Nurx Review: Is It Right For You?

It can be time-consuming, and sometimes difficult, to schedule and attend an in-person appointment with a doctor to get prescription medication. What’s more, 28.1 million people in the U.S. remain uninsured, meaning it’s even more challenging for them to procure healthcare that they can afford. That’s why the pharmacy industry created online pharmacies—to simplify the process and increase access to affordable medications across the country. However, finding quality healthcare online that you can trust is easier said than done. That’s where companies like Nurx come in.

Nurx is an online healthcare service that aims to make certain at-home tests and prescription medications more accessible to people, regardless of whether they have health insurance or not. To do this, it offers online medical consultations for birth control, hair loss, skin care, sexual health, and mental health, discounted prescription via a delivery service, and a variety of at-home tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), COVID-19, and more. 

But how effective is Nurx at making healthcare more accessible? To find out, we evaluated the company with the help of a subject matter expert, former nurse Lindsay Modglin; we interviewed Nurx users, and I did research on the company. We also had this article reviewed for factual accuracy by a medical doctor. Here’s what you need to know about Nurx.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Variety of treatment options and medication brands
• Most medications are delivered in three (or more) months’ supply
• Can use insurance to pay for medications and some at-home tests
• Free shipping
• Prescriptions are put on auto-refill
• Unlimited messaging with healthcare providers 

Cons

• Prescription delivery is limited to 29 states, plus Washington D.C.
• Cost of medical consultation varies by treatment
• Does not submit insurance claims for medical consultations
• $3 support fee is charged every month a prescription is filled
• Consultation fee is not refunded if provider is unable to write a prescription
  

What Is Nurx?

Nurx was founded by Edvard Engesæth, MD, in 2015, though Varsha Rao has been the company’s CEO since 2019. As we noted earlier, its mission is to help ensure healthcare consultations, tests, and treatments are available, accessible, and affordable for anyone who needs it. To do this, it allows its patients to either pay using insurance or out of pocket—but if they pay out of pocket, the prices are set lower to be more affordable. 

Since naming Rao as the company’s CEO, Nurx has largely avoided major scandals and negative press. Prior to her arrival, however, the platform was criticized for prioritizing growth over safety after its practice of re-shipping unopened birth control that had previously been returned came to light. In response to this criticism, the company issued a statement claiming it stopped this practice back in 2018. 

What Services Does Nurx Offer?

It’s important to note that Nurx is not a full telehealth platform (like Teladoc, for example) but it does offer medical consultations for a number of conditions, ongoing medical support through unlimited messaging for current patients, and treatment services (aka providers writing prescriptions for conditions). 

It can treat the following conditions:

• Skin concerns such as acne
• Mild to moderate mental health issues
• UTIs
• Vaginitis
• Herpes
• Migraines
• Hair loss (but only for people assigned male at birth)
• Allergies
• HIV (preventative)

It can also prescribe birth control and emergency contraception. 

In addition to these telehealth services, you can also purchase a number of at-home testing products at Nurx, including STI tests. 

That said, it’s not always appropriate to seek medical assistance from a provider via a service like Nurx. “While often more convenient than a traditional doctor’s office visit, telehealth doesn’t always offer the attention to detail and personalized care you might receive from regular face-to-face visits,” our subject matter expert, Lindsay Modglin, told Health. “Not all conditions can be safely and accurately diagnosed through telehealth, so it’s best to seek medical advice in-person if you have any unusual or concerning symptoms.” 

However, if you’re in generally good health and you’re not experiencing anything that signals a need for an in-person consultation, the services Nurx offers are typically safe to procure through telehealth. 

Does Nurx Accept Insurance?

Yes—but only for some of its medications (including birth control, mental health, acne, psoriasis, eczema, and herpes), and some of its at-home tests, such as its STI tests. 

In addition, treatments insurance providers often deem “cosmetic” (such as for hair loss, eyelash growth, and dark spots) are not covered at Nurx either. 

For medications, Nurx is in network with most major insurance providers, including:

• Anthem
• Cigna
• CVS Caremark
• Aetna
• UnitedHealthcare
• BCBS
• OptumRx
• Express Scripts 

For any at-home tests that require lab work, this is done through Molecular Testing Labs, which is in-network with a long list of insurance providers (though always check your specific coverage for lab work). 

