Now available for sale on Amazon: insulin and inhalers. On Tuesday, the company launched an online pharmacy, offering Amazon shoppers the ability to purchase their prescription and order refills on their phones and have it shipped in a few days to their doorsteps, much like a book or toilet paper.
The step propels Amazon into a new venture, potentially shaking up the pharmacy industry as it has done with everything from booksellers to toy stores and grocery stores. Big chains such as CVS and Walgreens rely on their pharmacies to provide them with a constant supply of customers who also visit to pick up their medicines.
Amazon said that starting Tuesday, it would sell widely prescribed drugs, including creams, tablets, as well as medicines that need to remain cold, such as insulin. Shoppers need to set up a profile on Amazon’s website and have doctors send prescriptions to the e-commerce giant headquartered in Seattle. Most insurance, Amazon said, is approved. But with a discount, Prime members who don’t have insurance can still purchase Amazon generic or brand name medications.
For some time, Amazon has been eyeing the health care market. Two years ago, $750 million was spent on purchasing an online pharmacy called PillPack, which organizes packaged medications by what time of day they need to be taken. Amazon said that PillPack will continue to ship drugs to individuals with chronic conditions.
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