Beginning in December, Amazon Pharmacy (NASDAQ:AMZN) will roll out pharmacy kiosks at One Medical offices across the greater Los Angeles area, giving patients the ability to fill prescriptions immediately after their visits.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) acquired One Medical in 2022 for $3.9B two years after launching Amazon Pharmacy.
“We know that when patients have to make an extra trip to the pharmacy after seeing their doctor, many prescriptions never get filled. 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,” said Hannah McClellan, vice president of operations at Amazon Pharmacy.
Once a provider writes a prescription, patients can choose to have it filled at either an off-site pharmacy, or to an in-office kiosks which is stocked with medications tailored to the prescribing patterns of the medical office. Using the Amazon app on their phone, medications can then be ready in minutes following a review by a remote Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) pharmacist.
Amazon’s (AMZN) expansion in the pharmacy business and its latest mode of convenience hopes to address a challenge within the healthcare industry of unfilled prescriptions. It also adds another layer in Amazon’s (AMZN) reach across the retail/healthcare industry, squeezing out competitors like CVS (CVS) and Walgreen’s as well as Walmart (WMT), whose pharmacy business is integrated into ~570 stores nationwide.