9 Services to Get Your Cold, Flu, and COVID Supplies Without Leaving Home

Fact checked by Heather Mercer

Key Takeaways

• Apps you use for food and grocery delivery could also help you get items like cough drops and a thermometer when you’re home sick.

• Ride sharing services like Lyft and Uber can actually bring your prescriptions and OTC cold and cough needs to you instead of taking you to a pharmacy to get them.

• Avoiding going to the store or pharmacy when you are sick helps prevent you from spreading your germs to other people, so contactless delivery is a great tool. However, make sure to check in with your provider about what you might need for your recovery.

That app you turn to when you’re craving Chinese food at midnight can also bring you cough drops and prescriptions when you’re under the weather. Many grocery, pharmacy, and ride share home delivery services offer to let you order cold and flu supplies.

"It's a great idea for anyone with a fever, coughing, sneezing or other symptoms of an infectious disease such as flu or COVID-19," Kathryn Boling, MD, a family medicine physician affiliated with Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, told Verywell. "Not only does it save you a trip while you’re feeling awful, but you may hold down the spread to others of whatever infection you’ve got."

Not every delivery service can drop off your prescriptions, and not every illness requires a prescription medication. Once you've connected with a provider and know what you need, here's how to get it without leaving home.

Related: Here's How to Plan For Your Seasonal Vaccinations This Fall

Uber and Lyft

In some cities, Lyft and Uber list the pharmacy as a stop they can make as a part of their delivery services. In the Uber Eats app, for example, you can select "Services" from the menu at the bottom of your homescreen, and select "Pharmacy" from the list of delivery options.

Uber Eats can be used to get prescriptions delivered thanks to spartnership with NimbleRx and ScriptDrop. NimbleRx account relies on small, local pharmacies to fill prescriptions, rather than chains like CVS. You'll need to set up an account with NimbleRx and transfer any prescriptions to that service in order to use Uber to get them delivered. ScriptDrop works with pharmacies of all sizes, including chains and grocery store pharmacies. Just know that controlled medications, like narcotics, are not eligible for delivery.

Additionally, Uber Health allows care coordinators to request a medication delivery on behalf of their patients.

You don't need to be present to accept the delivery.

In major cities, Lyft offers prescription pick up and drop off from any pharmacy of your choice.

When it comes to getting nonprescription items delivered, you have many more options through Uber Eats and Lyft. Check the apps to find stores near you that offer pickup. In cities where the rideshare services can pick up from large chain pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, you’ll have access to the store’s full nonprescription inventory. Just make sure you check the hours—if there’s no 24-hour pharmacy in your area and you’re hoping for chest rub at 2 a.m., you will have to wait for the store to open.

If you need just a fever reducer or cough drops, search for convenience stores to see if the service will pick up from a local gas station or 7-Eleven, which will often carry basic cough and cold supplies such as tissues and cough syrup. In some states, you may not be able to get cough syrup containing dextromethorphan, such as Robitussin and Delsym, through Uber and Lyft. They require an ID since purchasers have to be at least 18.

Doordash, Postmates, & Grubhub

Doordash, Postmates, Grubhub and other food delivery services can deliver basic cough and cold supplies to help you feel better.

Only Doordash can be used to deliver prescriptions, but there's no guarantee your pharmacy participates. Whether you have to physically accept the order from your Dasher depends on your prescription. You may be able to select a contactless delivery. DoorDash also has a service called DashMart that delivers over-the-counter (OTC) items from their own DashMart and almost any nearby store.

Big chain pharmacies will be most likely to have COVID-19 tests on hand for delivery.

Related: Can You Still Use a COVID-19 At-Home Test If It’s Expired?

Instacart

In many cities, Instacart has a service called "Convenience," often at no extra charge, for people who are already members (around $99 per year). It allows for grocery delivery in as little as 20 minutes, and may be the ticket to getting things like cough lozenges faster. Before you place an order, check for fast delivery surcharges and decide if you can wait a little longer if they’re more than you want to pay.

If you get prescriptions through Costco, you can use Instacart to have them delivered in most states. Whether or not you'll have to sign for the delivery depends on the state.

Amazon Prime

Amazon and other online retailers stock a large range of nonprescription items and cough and cold supplies. Prime members generally pay a lower price and typically get faster delivery—sometimes the same day for a small fee.

However, be wary of what you're purchasing. Amazon sells plenty of illegitimate supplements with inaccurate labeling. As a rule of thumb, look for evidence of third-party certification, like from the USP Dietary Supplements Compendium (DSC) or Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), before purchasing a vitamin or supplement.

Related: Don’t Rely on Amazon for Legitimate Supplements, Study Finds

CVS & Walgreens

Chain pharmacy delivery services could change over the course of the winter. Right now, CVS has several delivery options to access both eligible prescriptions and OTC products.

"This includes 1–2-day delivery in most locations for $4.99, on-demand delivery for $7.99 at select locations, and free delivery on eligible orders through the company’s CarePass membership program ($48 per year)," Amy Thibault, a spokesperson for CVS, told Verywell. You can ask pharmacies if you can add nonprescription supplies to your prescription order, too.

Jessica Masuga, a spokesperson for Walgreens, told Verywell that for a limited time, Walgreens is offering free Same-Day Prescription Delivery. Prescriptions that take 1-2 days are also free for delivery now. Some Walgreens stores offer free delivery for nonprescription items as well.

If you use other pharmacies, call or check their website to find out delivery options for prescription and nonprescription items. Walmart, for example, does not offer same-day delivery on prescriptions.

Related: Drones Could Soon Deliver Medications to Your Home

What to Know Before You Order

It's important to know what type of illness you have before seeking out a specific treatment. While you can still easily test for COVID at home with rapid tests, there are only a few combination tests that can help you get a flu or RSV diagnosis at home.

Related: FDA: You Can Now Test for COVID, Flu, and RSV at Home

"Because the signs and symptoms of the flu, COVID-19, and RSV overlap, specific testing is needed to determine what virus you are infected with," Manisha Patel, MD, chief medical officer at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Verywell. "A medical professional can review your specific situation and administer the tests that are right for you."

The reason a diagnosis is important is because some people—especially older adults and those with underlying health conditions—may be prescribed an antiviral drug. The antiviral drugs for flu are different than the ones for COVID-19 and both must be started within days of symptoms starting to be effective. Currently, there is no antiviral drug available to treat RSV.

Don’t forget to check in with your doctor’s office or use an interaction checker to make sure no OTC products interfere with any prescription products you take. And if you’re buying more than one symptom relief product, be sure they don’t contain the same ingredient (like Tylenol plus a cough medicine that contains acetaminophen)—it could make for an uncessary expense.

What This Means For You

Pharmacy, supermarket, and food delivery services can often deliver cold and flu supplies for no or small fees. Many pharmacies offer same-day or next-day prescription delivery for free, too. Check in with your provider or pharmacist before you place an order to make sure you’re getting the products you need to recover.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.