Amwell: When Getting To A Doctor Is Just Too Hard

“We can’t fill that script.”

I was in Canada, taking the time out of a very busy schedule to fill a script at a local pharmacy. It was an Australian script and pharmacies in neither the US or Canada would fill it.

Who has time to go to the doctor when they travel? And I didn’t really need a doctor, I just needed a prescription.

Enter Amwell

Amwell is the largest telehealth company in the United States. Did you even know such a thing existed? You can log in to this website and find a licensed doctor, dietician, paediatrics or even a psychologist. 

It sounded perfect, exactly what a travelling mother needs. And the reason I’m sharing this with you, is that I think everyone would find this useful - not just travelling mums like me. 

How It Works

Amwell invited me to try out their service and considering I needed a prescription and had no time for a doctor’s visit, I thought it was a brilliant idea. 

Just a note, this service is only available in the United States. As I was in Canada I used a VPN for the service. However the scripts are sent to your local pharmacy. This worked well for me since I was heading to family in New York soon, so I used the pharmacy near their home.

Once you log in to the system you can choose your professional, your pharmacy and run a test on your computer to ensure it supports video chat.

It was less than 2 minutes and my call was directed to a doctor.

Via a video chat he asked how he could help I told him I needed a script filled, but no one wanted an Australian prescription. He said he could write one, but only for 30 days worth of medication. That seemed reasonable, since he was not seeing my issues or me first hand.

Once the call ended, a note came up telling me my prescription had been sent to my chosen pharmacy.

I didn’t need to drive anywhere.

I didn’t need to wait in a waiting room.

I didn’t need to drag the kids out.

I didn’t need to leave my home or even do my hair. 

Need To Know

Amwell doctors are available 24 hours a day, seven day per week. Typical illnesses they cover: bronchitis, cough, flu, urinary tract infection, vomiting, diarrhoea, pinkeye, headaches, depression, anxiety, etc.

Your visit with the doctor is secure and HIPAA compliant. And it’s even covered by major insurers.

But if you don’t have insurance, it’s only US$49 for a physician consultation.