it online so I don’t go out of my way to find it at a local pharmacy. So, I gave it a try. There are many reasons why people in Germany choose to purchase online rather than in stores.

Large Selection

Sometimes when you go to a pharmacy, they will only have 1-2 different brands or options when it comes to a particular medication. While I often love the lack of options (to avoid confusion and further research), it is nice having a larger selection where you can also compare prices and ingredients as well. A lot of times the no-name versions have the same active ingredients as the brand name items you’ll find on the shelf at your local pharmacy.

Fast Delivery Service

Local pharmacies will always make more sense when you are ill and in need of a product right away (which to be honest, is more often the situation than not). However, if you enjoy shopping online for your medication, the delivery time isn’t usually longer than 1-2 days which makes it almost as quick as running down the road to your local pharmacy.

Cheaper Prices

As we mentioned, having a larger selection means you’re also able to find cheaper alternatives. However, that’s not only the case when it comes to online pharmacies, they are usually also offering the same products on the pharmacy shelves for much cheaper. For example, babies in Germany are recommended to take a daily dose of vitamin D and when I was buying my baby’s vitamins, I ended up saving 3 Euros per pack by shopping online rather than in stores.

Convenience

We’re in a day and age where there’s often just not enough time in the day to get everything done that you’d have liked to. Our lives are so fast-paced that we barely even have time to sit down for a meal with our family (that’s a discussion for another day). That’s often why we make the decision to shop online for our household items, groceries, wardrobes, and now, medication. Having medication dropped off in your mailbox so it’s there for you when you get home is certainly convenient.

Language Barrier is also worth mentioning. Although almost all pharmacists speak perfect English, many English speakers still feel uncomfortable going into shops and asking if it’s okay to speak English. Ordering medication online cuts the conversation altogether (not saying a little practice at an actual pharmacy wouldn’t do us some good).

Immobility

I really got into the habit of online shopping when I was stuck on bedrest while I was pregnant. Bed rest meant not getting up unless I really needed to use the washroom or shower. It also meant that preparing for our future baby was impossible unless I ordered everything online. Now I understand that while shopping online isn’t always the most sustainable option (I’m certainly not saying it is), it is definitely an amazing option for those who are immobile.

Confidentiality

Last, but certainly not least, buying medication online is a lot more confidential in some sense, on the other hand, giving out your address and personal information isn’t confidential at all. However, it’s the anonymity, the not standing face-to-face with a pharmacist telling them you need a cream for your genital herpes, which is a plus for many buyers.

Where can you buy medication online?

When deciding to purchase medication online rather than in a pharmacy, it’s important to do your research ahead of time to make sure you’re buying from a reputable website. Here are a few that I’ve tried and tested (with no complaints)!

Netzsieger also shared a neat comparison between some of the favorites ranking DocMorris and SHOP APOTHEKE as two of the best.

Are there any other online pharmacies you’d add to the list? Let us know in the comments section below!

While I certainly hope you don’t need this now, while we’re educating ourselves on medical options in Germany, you might also like to read our Full List of Hospitals in Düsseldorf [MAP INCLUDED] post.