FAQs

Safety

Account

Ordering

Payment

Delivery

Medical questions

Choose a treatment/condition for medical FAQs related to treatment.

Safety

Is it safe to buy medicine online?

It is increasingly common to use an online medical clinic to obtain medication. This is safe and legal provided you use regulated services. The NHS provides the following advice when buying medicines online:

If you choose to buy medicines online, ensure that:

  • any online pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
  • any online doctor service is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the General Medical Council (GMC)

Further assurance

Is the medication genuine?

We supply only branded medication from major UK drug companies for trade marked medication including Viagra (Pfizer), Cialis (Eli Lilly), Levitra (Bayer), Malarone (GlaxoSmithKline GSK) and Propecia (Organon), and others.

Dr Fox also offers the choice to order lower cost UK licenced generic versions of some medicines e.g. sildenafil, also known as generic Viagra, and atovaquone/proguanil also known as generic Malarone. We do not substitute lower cost generic versions if branded versions are ordered. Generic medicines are used more often by the NHS because they are just as effective but cost far less.

Medication is supplied from UK registered pharmacies, which can be contacted by phone. It is the same medication you would get if you walked into a UK high-street chemist with a prescription from your GP.

Medicine supply is highly regulated in Europe - from manufacturer and importers, to wholesalers and distributors, to pharmacies and end users. QR codes on medicine packs can verify and guarantee authenticity from manufacturing to dispensing.

Further information

Is Dr Fox regulated and legal?

The UK is one of a small number of countries with a legislative and regulatory framework in place to allow medicines to be prescribed online.

The dispatching pharmacy is always a UK pharmacy registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. The pharmacy can be phoned on the number on the contact page. Dr Fox is registered with the Care Quality Commission (no. 1-101728017). Dr Fox (www.doctorfox.co.uk) is owned by the UK registered company Index Medical Ltd (company no. 6797903 - check details).

See regulation page for further details.

Who are the Dr Fox doctors?

'Dr Fox' is a trading name. All doctors working for Dr Fox are UK-based, registered with the General Medical Council, and are experienced NHS GPs. Further details of clinical staff are on our team page.

Why are Dr Fox prices so low?

We supply only branded medication from major UK drug companies for trade marked medication including Viagra (Pfizer), Cialis (Eli Lilly), Levitra (Bayer), Malarone (GlaxoSmithKline GSK) and Propecia (Merck MSD) and others. Lower cost UK licenced generic medicines are also available. We add an amount to the wholesale price of medication which is less than nearly all other online pharmacies (compare prices).

We do not advertise extensively and keep our costs down. We want people to choose our service on price, but as can be seen from independent customer satisfaction ratings, we are also very good on service.

Account

How to set up a new user account?

You can register a new Dr Fox account first, or during the order process.

If already logged in, first log out (top right of screen) of existing accounts, then go to Register (top right of screen) to create a new account. A new email address is needed for each new account.

New accounts can also be created during the order process after the medical questionnaire, however, if a questionnaire was completed when another user was logged-in, the order will be linked to that user. If already logged in, log out before the questionnaire to change users.

How do I retrieve my account password?

Use the forgot password feature - a link to reset your password will be emailed to the email address registered to the account. Please also check your junk/spam mail folder. If you continue to experience issues please contact us.

I had a duplicate account notification - what is this?

It is important not to have more than one Dr Fox account so doctors can see a complete prescribing history. If we notice similarities between your new Dr Fox account and other Dr Fox accounts, an administrator will look at this. If they are sure the accounts are duplicate, they will amalgamate them and notify you by email. They will not combine accounts unless they are sure they are duplicates.

Any pending orders will still be processed, with progress updates sent by email.

If you think an account has been merged in error please contact us as soon as possible. The order history on merged accounts are temporarily hidden as a data protection precaution.

Can a new account use the same email address?

No. Each account requires its own email address. Free email addresses can be set up in minutes at Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook/Hotmail and many others.

Can orders be cancelled?

Orders can be cancelled online in your My Account area up until the doctor approves them, which may be within hours or even a few minutes after the order has been placed. Select the order and click 'Cancel'. Cancelled orders are automatically refunded and thus funds will appear back into your account within 3-5 working days, possibly sooner. It is possible to cancel an order after it has been approved by the doctor, and before it is dispatched, by contacting us - see contact page.

