We are regulated by a
number of organisations in the bd including the MHRA, GPhC & CQC to ensure we offer the highest level of service to every
one of our customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Buying medicines online
How do I find the item
I am looking for?
We’ve worked hard to make our website as
simple as possible to use. If you know the name of the product you’re looking
for, use the search function on our homepage. If you don’t, you can easily
search by the time of condition you’re looking to treat. You can also use the
top navigation bar to 'Shop by Condition' to see a full A-Z list of
the medicines that we can supply online and the medical conditions that we can
treat.
If you still need help, simply pick up the
phone or email us, and we’ll be happy to advise.
How can I check the status of my order?
You can check the status of your order at any
time by logging into your account and
viewing 'My Latest Order'.
You will be kept up to date at every stage of
your order via email. Upon payment, you will receive an order confirmation
email. We will also email you when we have dispatched your order; we aim to do
this on the same, or next, working day.
Will I receive a receipt for my order?
Yes, you will receive an order confirmation
via email.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept most major credit and debit cards
through our website, including American Express. Unfortunately, we do not
currently accept Paypal.
Can I save my payment details for faster
re-ordering?
Yes, you will be given the option to save your
card details after you complete your order. This means that you can quickly
checkout by selecting your saved card and confirming the CV2 (the three digits
on the signature strip of your card). Your card details are stored securely
with Barclaycard, one of the largest global payment processing
companies who use the highest levels of security and encryption.
When will my card be charged?
When you confirm your order, we will authorise
a payment for your order amount from your bank. We will not charge your card at
this time, however, your bank may prevent you from spending this money until
the status for your order is updated. When your order is dispatched, your card
will be charged. If for whatever reason, our medical team decides that we are
unable to make a supply of medication, we will cancel the authorisation on your
card and you will not be charged.
What are the typical expiry dates on the
products sold?
We use a stock rotation system to ensure you
receive products with the longest possible expiry dates. We always aim to
ensure that this is a period of no less than 6 months.
Why do I have to answer questions to purchase
some medicines?
Some of the medications we sell are legally
classified as ‘Pharmacy’ or 'Prescription-Only' medicines. 'Pharmacy' medicines
can only be sold from a registered pharmacy under the supervision of a
pharmacist. 'Prescription-Only' medicines require a valid prescription to be
supplied. We ask you standardised medical questions to ensure that any
treatment that we supply will be both safe and effective for you to take.
Can I order by telephone?
Unfortunately, the consultation form must be
completed using the online forms.
Can I order for others?
Consultations for prescription medicines must
be completed by the patient. A prescription must be for a named patient who has
completed the consultation themselves. This is required for us to operate
safely and legally. Pharmacy medicines can be ordered for others such as family
members, however, where possible we encourage the consultation process to be completed
by the patient.
Can I repeat order?
Yes, it is possible to repeat order your
medication. If you are ordering repeat medications and the circumstances have
not changed since the last order, the process is much quicker than your first
consultation. You can order repeat supplies of medicines by logging in to your
account (in the top right of every page) and selecting the medication you
require from the list available.
Can I order medications other than those
listed?
At present we can only supply the medications
for the conditions listed on our website. This is to ensure we are prescribing
safely for our patients. We are always looking to improve and expand our
service, so keep looking out for new conditions and services being added.
We are able to fulfil any requests for medicines that have been prescribed on
an NHS or private prescription by your doctor. Please see our prescriptions page for more details.
Why has the doctor sent me a message?
Sometimes the doctors may require more
information to ensure that the medication being prescribed will be safe and
effective for you. Any extra information is only ever relevant for the
treatment of your condition and is treated confidentially. You must provide the
information required within 5 working days, otherwise, your order will be
cancelled and a refund will be issued.
Why has my order been declined?
If your order has been declined this is
usually because there is a clinical reason where our doctors feel that the
medication would be unsuitable for you. This normally means that further
investigation is required and you should see your GP or another heathcare
professional.
You will receive a message from our doctors
explaining any decisions regarding your consultation and a recommendation on
where to seek treatment (if required) and a full refund.
Returns & Cancellations
Please see our ‘Returns Policy’ for more details.
Can I return items that I have purchased?