Additionally, Nurx does accept health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA) payments for most prescription treatments, so if your insurance doesn’t cover the cost of your treatment, you can typically use those accounts instead. 

Does Nurx Offer Discounts?

At this time, with the exception of waiving the first consultation fee with its partner Keeps, Nurx does not offer any special promotions or discounts for first-time users, students, veterans, educators, first responders, or any other special group. 

However, you can save on processing fees by purchasing prescriptions in bulk, as you are only charged the fee each month you receive a shipment. 

Birth Control Services at Nurx

Patients will find a wide range of options for birth control at Nurx because it offers a choice of over 50 brands—both name brands and generics. 

The company writes, fills, and ships prescriptions for progesterone-only pills, combination hormone pills, birth control rings, birth control patches, and the shot (however, you will need to have this administered by an in-person provider). 

Additionally, patients also have access to emergency contraception (such as the “morning after pill”). 

In order to get a birth control prescription, you have to set up a medical consultation (which costs $25). But once the script has been written and filled, you’ll have access to unlimited messaging with a healthcare provider in the event you have any questions. After a prescription is written, it is shipped for free in a three-, six-, or 12-month supply (depending on insurance guidelines) and set to auto-fill for one year. I love how easy this is because I can’t even begin to estimate how many times I’ve run out of an essential medication simply because I kept forgetting to call in for a refill. 

For patients using insurance, the cost of birth control is typically covered in full under the Affordable Care Act (though there are some exceptions). However, Nurx does not file insurance for the cost of the consultation. For self-pay patients, in addition to the yearly consultation fee, birth control costs as little as $15 per month. 

Hair Loss Treatment at Nurx

Nurx partners with Keeps, a subscription medication platform, to provide a variety of FDA-approved hair restoration treatments. 

To get a prescription, you will take a quiz and set up a medical consultation, which is free for the first visit. From there, the provider will prescribe products aligned with your goals which will be shipped to you every three months (a $5 shipping fee will apply). 

A Keeps subscription plan starts at $10 per month. All treatments are self-pay, as insurance companies typically do not cover hair loss prescriptions, but products cost as low as $10 per month. Your first medical consultation is free of charge, but you will need to see a provider annually if you want to continue using your medication, at which point the consultation fee is $5. 

Skincare Products and Services at Nurx

There are hundreds of prescription skincare treatment options available at Nurx for conditions including: 

• Melasma 
• Acne 
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Eyelash growth 
• Dark spots
• Rosacea
• Psoriasis
• Eczema

Consultation requirements for prescription products depend on the specific condition you’re hoping to treat. In some cases, you will need to fill out a questionnaire about your skin, and possibly upload photos so that a medical provider can review and create an appropriate treatment plan. 

Pricing for prescription skin care products varies widely across the skincare products Nurx offers. Some products are self-pay only, such as eyelash treatments ($159 for a three-month supply), while others are as low as $0 with insurance, like certain acne prescription medications. 

Nurx also offers a range of over-the-counter skincare products too, such as:

• Alba Sunscreen ($13)
• Facet Body Cleanser ($18)
• Peace Out Acne Healing Dots ($19)

If you’re simply shopping for over-the-counter products like these, you can add the items to your cart and purchase them through the Nurx website like you would any other online store. These products are sold separately, for as low as $8 or in bundles starting at $44. 

Nurx has also partnered with Facet to provide eczema and psoriasis treatments in case you want to treat these conditions along with getting other products or services Nurx offers. On Facet, patients fill out a questionnaire about their skin, and then a doctor reviews it and writes a prescription, which is shipped and auto-filled for one year. An added benefit to Facet is that, unlike Nurx, you can apply for insurance to pay for your consultation. 

At-Home Testing Products and Services at Nurx

Nurx offers several at-home testing kits including one for COVID-19, three for STIs, HPV screening, and ovulation and pregnancy tests. 

There is no medical support offered for COVID-19, ovulation, and pregnancy tests, so if a test comes back positive, patients have to follow up with their regular provider. 

A $15 consultation is required for STI or HPV screening though; once results are processed, the Nurx medical team will reach out to discuss the results and next steps (if applicable). 

