Why funding parents' meds with cash is the most expensive mistake you'll make
You send ₦50,000 for your parent's medications. How much actually goes to the pharmacy? There's a way to pay directly for the medication instead.
You send money home for your parent's medications. Here's what actually happens, and how to fix each problem by paying for the medication directly instead.
Problem: Cash gets diverted
Here's what actually happens with healthcare cash transfers in many families:
- ₦50,000 sent for Amlodipine, Metformin, and supplements
- ₦15,000 goes to medication, but a cheaper brand than prescribed
- ₦20,000 goes to an urgent household expense ("I'll buy the rest next week")
- ₦15,000 goes to other family needs
- Your parent takes half-doses to stretch what they bought
Nobody is being dishonest. Competing priorities are real. But the result is the same: inconsistent medication, uncontrolled conditions, and you finding out about it months later at a doctor's visit.
Solution: Pay directly for the medication through Famasi. The money doesn't pass through your parent's account. It goes directly to the pharmacy.
How it works:
- Select your parent's medications. Brand name, generic, or upload a prescription
- Enter your parent's delivery address
- See prices from pharmacies in our network near their location
- Pay with your international card (Visa, Mastercard accepted)
- Medication is delivered same-day, 1-hour, to their door
- A Care Specialist confirms delivery and follows up with your parent
Your parent receives the medication. Not the money. No diversion, no substitution, no stretching.
Want to switch from sending cash to paying for medication directly? Speak with a Care Specialist to set it up.
Problem: No visibility into what was purchased
Solution: With direct payment, you see exactly what was ordered, get confirmation of delivery, and a Care Specialist follows up.
| Sending cash | Paying directly |
|---|---|
| You don't know what was bought | You see exactly what medication was ordered |
| Price depends on whichever pharmacy your parent visits | You compare prices from multiple pharmacies before paying |
| No proof of purchase | Order confirmation + delivery tracking |
| No follow-up after purchase | Care Specialist checks in after delivery |
| Your parent spends 2–4 hours at pharmacies | Zero pharmacy visits — delivered to their door |
| ₦3,000–5,000 wasted per cycle on transport | ₦0 transport cost |
Problem: Your parent feels offended
This is the most common concern, and it's understandable. Nobody wants to imply their parent can't manage their own healthcare.
Solution: Frame it as convenience, not control. "I found a pharmacy delivery service that makes it easier, you don't have to go out." The Care Specialist communicates directly with your parent so it feels like a service, not surveillance. Many parents prefer it after the first delivery. No more pharmacy crawls.
Problem: It's a one-time fix, not a system
Solution: A care plan solves every month. Set up a monthly refill schedule, and your parent's medications are sourced and delivered automatically before each supply runs out. You approve the price each cycle (or set a budget range for auto-approval).