How we rate pharmacies
Every pharmacy is judged on the same eight things. Here is what we look at, how we turn it into a score, and when a score is shown.
What we look at
Each pharmacy is scored out of 100. The eight checks and their weights are the same for every pharmacy.
| Check | Points | A top rating means |
|---|---|---|
| Getting the prescription filled | 20 | You can send your prescription online, and the steps for handing over the original are clear. |
| Delivery and collection | 15 | Delivery across the country or a wide area, with the time and fee stated, plus collection in store. |
| Price against the highest legal price | 15 | The price we are quoted, compared with the highest legal price. Lower is better; above it scores badly. |
| Price transparency | 10 | The price, or a clear way to get it, is easy to find, and the dispensing fee is shown separately. |
| Availability | 15 | Both pen sizes are in stock when we ask. |
| Customer support | 10 | Phone, WhatsApp or chat, opening hours, and a reply within one working day. |
| Credentials | 10 | The pharmacy is registered with the South African Pharmacy Council and shows its pharmacist and address. |
| Customer reviews | 5 | Ratings on Google, HelloPeter and other sites, when there are enough reviews to be fair. |
How the score is worked out
Each check gets a rating from 0 to 5. We multiply each rating by the points for that check, divided by 5, and add everything up. The result is the score out of 100.
If we could not check something, we leave it out and scale the score to the checks we did complete. We show a score only when the checks we completed carry at least 70 of the 100 points. Until then the pharmacy is shown as “Not yet rated”.
How we work out the highest legal price
The law sets a maximum price for each medicine, called the single exit price. A pharmacy may add a dispensing fee on top, and the law also caps that fee. We add the two together, with VAT, to estimate the most a pharmacy may charge. This estimate is the same for every pharmacy. A pharmacy that charges less scores higher on price; one that charges more than the estimate is flagged, and its score cannot go above 50.
Rules we follow
- We list only pharmacies registered with the South African Pharmacy Council that fill prescriptions. We do not list anyone who sells without a prescription or who sells compounded semaglutide.
- Chains and pharmacy groups are scored as one brand. For price and stock we ask three branches in different provinces and use the middle result.
- If two pharmacies have the same score, the one with the higher rating for getting the prescription filled is listed first, then the one with better availability.
- Customer reviews come mainly from Google and HelloPeter, with other sites used as backup. Reviews on the main sites count in full and reviews elsewhere count half. Fewer than 30 reviews in total, and the check is left out.
- We update scores every three months and whenever the regulated prices change. Every score shows the date it was checked.
- No pharmacy can pay to be listed, to rank higher or to change a score. Read our Editorial Policy and Affiliate Disclosure.
Last updated 5 October 2026.