Chemist Direct *review*

I have to admit to not ever having heard of Chemist Direct when I was first contacted to take part in a review opportunity with them and I didn't believe an online chemist would be of much use but when I looked into the website, the products on offer and a list of what our family uses regularly I decided to give them a try. We have a pharmacy nearby but it shuts for lunch, which is very often the time I want to go in, and it's quite small so doesn't stock a huge range of items. Usually we get everything from the supermarket on an as and when basis but I was intrigued to see how an online chemist would compare.

As well as your usual toiletries, baby care and over-the-counter medicines you can purchase your prescriptions through Chemist Direct, 'speak' to one of their online doctors for advice on treatments and even buy pet food!

One product we've been using a lot of lately is children's pain relief so I stocked up on Calpol and Nurofen and also Piriton for Charlie's hayfever. Reassuringly, before you can purchase any medication you have to fill in a medical questionnaire about the person the product is for.

Chemist Direct have a huge range of products and some great value deals too. With five of us in the family, including an 11 year old daughter who is now taking a huge interest in personal hygiene, we spend an absolute fortune on toiletries. When we're going on holiday it's a waste of time packing mini sized bottles as we use so much between us!

At the checkout it told me that I had saved £18 on an order that totalled nearly £70, which is a massive saving. Some items had a few pence off the RRP, others had bigger savings.

I encountered one problem throughout the experience, which although it was irritating it hasn't completely put me off using the service. I received an email 4 days after my order stating that one item was out of stock (although it showed as available at the time of order). The item was due to be delivered to Chemist Direct the following day. Two days later I received an email to say my order had been sent out. When it arrived 3 days later the item was still missing but not showing as outstanding on my account. I spoke to someone via live chat on their website and the item was inexplicably no longer available and I'd be refunded within 48 hours. I wasn't refunded promptly and I had to send an email to chase it up so it was a pain but it got sorted in the end.

Would I recommend using Chemist Direct? Yes, but this isn't a service I'd recommend for regular light usage. I would only use it when I had a good-sized order (free UK delivery when you spend over £40) and would advise that you allow plenty of time for delivery.


Chemist Direct can be found on twitter @Chemist Direct  


We received a Chemist Direct voucher for the purposes of this review. All opinion is honest and based upon our own experiences.