Amazon is increasing its presence in the prescription drug business, with plans to open prescription drug kiosks at certain One Medical offices in the Los Angeles area. The new service launches in December.
The vending machine-like kiosks will stock a range of medications, including antibiotics and blood pressure drugs, as well as small medical devices such as inhalers, CNBC reports.
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Amazon describes the program as bringing the pharmacist to the patient. The online retail giant says the kiosks will help fill a gap, especially in communities that have become “pharmacy deserts,” where people have no convenient place to fill or pick up their prescriptions.
How it works
Patients who want to use the kiosks must obtain a prescription from their health care provider and submit it to Amazon Pharmacy. An Amazon pharmacist will verify the prescription. Users may then check out and pay in the Amazon app before selecting a kiosk pickup location. The app will generate a QR code to scan at the kiosk when the patient picks up the medication.
The company says this process will make filling prescriptions simpler, more accessible and more customer-centric.
“We know that when patients have to make a separate stop after seeing their doctor, many prescriptions never get filled,” Amazon Pharmacy’s vice president of operations, Hannah McClellan, said in a release. “By bringing the pharmacy directly to the point of care, we’re removing a critical barrier and helping patients start their treatment when it matters most — right away.”
Amazon will roll out these drug vending machines in phases. The company plans to deploy the first machines at its One Medical offices across the Los Angeles area. Company officials said they plan to expand to other locations in the future.
Trouble for other big names
The kiosks arrive at a time when Amazon is pushing further into the multi-trillion-dollar healthcare industry and as established pharmacy chains face economic headwinds.
Rite Aid announced last week that it will close all its stores nationwide. Walgreens announced in June that it was closing several stores because only 75% of them were turning a profit. Rival CVS had previously announced that it was closing hundreds of stores as it moves away from being just a major drug store chain.
