Can you buy Adrafinil or Modafinil in stores in 2023?
So everyone’s been talking about smart drugs recently.
It seems like everywhere you turn, from the mainstream media to the cutting edge of business, academia and sports, nootropics are the new buzzwords and tricks of the trade.
Modafinil has benefited the most from this new and growing attention (but who are we kidding…really, the ones benefiting from Modafinil are the ones taking it and enjoying its beneficial effects on their lives).
Other drugs have also grown in popularity, like the traditional favorite Piracetam, with its huge body of evidence supporting safety and positive effects, and promising newcomers like Phenibut and Noopept—which we find especially attractive because, unlike with some nootropics, their beneficial effects are obvious and can’t be swept under the rug.
Yet, few have quite the same effect – nor garnered quite the same attention – as Modafinil.
Why is Modafinil tough to get?
Modafinil is really the star of the show, at least for people needing help with fatigue, attention, or short-term memory (aka every student who has ever lived).
But there are some downsides when buying Modafinil: it is a prescription drug in the US, UK, Australia, and much of Europe, prescribed usually for people with narcolepsy.
This means that you can’t buy it over-the-counter from stores (unless you have a prescription), and can only buy it online, which is legally questionable, though many people buy Modafinil online all the time without having anything happen to them.
Modafinil can also be expensive, running between $6 and $10/pill from many online sellers, even when you buy generic (though Afinil Express sells for as low as $1 per pill, which is amazing, second only to BuyModa).
Adrafinil: Modafinil’s little brother
Luckily, there is an alternative: Adrafinil, Modafinil’s kid brother, which offers the positive effects of Modafinil on energy, fatigue, and focus without the downsides of expense and importation of a scheduled drug.
Adrafinil was discovered in the 1970s by the same French pharmaceutical company that would later discover Modafinil: it has the same positive effects and in fact, turns into Modafinil within the body.
Adrafinil is also unscheduled in the US, UK, and Europe, meaning that it is totally unregulated and can be sold, bought online, and used by anybody without a prescription.
Note: you can order Adrafinil here.
That means that you could possibly find it in a supplement store…but honestly, you probably aren’t going to.
But I can buy Adrafinil in GNC and CVS – right?
It is a frustrating truth that supplement stores are focused on the body so much that they forget the mind completely.
Check a local supplement store like GNC and you’ll see what we mean: rows and rows of pills for muscles, bones, joints, skin, hair, toenails, and maybe one tiny section with nootropics (not even the good ones), and they’re all way overpriced.
It’s sad but true. It isn’t clear why these stores don’t keep better stocks of nootropics: it would be really convenient to just buy Modafinil, Adrafinil, and Noopept locally in stores like CVS or GNC.
Maybe they don’t understand the demand for these drugs, or maybe they’re worried about being investigated for selling “drugs,” even ones that are totally legal and safe like Piracetam—drugs that affect the mind have a long, ugly relationship with the law, as you know (unless they’re prescription drugs like antipsychotics and benzodiazepines.
Then they’re A-okay. What a shitshow. But I digress…).
So, the answer to whether you can buy Adrafinil in stores is: almost definitely not.
What stores offer Modafinil?
In the United States, Modafinil is sold under the brand name Provigil. Provigil is usually available in 100mg and 200mg tablets.
You will need a prescription to obtain it legally because it is considered as a scheduled drug.
In other countries like Canada, Australia, Germany, Russia, and Sweden, it is also a prescription drug. As long as you have a prescription, you can bring around 50 pills inside the country.
For comparison, here is a summary of prices of Provigil (both 100mg and 200mg) in two of the most well-known national pharmacies in the US:
| Pharmacy | 100mg | 200mg |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart | $ 987.46 | $ 1490.84 |
| CVS | $ 867.99 | $ 1299.99 |
The generic version is also available at some pharmacies.
Here is a summary of prices of generic Modafinil at the same pharmacies mentioned above:
| Pharmacy | 100mg | 200mg |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart | $ 553.32 | $ 799.62 |
| CVS | $ 539.99 | $ 829.99 |
The price of Modafinil is also more expensive especially compared to similar drugs, whether branded or generic. The cost is pretty high because of the lack of generic alternatives.
The cost can also differ among pharmacies so it will do you good to inquire at the local pharmacies first before buying.
The good thing about purchasing from a local pharmacy is that legitimacy is guaranteed. You can also get the drugs as soon as possible at a store near you, such as Walmart.
Walmart is already a household name all over the world. With high-quality products and merchandise, Walmart’s goal is to provide customers with the best shopping experience.
Part of having a great shopping experience is finding everything you need right then and there. If you choose to purchase at Walmart, you will not have to worry about the drugs’ legitimacy and quality.
You can also try CVS, a long time trusted pharmacy with more than 9,600 locations all over the world. They carry both Provigil and generic Modafinil, which makes it a convenient store to process your purchase.
CVS aims to cater to the unique needs of every individual so they offer high-quality products and even other alternatives.
Other pharmacies that offer generic and branded Modafinil are Costco, Walgreens, and Rite Aid.
Although you can buy Modafinil from a few pharmacies, it is still generally difficult to obtain. Aside from its price, most supplement stores like GNC are focused on selling products for the body. They do not prioritize nootropics.
Even though Modafinil is safe, there are still a lot of related issues such as prescription and legalities. Local stores that sell Modafinil will not sell to customers without prescriptions.
You’re stuck buying online, same as with the other really useful nootropics. It may feel a little bit weird at first, but it’s the price to pay to participate in the exciting, amazing world of nootropics, and you get used to it quickly.
Nootropics and the nootropics movement are really the products of the internet: information about the drugs, marketing, research, all are conducted using the internet—it is fitting that you need to get online to acquire some of these amazing chemicals.
Back to Adrafinil. Adrafinil, while a useful drug, is just slightly less effective than Modafinil: it is slightly weaker, and can cause liver damage if used too often or for too long.
Adrafinil is recommended usually because it is generally cheaper than Modafinil, and, of course, you don’t have to worry about importing a prescription drug, if that sort of thing worries you.
However, as I mentioned above, some Modafinil vendors have dropped their prices in what looks like a price war between suppliers.
As usual in this kind of situation, the buyer is the one who wins. At the moment, it’s a very good time to buy Modafinil online. It’s cheap, high quality, and comes right to your doorstep in a matter of days. I doubt this level of convenience will last forever.
However, the legality thing still makes the process a hassle, and Adrafinil is a good-enough backup for Modafinil—it is effective and safe when used properly.
In light of Modafinil’s legality issues, we at Corpina are torn when recommending one supplement or the other: when taking the buying experience into account, they’re both good options.
They also feel a little different; a serious nootropic-user should try both to see which he or she prefers.
Modafinil and Adrafinil are both great drugs with a variety of uses. Unfortunately, they can’t be found OTC in stores, unless you get amazingly lucky and find some little store stocking Adrafinil (link to our favorite online store – as of April 2019).
But who has time to check every supplement store in the Internet Era? Trusted online sellers such as those featured on Corpina are the way to go when sourcing either of these drugs.
Happy buying!
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