Amazon Pharmacy launches in the US

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Amazon have launched Amazon Pharmacy, a service that allows US consumers to order prescription medications online for delivery by Amazon. The news comes two years after their merger agreement to acquire PillPack.

Customers will be able to manage their prescriptions online through desktop or mobile and make payments through Amazon’s payment system. Amazon already sell pharmacy products in the US, under the brand ‘Basic Care’ but it seems they have finally taken the plunge to fully immerse themselves in the pharmaceutical industry by providing a prescription service that makes healthcare more widely accessible.

“We designed Amazon Pharmacy to put customers first – bringing Amazon’s customer obsession to an industry that can be inconvenient and confusing. We work hard behind the scenes to handle complications seamlessly so anyone who needs a prescription can understand their options, place their order for the lowest available price, and have their medication delivered quickly.”
– TJ Parker, Vice President, Amazon Pharmacy

Amazon’s Healthcare journey

Amazon seems to have found a love for healthcare in the US which was also made evident when they announced that they were establishing local, convenient health care centers near Amazon fulfillment centers and operations facilities across the U.S. earlier this year. The program was launched to provide cheaper and more efficient healthcare options to Amazon staff but also raised the question as to what the greater outcome from this venture would look like. The launch of Amazon Pharmacy is another case of their successful ventures being a trigger for growth, expansion, and monetized scale, as also seen in the birth of services such as AWS, Amazon FBA, and Amazon shipping.

“We understand the importance of access to affordable medication, and we believe Prime members will find tremendous value with the new Amazon Prime prescription savings benefit. Our goal is for Prime to make members’ lives easier and more convenient every day, and we’re excited to extend the incredible savings, seamless shopping experience, and fast, free delivery members know and love with Prime to Amazon Pharmacy.”
– Jamil Ghani, Vice President, Amazon Prime