Factors that affect the choice of source depend on the location and hours of the source, cost of the medication, and insurance coverage. The most common source for obtaining prescriptions is the local pharmacy. Usually the pharmacy is located in a drug or grocery store. Independent pharmacies are also commonly used, but their numbers are decreasing because many find it hard to compete with the grocery and drug chains. Lower prices tend to attract more customers, resulting in the pharmacist not being able to spend as much time with each patient as he or she would like for medication counseling and answering questions.
Some insurance companies have contracts with specific drug or grocery stores and some independents.
This requires the individuals on these programs to go to one of these pharmacies. Another avenue that some individuals and some insurance companies have chosen is mail-order pharmacy. Normally a prescription is sent to the mail-order pharmacy or phoned in by the physician. It may take a week or more for the prescription to arrive at the home of the patient. Short-term medications such as antibiotics and medications that require storage at specific temperatures should be purchased at a local pharmacy.