Amazon Pharmacy is launching merchandising machines for pharmaceuticals

Amazon announced on Wednesday that it’s debuting prescription merchandising machines at its One Medical clinics. The brand new in-office kiosks, that are operated by Amazon Pharmacy, let sufferers decide up their prescriptions instantly after their appointment.

Amazon Pharmacy Kiosks can be accessible at One Medical locations in Los Angeles beginning in December, and Amazon plans to increase to extra places quickly after.

After a supplier writes a prescription, sufferers can select to have it despatched to Amazon Pharmacy for in-office kiosk pickup. Sufferers then use their cellphone to take a look at within the Amazon app, after which drugs are usually “prepared in minutes,” Amazon says.

The kiosks have a variety of generally prescribed drugs, together with antibiotics, inhalers, and blood strain drugs. Amazon notes that every kiosk’s stock is custom-made based mostly on the prescribing patterns of its particular workplace location, and that managed substances and drugs requiring refrigeration will not be accessible by the kiosks.

Sufferers will be capable of use the Amazon app to see upfront prices, together with accessible reductions and estimated insurance coverage copays, and hook up with a licensed pharmacist by way of video or cellphone session if wanted.

“We all know that when sufferers must make an additional journey to the pharmacy after seeing their physician, many prescriptions by no means get crammed,” stated Hannah McClellan, vice chairman of operations at Amazon Pharmacy, in a press release.

U.S. pharmacy chains are struggling; Ceremony Support final week closed all of its remaining stores; CVS has closed greater than 1,000 shops since 2021; and Walgreens closed 500 shops over the previous yr.

Amazon’s new kiosks may disrupt brick-and-mortar pharmacy companies much more.

The launch of the kiosks marks Amazon’s newest transfer to increase its presence within the healthcare sector. In 2018, Amazon bought on-line pharmacy PillPack for $750 million after which launched Amazon Pharmacy in 2020. Two yr later, it purchased main care supplier One Medical.