Are canceled or declined orders refunded?

If you cancel an order, or it is declined by our doctors or administrators, a full refund to your card is made. Refunds can take 3-5 days for funds to appear back into your bank account.

Can delivery addresses be changed?

Yes. The delivery address can be changed if you are logged-in. Details in My Account area. Delivery addresses changed after the doctor has approved a prescription may not update in time for that order. If you wish to change the address for delivery at this stage you need to contact us.

Can the name or gender (male/female) of an account be changed?

Occasionally people change their names or enter the wrong gender by mistake. You cannot change these details yourself - please log in and send a message requesting a change in registration details.

What measures are in place to support trans patients?

Transgender patients must select their biological gender assigned at birth when registering an account. We recognise that this information may not represent who you are and apologise to any patients with objections. We strive to be an inclusive service as much as possible. After registering please contact us to let us know your status so as to avoid any delays in receiving your order due to identity and status checks, and we can ensure your title is correct for deliveries. We will request photos of documents such as current photo ID (passport, driving licence, national ID card, etc) and any other documents confirming your previous status/gender, such as deed poll letter, old photo ID, birth certificate, or a gender recognition certificate. Once verified, all documents are automatically deleted from our servers.

All medicines are licensed in the UK and part of the licence might include sex at birth restrictions. As an online prescribing service Dr Fox doctors are not permitted to prescribe 'off label' in individual circumstances, and Dr Fox prescribing protocols are often more restrictive than in the medicine's licence. A patient's regular doctor or specialist should be contacted in these instances.

Transgender guidance for public health

Are identity checks needed?

Regulators require online clinics implement an identity checking process. Sexual health treatments and some other treatments are exempt in many cases. Identity checks may involve uploading photo ID and/or performing a soft credit check.

Will you inform my GP?

Patients can choose to have their regular GP/doctor informed by letter of treatment supplied by Dr Fox if they wish.

Dr Fox prescribing protocols require a patient's GP is informed for some types of treatment, such as salbutamol inhalers, antibiotics, and combined contraceptive pills.

How does the credit referral scheme work?

Patients can recommend Dr Fox and earn discount credits against future orders. Receive £1 credit to your Dr Fox account for every order, including repeat orders, made by a referred friend/family for the lifetime of their account. To get your unique referral code to share, please login to your Dr Fox account.

Ordering

Can repeat orders be made?

Yes. Please log-in to your account and select the treatment you wish to re-order: review previous answers and confirm no changes, edit the product or quantity required if necessary, and pay. Every consultation is reviewed by a doctor and a new prescription is issued for every order. Over time, previous consultation answers will expire and the questionnaire will require answering again to re-order.

Does Dr Fox supply medication NOT listed on the website menus?

No. Dr Fox prescribes only treatments listed on the all medications page.

Can I order medication for another person, e.g. my partner, etc?

No. Each person must register their own account. Medical questionnaires must be completed by the person who is ordering the medicine. Questionnaires ask those ordering to confirm the medication is for their own personal use. Prescriptions are issued in the name of the Dr Fox account holder. This is a safety requirement and a legal requirement.

Can the same medication be ordered more than once at same time?

It is possible, however if you do, please send a message to the doctor in your My Account area at the time the duplicate order is placed. Doctors are likely to ask for an explanation about duplicate orders unless the order is for erectile dysfunction medication, where duplicate ordering is routine. Duplicate orders, placed without an explanation, might be declined and refunded.

Why are orders adding to a previously logged user?

The system links the questionnaire answers to the person logged-in at the time the questionnaire is completed. If already logged-in, you must log out before the questionnaire and the person seeking treatment must register their own account.

How to order if you already have your own private prescription?

Instructions about how to order with your own private prescription are at the bottom of the prices page. Our pharmacy cannot process NHS prescriptions.

Payment

Is payment and personal information safe?

www.doctorfox.co.uk is 'payment card industry compliant', which means the site is tested regularly for security weaknesses. All data is encrypted before transmission between your browser and the website server. We do not store full payment card details on the server. Payment card details go direct to our card processing partner, Trust Payments. We are also accredited by the Trusted Shops scheme.

High-level data encryption ensures our customer's data is not compromised in transit or 'at rest' on the server. Dr Fox is committed to the highest standards of data privacy and protection and is fully GDPR compliant.