Yes, you can return any non-medicinal products
to us that are unused and in a resalable condition as set out in our ‘Returns Policy’. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept
returns of medicines or medicinal products, as they cannot be reused once they
have left the pharmacy.
How do I return items?
If you wish to return non-medicinal items you
should read our ‘Returns Policy’ for guidance.
Can I cancel my order?
You can cancel an order at any point before
you receive an email confirming the item has been dispatched. This can be done
by telephone on 0333 2200 519 or email. If you have received a dispatch confirmation mail, please
contact us and we will endeavour to help.
How long will it take to receive a refund
Once your refund has been confirmed and any
outstanding goods have been successfully returned to us you will receive your
refund by the original method of payment within 3 - 4 working days.
Security, Privacy & legality
Please see our ‘Privacy & Security Policy’ for more details.
Is this service legal?
Yes, this service is regulated by a number of organisations to ensure the care you receive is up to
the standard expected in The UK. For more information please see our ‘About Us’
page.
How can I be sure the medication is genuine?
We are a registered and regulated UK pharmacy;
we source all our medications from the same wholesalers as your local chemist.
We will always supply exactly what is ordered and will never substitute generic medicines unless that is what you have requested.
We are also licensed by the NHS to
provide NHS prescription delivery in the UK.
Why do you need all the details required?
When we ask for any personal details and/or
medical history, it is to ensure that everything that you receive from us is
safe and appropriate for you to take. This is the same information that would
be required to check a medicine sale or prescription in your high street
pharmacy, or GP surgery if you use our Online Doctor.
Are my personal details and payment
information safe?
All data, including personal, medical, and
payment data, is 256-bit encrypted prior to transmission. Our servers are
monitored constantly and are protected by firewalls and the latest
security updates, which cannot be directly accessed via the Internet. We use
Barclaycard, one of the largest payment processors in the world to handle and
store your payment details to ensure that they are secure. See our ‘Privacy & Security Policy’ for further details.
Do you use cookies on your site?
Yes, we only use cookies where necessary to
improve your experience as a customer on our site. Please see our ‘Cookie Policy’ for more information.
Why do you perform identity checks?
It is a legal requirement for healthcare
providers to ascertain the identity of their patient. In the same way that you
must provide ID to first register with your GP, we are required to carry out an
identity check on our patients when they first register with us. You can
read more about ID checks in our ‘Privacy & Security Policy’.
Delivery
Please see our ‘Delivery Information’ page for more details.
When will my order arrive?
We aim to ship all orders placed Monday -
Friday before 4pm on the same day. Orders placed outside these times will be
shipped the next working day.
All deliveries are shipped with Royal Mail who
deliver Monday - Saturday. Our delivery options have the following delivery
times:
·
Standard Tracked
Delivery - 2/3 day delivery (normally 48 hours).
·
Express Tracked
Delivery - 1/2 day delivery (normally 24 hours).
·
Special Delivery -
Next working day (Guaranteed before 1pm).
·
Saturday Guaranteed
before 1pm (Saturday delivery - only available from 4pm on Thursday until
Friday before 4pm).
Where do you deliver?
We currently deliver to all UK postcodes. Some
postcodes in rural areas may have a slightly longer delivery time.
Can I track my order?
We use Royal Mail Tracked for all our
deliveries. We will email your tracking details when your treatment is
dispatched along with an estimated delivery date. This information is also
available in your account after your order.
What should I do if my order has not arrived?
Delivery is normally made very promptly after
your dispatch email is received. You can check the tracking details of your
parcel in your account at any point after dispatch for an update on your
delivery status.
Unfortunately, sometimes packages can get lost
in the delivery system, if after 10 days you have not received your delivery,
please contact us and we will do all we can to resolve the problem.
How will my order be delivered?
All deliveries are sent with Royal Mail. All
packing is discreet and unmarked, so is suitable to be delivered to wherever
you require (home, work or a neighbour). Your parcel will arrive with your
normal Royal Mail delivery.
Account
How do I set up an
account?
You will be automatically asked to register
and create an account when completing an online consultation.
Can I register more than one person per email
address/account?
Unfortunately, due to the potentially
sensitive nature of the information, each account is specific to one customer.
Each person will require a separate email address to register for our website.
Can I use the same email address for different
accounts?