Pricing, consultation requirements, and insurance options vary based on the test:

• HPV Screening: $15 consultation fee plus $79 for a self-pay test or $49 with insurance (plus any additional charges from the insurance company)
• Full Control STI Kit (tests for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis C): $15 consultation fee, plus copay and $29.50 service fee (with insurance) or $150 and $14.50 service fee (self-pay)
• Basics Covered STI Kit (HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis): $15 consultation fee, plus copay and $29.50 service fee (with insurance) or $190 and $14.50 service fee (self-pay)
• Healthy V Kit (chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis): $15 consultation fee plus copay and $29.50 service fee (with insurance) or $220 and $14.50 service fee (self-pay)

I really appreciated the privacy offered with at-home STI kits and the HPV screen. If you order through Nurx, the test will be shipped directly to your home and you’ll follow the directions inside the kit to collect your sample (which may be blood, urine, and/or a swab). 

Once you’ve completed the test, you’ll ship everything back to Nurx in the prepaid envelope for processing. Results are typically available within seven days of the lab receiving the sample. 

Nurx Medical and Customer Support 

Nurx provides some of the most comprehensive medical support in the online pharmacy space, because, in most cases, you have access to unlimited messaging with your provider through the secure platform for up to a year. This is incredibly beneficial for someone with a new prescription, as questions often arise, side effects can be concerning, or a medication switch may be necessary, which would require a new prescription. 

Additionally, for patients with an at-home STI test, a medical practitioner is available for a consult after your results are made available to help you navigate possible next steps. They can even help write you a prescription for treatment in some cases. 

As for customer support, you’ll have to either call the service line or send a message through your account in order to get help. However, the customer support team is only available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, so if you run into an issue on a weekend, be prepared to wait a few days for a resolution. 

Privacy Policies at Nurx

Like most online platforms, Nurx has a privacy policy that is very long and filled with legal jargon, which I found to be somewhat difficult to understand at times. 

The company does, however, comply with HIPAA laws and the site uses industry-standard encryption methods to help keep information secure. Additionally, Nurx says it will not share your personal identifying information with anyone without your permission. However, general information may be shared with third-party data collectors. 

Overall Customer Satisfaction

All of the Nurx customers I interviewed had positive things to say about its various services. They appreciated how easy it is to get prescriptions ordered and delivered to their homes, and were especially impressed with the access to contraceptive medications. 

For example, Dayna, a home care provider I interviewed, not only uses Nurx for herself but also recommends it to her patients because she’s had such a positive experience with it. 

Nurx vs. Competitors 

Through my research, I found that Nurx stands out from its competitors in a number of ways. First, prices for hair loss treatment fall in the lower range compared to other sites we reviewed. For sexual health, it’s one of the few companies that accepts insurance and offers birth control, STI testing, and emergency contraception all in one place. Finally, Nurx offers more treatment for skin conditions than most of its competitors. Here’s how each service stacks up against the competition.

Hair Loss Services

Sexual Health Services

Skincare Services

Final Thoughts

Based on my research and interviews with real-life users, Nurx seems to accomplish its mission of making commonly used prescription medications accessible, and it’s an especially great option for someone who has difficulty going to an in-person doctor appointment. Additionally, by keeping self-pay costs low and accepting most major insurance plans, it helps make medical treatment more affordable as well. 

That being said, it’s hard for me to ignore the lack of standardization when it comes to self-pay pricing. Consultations cost anywhere from $15 to $65, depending on the treatment you’re seeking, and Nurx does not accept insurance for consultation fees. While these fees are somewhat reasonable for someone paying out of pocket, a patient with insurance loses out on an important benefit with this payment model. Still, the convenience of Nurx is really appealing to me, and the service appears to be high-quality, so these two factors alone might make the consultation fee worth it. 

Overall, if you’re generally in good health and feel comfortable getting basic telehealth care, then the benefits Nurx offers definitely make it worth trying. 

Why Trust Us

To create this review, we researched Nurx’s history, services, prices, and policies in depth, taking into consideration factors that are important to shoppers, such as cost and insurance acceptance. We also interviewed Lindsay Modglin, a nurse with experience in online pharmacies, as well as three real-life Nurx customers. Finally, we compared Nurx’s pricing, services, medication selection, and insurance options to eight of its competitors to provide a clear picture of the business.