Pharmacy online brings drugstore to you

By CHERYL FRANKENFIELD
Collegian Staff Writer

Students who are too tired or ill to pick up a prescription can get medicine through online drugstores and pharmacies that provide both prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.

There is a tremendous amount of traffic in the four weeks since a new World Wide Web site, Drugstore.com, has been open, said Debby Wilson, director of public and government relations for the company.

The site (www.drugstore.com) could benefit college students because parents are able to create and ship care packages through the Internet, Wilson said. For example, if a student has asthma and lives away from home, he can have refills of medication sent when needed.

"It's extra convenience. Most people don't really like going to the drugstore," Wilson said.

Rachel Templeton, assistant manager of public relations for Soma.com, another online pharmacy, said she had to take a bus to get to a chain store for pharmacy items when she was a student.

When she arrived at the store, there was no confidentiality when buying items and asking questions, she said. At Soma.com (www.soma.com), she said a person is able to ask a pharmacist a question in the middle of the night and get a response within 24 hours.

Also, online sites have more selection, privacy and information available than traditional pharmacies, Wilson said.

"It's more difficult to get questions answered (at a store)," Wilson said, adding items such as contraceptives also might be embarrassing to buy in a store.

Neil Foster, co-owner and pharmacist at McLanahan Drug Store, 116 W. College Ave., said there have been mail-order pharmacies sending out products for years and the online versions just seem to be an extension. But, he said, nothing can replace face-to-face communication.

Traditional stores offer personal communication and a customer does not have to wait days for a prescription, he said. McLanahan's also offers a delivery system for people who can't make it to the store.

For those who choose the online stores, Mitchell Reed, vice president of corporate communications for Soma.com, said his and other companies confirm all prescriptions submitted with authorization numbers assigned to physicians.

"We have to validate that (number)," Reed said. "We have to check rather carefully."

Marion Wakeley (junior-elementary education) said she might buy items online, but it would depend on the security of the system. A pharmacy or drugstore on the Web is good for people who are homebound, Wakeley said.

"That would have been great for (my grandmother)."