Each account must have its own unique email
address. Notification of your account will be emailed to you, therefore
maintaining patient confidentiality. Only one email address can be registered
to each account. Free email accounts can be easily created online with a number
of different providers such as Gmail or Hotmail.
Can my details be changed on my account?
Yes, certain details, such as billing and
delivery addresses, saved payment methods, medical details and account
preferences can be changed at any time by logging into your account. If you
need to change details that you are unable to alter yourself, please contact us
on 0333 2200 519 and we will arrange for your account to be updated.
The Independent
Pharmacy was established in 2013 by pharmacists Andy Boysan and Scott
McDougall.
They wanted to use technology to increase patients' access
to reliable sources of medicines and advice, safe in the knowledge that they'll
be dealing only with qualified UK pharmacists & doctors. In 2013 they
realised that idea and created The Independent Pharmacy.
We had the idea of
creating an accessible, user-friendly online pharmacy that was entirely focused
towards the customer.
What
does The Independent Pharmacy do?
The Independent Pharmacy provides a safe, personal online
healthcare service. You can receive confidential health consultations with a UK
doctor and receive your prescription from the comfort of your own home.
As well as offering a range of
over-the-counter and prescription medicines, we also provide expert advice on a
range of common health issues, including eczema, migraine, acne, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, rosacea and
many more.
Our guidance helps you better understand your condition so
you can make the decision that's best for you.
How does it work?
1.
Place your order
The process is very simple. When you need a prescription,
you place an order with us and complete a quick health assessment to check the
medication is appropriate for you.
2.
Complete a short
health assessment
Our initial assessment doesn't require you to come in or
visit anyone, it's just an online questionnaire so that one of our prescribers
can assess the current state of your health, as well as your medical history
and any other relevant information. This is no different to the questions that
you would be asked if you went to visit your GP in person.
If you are ordering a medicine that you can normally get
over-the-counter in your local pharmacy, a short set of questions (similar to
those used by your pharmacist) are all that you are required to complete.
3.
We'll review and
approve your order
Then our qualified doctors and pharmacists, based here in
the UK, will review your orders and, once approved, it will pass to our
pharmacy team based in Bristol.
4.
We'll dispatch your
order
From here it is assembled and dispatched straight to your
door and can arrive as quickly as the next working day, providing the order was
placed before 4pm.
In some cases, you may be required
to provide further information to allow us to be sure that the treatment is
going to be safe and effective for you.
Why is The Independent Pharmacy different?
We're not like other
pharmacies
We're committed to fighting stigma around health issues,
providing guidance and raising awareness to keep our patients healthy. Our key objective
is to deliver a safe, effective online healthcare service that goes above and
beyond patient expectations.
In the past few years, we have seen an increase in the
number of illegitimate online pharmacies. Some websites can provide fake,
sub-standard, or even toxic medicines, and pose a serious risk to the public.
Whereas, unregulated pharmacies can have little regard for patient safety with
no oversight to ensure they are doing the best for their patients.
We want to change that
The Independent Pharmacy puts our patients' health above
everything else. We never chase profits at the expense of patient well-being,
and we will only sell safe medicines sourced from the same UK pharmaceutical
wholesalers that supply the large UK high street chains. You won't find any
dangerous or risky medicines on The Independent Pharmacy, and we always conduct
rigorous medical checks before prescribing anything.
We believe that patients deserve accurate information to
help them make the right decision for their health. Online pharmacies should
take every precaution necessary before prescribing a medicine to their
patients. We are registered with all the relevant UK regulatory bodies,
including the CQC, to ensure that our service undergoes regular inspections to
keep to the highest standards.
With The Independent Pharmacy, you know that you are in safe
hands.
If you think an online pharmacy is suspicious, you can
report it to the MHRA here.
Our medical team comprises of a mix
of doctors, pharmacists, and prescribing pharmacists with the aim of utilising
different skill sets and years of experience working in different healthcare
settings to deliver you the best online health care possible.
Our pharmacists,
doctors, and other prescribers are also supported by our qualified dispensing
team, who all have 25+ years' experience working in the pharmacy industry
Any other questions?
For questions or
advice about your medical condition or treatment, you can contact us by
telephone or email for any healthcare advice from our qualified pharmacists.
