Cold Sore (Oral Herpes)

Get prescription-strength treatment for cold sore outbreaks or prevention after an online visit with a provider.

HD: Services: Checkmark Talk to a provider within minutes

HD: Services: Checkmark Pick up your prescription at your pharmacy or get it discreetly delivered

HD: Services: Checkmark No insurance needed

$19 visit with Gold membership* • $49 single visit

Ages 18-65

*What is a GoodRx Gold Membership?

Care: HP: Image: Phones

Cold Sore (Oral Herpes)

Get prescription-strength treatment for cold sore outbreaks or prevention after an online visit with a provider.

HD: Services: Checkmark Talk to a provider within minutes

HD: Services: Checkmark Pick up your prescription at your pharmacy or get it discreetly delivered

HD: Services: Checkmark No insurance needed

$19 visit with Gold membership* • $49 single visit

Ages 18-65

*What is a GoodRx Gold Membership?

What Are Cold Sores?

Cold sores are small, painful, fluid-filled blisters that usually appear around the mouth. Caused by the herpes simplex virus, they’re very common and manageable with the right medication.

How Can GoodRx Care Help With Cold Sores?

  • The exact treatment prescribed depends on your diagnosis and risk factors.
  • Generally, GoodRx Care can connect you with providers that prescribe an oral antiviral like Acyclovir (Generic Zovirax), Acyclovir (Zovirax) Topical or Valacyclovir (Generic Valtrex), as well as counseling about symptom relief and future cold sore prevention.

Is This Service Right For Me?

  • If you currently have a cold sore or are looking to prevent a future outbreak, we can help. Oral antiviral medications can help to quickly relieve the symptoms of active outbreaks when they are started.
  • You can take antiviral medication when you feel an outbreak coming on to reduce symptoms or take a dose every day to prevent outbreaks, if appropriate.

How It Works

Start your GoodRx Care visit and chat with a provider within minutes.

Start Your Visit

1. Start Your Visit

Tell us about your medical history, and, if applicable, your history with cold sores.

Speak with a Healthcare Provider

2. Chat With a Healthcare Provider

Consult with a provider to discuss the best options for you.

Get Your Prescription

3. Get Your Prescription

Receive your prescription by mail or via same-day pickup at a pharmacy.

Convenient Care on Your Terms

Get treated for cold sores without leaving your couch. GoodRx Care can connect you with providers to get the help you need, fast.

Your satisfaction, guaranteed

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee and refund policy.*

  • We can't refund medicines, lab tests, or supplies purchased from the pharmacy or other outside businesses.

Important Safety Information

We help treat herpes simplex (HSV) infections with oral antivirals and other treatments. These medicines have risks and can have severe adverse effects. We have additional information on the risks and benefits in our learning center article, including Acyclovir (Generic Zovirax), Acyclovir (Zovirax) Topical and Valacyclovir (Generic Valtrex).

Join Over 1 Million GoodRx Care Users

Start your visit today, your 100% satisfaction is guaranteed.

Fast Relief.

HD: Services: 5 Stars

Woke up at 1:30am with a UTI, completed an appointment in the middle of the night and had a prescription waiting for me at the pharmacy in the morning.

Michelle | South Dakota

February 21, 2021

Fast. Affordable. Responsive.

HD: Services: 5 Stars

I wish all healthcare was like this.

Janet | Washington

March 10, 2021

Thank You, GoodRx.

HD: Services: 5 Stars

Modern, top-notch stuff. Easy to use, smooth sailing. I was able to get a doctor to see via video chat right away to get my RX refill. The doctor was great. The service and support are also great- top of the line.

Di | Pennsylvania

April 30, 2021

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Read our FAQ before your visit.

How much does it cost to use GoodRx Care?

It's free to sign up for a GoodRx Care account, and there's no membership fee. Each consultation or treatment that we offer costs a different amount, with most services starting at $49. You can see the price for each treatment by visiting the Services page - the price will be listed next to each service.

We're working on accepting insurance for these visits, but we're not there yet. Of course you can still use your insurance at the pharmacy to help pay for any medications that we prescribe you, and our healthcare providers will always work with you to find a prescription and a pharmacy that will be affordable. As always, every consult includes a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and we will refund the cost of your visit if you aren't satisfied or if we are unable to offer a diagnosis/treatment! (Note: We aren't able to refund fees for any medicines you pick up at the pharmacy or lab tests you have performed because those are separate businesses and they have their own policies.)

If you don't have insurance and want to see how much your prescription will cost before completing your visit at GoodRx Care, GoodRx is a great resource. This website shows a price breakdown for different categories of drugs (ex. birth control, antibiotics, etc), compares prices across different pharmacies in your area (the price can actually vary quite a bit), and also has free printable coupons that can get you up to 80% off at the pharmacy.

For example, a search for "Birth Control" on GoodRx will take you to this list, where you can browse the different brands and see prices for each. Put in your zip code to the website to get results specific to your area and to see which pharmacy offers the lowest price.

GoodRx Care is an affiliate of GoodRx.

What happens if I pay for a visit but then you aren't able to give me a diagnosis?

After you submit your information, our healthcare providers will reach out to you via Secure Message Portal for any follow-up questions they might have. If you complete a visit and the healthcare providers determine that you need in-person follow-up or are unable to give you a diagnosis, we will refund you 100% of your visit fee and offer you a suggestion for next steps.

How long will it take to get my prescription after I complete my visit?

Our office hours are:

  • Monday-Friday 9am-7pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
  • Saturday-Sunday 10am-5pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)

For all visits completed during office hours Monday-Friday, we can usually process and send out your prescription to be received by the pharmacy within 4 hours. Pharmacy processing times may vary. Keep an eye on your messages in case the healthcare providers have any follow-up questions. For visits made during office hours on the weekend, we will process and send out your prescription within 6 hours. Prescriptions are subject to medical appropriateness.

How will I know when my prescription has been sent?

The healthcare providers at GoodRx Care will send you a message through the Secure Message Portal (the message channel you see when you log into your account and hit "Messages") when they've sent your prescription to the pharmacy or have any follow up questions for you. If you download the app, you can turn on text, email, and push notifications to let you know when you have a new message in the Secure Message Portal.

How will GoodRx Care know if I need treatment?

Our healthcare providers will ask you specific questions about your symptoms and use evidence-based guidelines to decide if it is appropriate to prescribe medicine, labs, or offer other treatment.