Lately, I’ve been finding it hard to queue up in drugstores. The lines snake around, and the waiting times are really long.
Since it’s also a good practice to stay at home and prevent the spreading of sicknesses, as much as possible I try to order online for essentials during this quarantine.
I’ve already written a drugstore compilation post before. However, I find that when it comes down to it, nothing beats Mercury Drug for being the dominant brand — similar to National Bookstore being the dominant brand for books and school supplies here in the Philippines. It’s not ironic that both also contend with being out of the loop in terms of using the latest technology properly.
Anyhow, I’ve learned that Mercury Drug now has delivery within Metro Manila via online ordering. What I find is that they did not do the best implementation, but it works as I’ve personally tried it.
Some benefits of ordering via Mercury Drug online include:
- You can be sure the medicine you need is available as they can check with other branches
- Delivery is orderly, using their own rider
- Social distancing is preserved if needed, compared with Pabili services where the rider needs to queue up in the store
- Cashless payment is also enforced, which is also sanitary
How to Order in Mercury Drug Online
A prerequisite is to have Viber installed. You basically need to chat or call the person behind the number to order your medicine, and to show your prescription if needed. Take note that sometimes, the person behind the number replies late, seemingly due to the number of people ordering.
To help you out, I’ve compiled the branches noted on the website for easier access, as you can find a branch near you and have your delivery done sooner if possible.
| Viber No | Store Location |
|---|---|
| 09190806367 | EDSA Congressional, QC |
| 09190806374 | MDC 100, E Rodriguez, QC |
| 09190806368 | Retiro Mayon, QC |
| 09190806380 | Q-Plaza, Cainta |
| 09190806372 | Commonwealth Tandang Sora, QC |
| 09190806405 | Greenhills Ortigas, San Juan |
| 09190806402 | EDSA Danlig, Makati |
| 09190806403 | Bel-Air Hercules, Makati |
| 09190806408 | BGC 32nd St, Taguig |
| 09190806415 | JAKA Plaza, Paranaque |
| 09190806420 | ATC Madrigal, Muntinlupa |
| 09988468640 | San Joaquin, Pasig |
Once ordered, they will be showing you the pink order slip with the delivery fee (usually Php 100) included. As mentioned on the site, if you ordered from 8 AM-12 PM, your delivery will be done on the same day. Otherwise, it will be done the next day.
How to pay using GCash in Mercury Drug Online
The lady I talked to on Viber sent me a picture of the QR code of the branch. I used it to pay for my purchases. Once done, I sent the proof of payment back to Viber.
Other Questions
Can you use GCredit or GGives to pay for your order?
Yes, GCash balance, GCredit, and GGives are available as payment methods.
Do they support different payment methods aside from GCash?
Yes, they also support Paymaya (via QR code) and credit cards — they will send you a payment link via email for this option.
How much is the delivery fee?
Delivery costs Php 100, and if you really need it (for 24-hour stores), there is an extra charge when you have it delivered from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, depending on the distance.
Summary
I’ve written about how to order and pay online in Mercury Drug. They will be in charge of order fulfillment and delivery in contrast to using Pabili services as the riders still need to queue up and buy the medicines themselves.
I have a new e-commerce site where you can buy some e-books here: GCR Prime
After reading about what GCash is, here are the main GCash features:
Fund Transfers:
Cashing In/Out:
Payments:
New Services: