Frequently Asked Questions

Why are your drugs so inexpensive?

A large part of our cost savings comes from our business model. Because we do not have the overhead of a pharmacy, our operating costs are kept at a bare minimum and our only advertising is through word-of-mouth. Maybe more importantly, we buy our drugs from the source. Like nearly everything else these days -- from Nike shoes to plasma screen televisions -- many of the prescription drugs that Americans buy are manufactured in Asia. By going directly to the source, we cut out middleman markups and the price discrimination markup drug manufacturers impose on the "affluent" US market. Many of the drugs sold in Western markets are sold at 10,000 to 100,000 times the cost of production. The average Indian consumer earns about 1/60th of what the average American consumer earns. Thus, drugs sold in India cannot be sold at the hefty markup they carry in the US market. Additionally, while we hope for at least modest profits, our overarching goal is to provide prescription drugs to Americans who would not otherwise be able to afford them. This philosophy, along with our business model, allows us to greatly reduce the typical industry markups. For more information on our products, please click here.

Do I need a prescription?

Yes. The FDA requires a prescription to accompany each drug that is ordered. This can be a copy of the original prescription or a copy/picture of the prescription pill bottle, if your prescription has already been filled. We only need a copy of your prescription the first time you place an order (for each drug). There are many ways to provide us with a copy of your prescription. The easiest and quickest way is to take a digital picture of your prescription or your prescription pill bottle and email it to us at prescriptions@progressiverx.com. You can also email us a scanned copy, or fax your prescription to us toll-free at 1-888-753-6401.

Where do your drugs come from?

Our drugs come from many of the world's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers: Aventis, Abbott, AstraZeneca, Cipla, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Pfizer, and Ranbaxy, to name a few. Some are American companies and many are Asian. All are high quality pharmaceutical manufacturers, who are either certified by the US FDA or meet the World Health Organization's "Good Manufacturing Practices" (GMP) standards. According to Business World, "India now has the largest number of FDA-approved manufacturing units [for prescription drugs] outside the US." Some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world are based in Asia, and India alone has over 70 FDA approved plants and another 200 manufacturing units which comply with GMP standards. Many of these companies sell directly to US consumers or sell raw ingredients to Western pharmaceutical manufacturers such as GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, and Pfizer who in turn sell to American consumers. Some Asian pharmaceutical companies also have manufacturing plants in the US. Articles and additional information on Asian pharmaceutical manufacturers are available here.

How long does will it take for my order to arrive?

We offer two flat-rate shipping options -- 7-10 business day Express Mail Service (EMS) for $18, and 14-21 business day International First Class Mail for $5. The latter service does not provide tracking, but is very reliable. EMS is provided by an international partnership of mail services which includes the US Postal Service. While these rates may still seem high to some (and we certainly wish would could reduce them further), most couriers rates from Asia start above $50 for the first pound (e.g. FedEx).

Is this legal?

In the late 1980s, the FDA put a policy into place which allowed US consumers to import up to a 90-day supply of prescription drugs for personal use (i.e. not for resale).  This policy was designed to allow AIDS patients and others who suffered from chronic illnesses to import drugs which had not yet undergone FDA approval.  However, with the emergence of the Internet, many companies began to offer the US consumers less expensive prescriptions from abroad.  Western pharmaceutical manufacturers have done everything possible to curtain drug importation because of the enormous profit they make in the US market (in 2002, the top 10 pharmaceutical manufacturers made more money than all other Fortune 500 companies combined!), and the FDA has followed their lead, asserting that they cannot guarantee the safety of drugs imported from abroad (FDA statements are available below).  However, Congress has responded by authoring a plethora of bills in favor of importation.  While the official FDA is clearly opposed to importation, the agency has not interfered with importation for personal use as long as the purchaser has a prescription for the drugs being imported.  In fact, some local and state governments in the US have begun to buy prescription drugs for their public employees from abroad in order to cut costs, and many more have stated their intentions to begin doing so.  Illinois created a website which allows its residents to import prescription drugs from abroad.  Wisconsin, Kansas, Vermont and Missouri have now joined the site. Vermont is also suing the FDA because the FDA denied their request to import directly from Canada (Other Recent Developments -- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.)  Importing prescriptions has become a very hot topic in the last few years, receiving a lot of attention in the presidential primary debates, a feature story on 60 Minutes and other major news programs, and lobbying campaigns for senior advocacy groups such as AARP.  The debate still rages on. While over 43 million Americans are without health insurance, and many more without prescription drug benefits, we are committed to providing a low-cost alternative until there is a more holistic solution to the problem.  We do not believe Americans should have to choose between paying for basic life necessities (food and rent) and paying for the prescriptions they need.  It is a risk to the public health and welfare that ProgressiveRx seeks to elevate. 

For further information on current legislation and the legalities of importing prescription drugs for personal use, we have provided several links below:

Congressional Legislation:

FDA Statements:

I don't see the drug I need. Can I request it?

Yes. If you don't see your prescription listed, please email us at help@progressiverx.com. If you request a drug that we don't currently sell and we are able to provide it to you, we will give you a coupon for $10 off of your first order of that prescription.

How can I pay for my shipment?

We accept every major credit card as well as numerous other options.

Do you accept health insurance for payments?

We wish that it was possible to work with heath insurance plans. Our goal is to make your prescriptions as affordable as possible. Unfortunately, at this point it does not appear to be an option insurers plan to explore but we will continue to pursue it and keep you updated.

Can refills be sent automatically?

Yes. You can either tick the "Auto Refill" box when ordering or email us at refills@progressiverx.com and let us know what prescription you would like to have automatically refilled. We will ship your refill orders such that they will arrive a week before your previous order expires so you will not run out of your prescription.

Can I place an order by phone?

Yes. You can call us at 1-800-400-0707 to place your order. We are available Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Pacific Time.

Is there a quality guarantee with the prescriptions?

If you are unhappy with the quality of the product for any reason, contact us within 30 days of delivery and we will refund your money for all remaining pills.

We provide free shipping on orders over $99. This offer is valid only with IFCM - International First Class Mail.

Is there a delivery guarantee?

Yes. We will reship your order at our expense if it is not delivered.

Can I cancel my order after I have paid?

Until the order has been shipped it is possible to cancel the order. Please email us immediately if you need to cancel your order. Unfortunately, after the order has been shipped cancellation is not an option.

If you have a question that is not answered on this page, please email us.