Our review compares pharmacies on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which pharmacy they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 2,429 Australians for their feedback on the pharmacy(ies) they’ve purchased from in the last six months.
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Pharmacy4Less was rated five stars across all categories, including range of products, store layout & presentation, value for money, prescription availability & speed of dispensing, checkout experience and overall satisfaction.
Launched in 2007, Pharmacy4Less has over 100 stores around Australia, with each store independently owned, with products also available to purchase online. Pharmacy4Less offers a range of products from diet and nutrition, vitamins, skincare and personal care, along with a number of pharmaceutical services such as vaccinations. It also offers the 4You Club, which gives members exclusive deals and samples, along with faster checkouts and entries into competitions.
With three stars for range of products, Discount Drug Stores was also rated four stars for prescription availability & speed of dispensing and overall satisfaction, with five stars for checkout experience, value for money and store layout & presentation.
Beginning in Queensland with one store back in 2001, Discount Drug Stores now has over 120 locations around Australia, offering a variety of products, from beauty through to baby products, along with vitamins, toiletries, and health products. It also offers a number of services, from vaccinations to blood glucose screenings, BMI assessments and pain management, although it’s best to check your local store offers all services beforehand. Discount Drug Stores additionally offers a Price Match, although there are some T&Cs attached, and isn’t available for online purchases, with the Discount Plus loyalty program also available to sign up to, where you can earn points on purchases.
Good Price Pharmacy Warehouse was rated four stars across all categories, including checkout experience, prescription availability & speed of dispensing, value for money, store layout & presentation, range of products and overall satisfaction.
Available at close to 50 locations around Australia, Good Price Pharmacy Warehouse offers a variety of products, including beauty products, baby care, general health, vitamins, medicines and prescriptions, along with a variety of services such as vaccinations, diabetes monitoring, prescription management and weight management. You can also sign up to GP Mail to get ahead of upcoming catalogues, news and competitions.
Terry White was rated five stars for prescription availability & speed of dispensing, four stars for store layout & presentation, checkout experience and overall satisfaction, along with three stars for value for money and range of products.
First established in 1959, Terry White Chemist has grown to be arguably the largest pharmacy chain in Australia, with over 500 locations around Australia. Stocking a range of products, from skincare to fragrances through to vitamins and first aid, Terry White Chemmart additionally offers a range of healthcare services at its stores, although it’s best to check each location beforehand. Terry White also offers the myTWC app to help you with manage your scripts, as well as earn REWARDS which can be redeemed in store.
Blooms The Chemist was rated four stars for prescription availability & speed of dispensing and store layout & presentation, with three stars for checkout experience, value for money, range of products and overall satisfaction.
Beginning back in 1980, Blooms The Chemist has over 100 locations around Australia, with the chain offering a range of healthcare services, such as vaccinations, diabetes support and sleep solutions, along with a range of traditional pharmaceutical goods, along with health and beauty products. It also has an online store, with a flat rate of $8.95 on orders under $75, and free shipping for orders over $75. And if you’re after a bargain, you can sign up to the My HealthRewards to earn points on purchases and redeem in store or online.
Amcal was rated four stars for store layout & presentation, prescription availability & speed of dispensing and checkout experience, with three stars for value for money, range of products and overall satisfaction.
Starting back in 1937 as the Allied Master Chemists of Australia Limited (A.M.C.A.L.), Amcal today has over 200 locations around Australia, with locations offering a range of products and services, from managing sleep apnoea and diabetes assessments, along with vaccinations and prescription dispensing. It additionally stocks beauty and skincare products, along with products for the baby and rest of the family, along with additional healthcare products. Amcal also has a Rewards program to help give you more bang for your buck.
Rated three stars for checkout experience, prescription availability & speed of dispensing, store layout & presentation and overall satisfaction, Chemist Warehouse was also rated four stars for value for money and five stars for range of products.
Founded in 1973, Chemist Warehouse has over 350 locations around Australia, and offer a full catalogue online to help you stock up. Chemist Warehouse also aims to be ‘Australia’s Cheapest Chemist’, and offer a price match guarantee if you see a product for cheaper at another Australian Registered Pharmacy or Registered Retailer, although some T&C’s apply. The range of stocked products includes the likes of fragrances, cleaning products, health and wellbeing along with vitamins and weight loss, with traditional services such as vaccinations and prescriptions also available.
Priceline Pharmacy was rated four stars for store layout & presentation and prescription availability & speed of dispensing, with three stars for range of products, value for money, checkout experience and overall satisfaction.
Founded in 1982, Priceline Pharmacy today operates under the Australian Pharmaceutical Industries brand, which itself was acquired by Wesfarmers. With over 450 stores across Australia, Priceline offers a range of brands and products in store and online, with traditional healthcare services available in store, but differentiates itself by also offering Health Insurance. You can also sign up to the Sister Club loyalty program, which allows you to collect points on purchases, which are then automatically converted back into dollar rewards that can be used on future purchases.
Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are several more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Site Editor, Dean Heckscher. He’s our resident expert on all things automotive, health & fitness, streaming and more. Dean is also one of Canstar Blue’s customer research report producers, helping to turn complicated subjects into easily-digestible information for our readers. He’s passionate about helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Here are the past winners from Canstar Blue’s pharmacy chain ratings:
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