Can orders be made by phone?

Unfortunately not. An online questionnaire must be completed for the doctor. Payment is by payment card online only.

Does the payment card need to belong to the Dr Fox account holder?

No. Payment can be made using a payment card with different details from that of the Dr Fox account holder.

Why can't I use Paypal to make payment?

Paypal currently operate a policy of not allowing online pharmacies supplying prescription medicines to have Paypal accounts, so Dr Fox cannot accept payments by Paypal. We continue to monitor their policy.

What is a one-time password?

When making a payment your card issuer may send you an SMS text message with a one-time password code to your mobile phone, usually 6 digits. The code is entered onto the payment page to verify you (the process will be detailed on-screen).

Pending payment in bank account - when will it clear?

Some payment card transactions will appear as 'Pending' in your bank account until the payment is fully processed. It usually takes 3-5 business days to process a transaction, although it can take up to 10 business days, or sometimes even longer. While a transaction is pending, the amount is deducted from your available funds, not your account balance. If your bank does not receive final confirmation of the transaction the pending status will be cancelled and the amount returned to 'Available funds'.

Delivery

How long does it take for medication to arrive?

Medication is usually dispatched the day it is ordered or the next working day. It is usually posted by Royal Mail Tracked 24 which aims to deliver in 1-2 days after dispatch and requires a signature on receipt. There is no dispatch on weekends or bank holidays. Emails with mail tracking numbers are sent at the time orders are dispatched. For more detail see delivery page.

Is the packaging and billing discreet?

Packaging is discreet and does not indicate contents - a return address is printed on the label. Your bank statement debit will be listed as 'INDEXMED'. See discreet packaging and billing page.

Can the progress of orders be checked?

Emails are sent to confirm an order has been placed. Further emails are sent when doctors approve or decline an order and another email is sent when the pharmacy dispatch the order. The email confirming the dispatch of the order contains a parcel tracking number. Email delivery updates are also sent by Royal Mail.

Can a delivery be tracked in the post?

Yes. When an item is dispatched an email is sent containing a parcel tracking number. Royal Mail tracking will only provide information once the item has been collected by Royal Mail (last collection 3:30pm weekdays, no collection Saturday, Sunday, or Bank Holidays). Restricted items including aerosols and flammable liquids are sent by APC courier which also provides tracking. You can also, if you are already logged in, view details of your orders, including parcel tracking, in your My Account area. See delivery information page for more detail.

Order has not arrived?

UK orders normally arrive a day or two after they are dispatched. They are usually dispatched the same or next working day after an order is placed. When an item is dispatched an email with a parcel tracking number is sent. Very occasionally items get delayed or lost in the post. This is unusual. If an item does not arrive in the post 5 days after dispatch, please let us know by email at info@doctorfox.co.uk. We will investigate with the courier and repost the item or provide a full refund, as you prefer.

Can you post outside UK?

No. We deliver only within the United Kingdom. See delivery page for further information. Parcel holding or forwarding addresses, and with regret BFPO addresses, are also not permitted.

Does Dr Fox deliver to the Channel Islands and Isle of Man?

Yes. Please enter the island name (Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man) after the city name when entering your delivery address.

Medical questions

Can Dr Fox supply medication for children?

We are unable to supply medication to under 18s.

How to message the doctors?

Registered account account holders who are already logged-in can message the doctors at any time. Messages can also be sent to the doctors at the end of the order process.

When a message MUST be sent to the doctors

Doctors usually have enough information to issue a prescription based on your answers to questionnaires. If you make duplicate orders for the same item or are ordering the items repeatedly the doctor may request more information before issuing a prescription. If you do NOT send additional information when requested the doctor may decline and refund your order. Many medicines are routinely ordered as duplicates and repeats and some medicines may be ordered in advance for when they may be needed.

Why do doctors sometimes message about orders?

You may receive an email from the doctor asking you to log-in to your account to see and reply to a message the doctor has sent you. Doctors may wish to message you with additional information or may wish you to provide additional information before issuing your prescription. Additional information is sometimes required if orders are placed for the same medication at the same time or too frequently.

Has the doctor sent me a message?

Advisory emails are sent when doctors post messages to your account to read. The advisory emails do not contain sensitive details.