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Healthcare · head to head

Fullscript vs Medscape

Fullscript logo

Fullscript

Healthcare

Supplement dispensing for practitioners, free to use because it earns on the products

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Medscape logo

Medscape

Healthcare

Medical information, education, and news for healthcare professionals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fullscript the practitioner sets their own margin on products they clinically recommend, which is a conflict of interest that some professional bodies and patients view badly, and the platform makes the arrangement easy rather than making it visible.; Medscape medscape is free to use but requires mandatory account registration through profreg.medscape.com and login before content can be viewed; the site describes itself as 'a free resource for physicians', restricting the intended audience to registered healthcare professionals rather than the general public (31 Dec 2020 archive capture).
  • They diverge on capability: Fullscript covers Protocol dispensing, Medscape covers Medical News.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fullscript and Medscape actually diverge.

Attributes where Fullscript and Medscape differ
AttributeFullscriptMedscape
Pricing modelPer user per monthfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
FoundedUnknown1996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Fullscript

  • Protocol dispensing
  • Profit dispensary
  • Auto refill
  • Lab ordering
  • Patient app
  • EHR integration
  • Enterprise catalogue control

Only in Medscape

  • Medical News
  • Drug Database
  • Medical Calculators
  • CME Courses
  • Disease Information
  • Specialty Content
  • EHR Systems
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fullscript

  • A functional medicine practice that wants to stop holding supplement stock, cash and expiry risk in the clinicnot Medscape
  • A dietitian or naturopath adding a dispensary revenue stream without buying inventory upfrontnot Medscape
  • A clinic that needs patients to actually keep taking a protocol, where auto refills and dose reminders address the adherence problem directlynot Medscape
  • A multi site integrative health group that wants a single approved catalogue rather than each clinician choosing their own brandsnot Medscape

Medscape

  • Patient Carenot Fullscript
  • Medical Recordsnot Fullscript
  • Practice Managementnot Fullscript
  • Telehealthnot Fullscript

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fullscript

  • The practitioner sets their own margin on products they clinically recommend, which is a conflict of interest that some professional bodies and patients view badly, and the platform makes the arrangement easy rather than making it visible.
  • The account is free but the practice does not control pricing, catalogue, shipping cost or the patient discount, so the entire economics of the dispensary can be changed by the vendor without the practice having any lever.
  • Converting to a profit account requires personal identity verification, tax details and a bank account, and makes dispensary earnings the practitioner personal taxable income to report, which is administrative work no one warns about at signup.
  • Product availability and shipping are geographically limited, so practices outside the supported countries cannot use it at all and cross border patients will find items unavailable at checkout.
  • Patient refill schedules, plan history and a slice of practice revenue accumulate inside a platform the practice cannot export in a form another dispensary would accept, so switching later means asking every patient to re-enrol somewhere else.

Medscape

  • Medscape is free to use but requires mandatory account registration through profreg.medscape.com and login before content can be viewed; the site describes itself as 'a free resource for physicians', restricting the intended audience to registered healthcare professionals rather than the general public (31 Dec 2020 archive capture).

Pricing, plan by plan

Fullscript

Free
  • PractitionerFree
    • Full catalogue and dispensing at no account fee
    • Lab ordering and results
    • Standard EHR integrations
  • PatientFree
    • No account fee
    • Mobile app with dose reminders
    • Auto refills, cancellable at any time
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Quoted for health systems and multi site groups
    • Centrally managed catalogue with quality standards
    • API level EHR integration

Medscape

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Medical news
    • Drug database
    • CME

Which should you pick?

Choose Fullscript if

  • You need protocol dispensing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want profit dispensary.
Fullscript review

Choose Medscape if

  • You need medical news.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want drug database.
Medscape review

Questions people ask

Is Fullscript or Medscape better?
Neither clearly leads. Fullscript starts at Free and Medscape at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fullscript or Medscape?
Fullscript starts at Free and Medscape at Free.
Does Fullscript or Medscape run on more platforms?
Fullscript runs on Web, iOS, Android. Medscape runs on Web, Mobile.
Can I use Fullscript for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Fullscript best used for?
Fullscript is most often used for a functional medicine practice that wants to stop holding supplement stock, cash and expiry risk in the clinic, a dietitian or naturopath adding a dispensary revenue stream without buying inventory upfront, a clinic that needs patients to actually keep taking a protocol, where auto refills and dose reminders address the adherence problem directly, a multi site integrative health group that wants a single approved catalogue rather than each clinician choosing their own brands. Of those, a functional medicine practice that wants to stop holding supplement stock, cash and expiry risk in the clinic and a dietitian or naturopath adding a dispensary revenue stream without buying inventory upfront are not what Medscape is typically brought in for.
What can Fullscript do that Medscape cannot?
Fullscript covers Protocol dispensing, Profit dispensary, Auto refill, Lab ordering. Medscape covers Medical News, Drug Database, Medical Calculators, CME Courses.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fullscript: Is Fullscript really free for practitioners?

Yes, the account has no fee. Fullscript earns on the supplements sold through it, and a practitioner on a profit account also earns a margin on those sales.

Fullscript: How do practitioners make money on it?

By converting to a profit dispensary and setting a margin. That requires tax information and a bank account, and the earnings are taxable income.

Fullscript: What do patients pay?

No account fee, and a ten per cent discount on orders if the practitioner runs a no profit dispensary rather than taking a margin.

Fullscript: Is there an enterprise option?

Yes, quoted for health systems, adding central catalogue control, API EHR integration and cross site reporting.

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