Chemist Direct review - Family healthcare onlineMy Mills Baby

How many of us can really just nip into a chemist for some mouthwash, and not come out armed with full carrier bags? I know I can’t. It’s testament to some neat product placement within the store, and a glitzy shopping environment which makes us instantly want to “try that new cream” or check out “that shampoo from the advert”.

Well what if you never had to go in store again?

Would you miss it?

I know your wallet wouldn’t. Having saved a fortune on supermarket shopping by meal-planning, buying online and removing all temptation to fling products in the trolley, the same can absolutely be said of pharmaceuticals and toiletries.

Enter Chemists Direct. The UK’s number 1 online pharmacy (I did raise my eyebrows at that), they stock everything you need to manage the healthcare of your family.

Okay the website isn’t very sexy. The banner ads are lacking the lustre and glamour of their better known rivals, and there’s less high res imagery to fuel a spending frenzy. The website is also slightly clunky with more than the average number of clicks per buy. Considering there’s been a website refresh, I shudder to think what it might have looked like before.

But this isn’t about excitement, it’s about convenience. And convenient this most definitely is.

What works well? Well, there’s all the usual suspects in terms of brand names (Sudocrem, Nurofen, L’Oreal etc) with many of the staples we all need available to buy in bulk. In fact, there’s over 20,000 health, pharmacy, beauty and prescription products, so the same lines you’ll find on the high street. The array of products is also impressive with everyday toiletries, baby products, multivitamins, travel sundries and even a pet section (strange, but why not?).

The prices are competitive and there’s free delivery by courier when you spend over £40 (just £3.49 for standard delivery of 3-5 days if you don’t). There’s also next day delivery available. Not only are you therefore saving yourself the hassle of going into store, and are able to shop 24/7 from your sofa, you’re not paying a premium for the privilege. Oh and there’s a big thumbs from me that you can choose to pay by PayPal.

Buying online, it’s obviously easier to see a running total (in the basket top right of the screen) which saves you the embarrassment of getting to the till and discovering you’ve spent your weekly allowance on shower gels. Some products also have star ratings and user reviews which is a further step in the right direction.

I was given £50 credit to test out the site, and my total came to £52.36 with a total saving of £11.86 against RRP. If you buy beauty products & toiletries on a regular basis, these sort of savings add up. There is also a clearance section with up to 70% off., and regular promotions which you can opt to receive via email.

The email communication throughout the transaction was spot on, and delivery was super-speedy, arriving within 48 hours. My items were packaged discreetly in plain boxes with no markings to indicate where they’ve come from - useful if you’ve got nosy neighbours.

With plenty of additional resources on the site such as the online doctor section that provides a plethora of information with printable PDFs, it’s responsible retailing that isn’t seeking to exploit you. There’s also a GPhC registered and regulated pharmacy allowing you to order your prescriptions to your home if you’re feeling too unwell to travel to your local chemist. It’s your all-in-one stop for the elderly or busy families.