Amazon announced Wednesday that it will install prescription vending machines at its One Medical Clinic. A new in-hospital kiosk operated by Amazon Pharmacy allows patients to pick up their prescriptions immediately after their appointment.
Amazon Pharmacy Kiosk will be available at One Medical stores in Los Angeles starting in December, and Amazon plans to expand to more stores soon thereafter.
After a healthcare provider writes a prescription, patients can choose to send it to Amazon Pharmacy and pick it up at an in-office kiosk. Patients then use their phone to check out in the Amazon app, after which the medication is typically “ready in minutes,” Amazon says.
The kiosk stocks a variety of commonly prescribed medications, including antibiotics, inhalers, and blood pressure medications. Amazon notes that each kiosk’s inventory is customized based on the prescribing patterns of a particular office location, and that controlled substances and medications that require refrigeration are not available at the kiosks.
Patients can use the Amazon app to see upfront costs, including available discounts and estimated insurance copays, and to connect with a licensed pharmacist via video or phone consultation if needed.
“We know that if patients have to make an extra trip to the pharmacy after a doctor’s visit, many prescriptions will never be filled,” Hannah McClellan, Amazon Pharmacy’s vice president of operations, said in a press release.
American pharmacy chains are struggling. Rite Aid closed all remaining stores last week. CVS has closed more than 1,000 stores since 2021. And Walgreens has closed 500 stores in the past year.
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Amazon’s new kiosks could further disrupt the brick-and-mortar pharmacy business.
The kiosk launch marks Amazon’s latest move to expand its presence in healthcare. Amazon acquired online pharmacy PillPack for $750 million in 2018 and launched Amazon Pharmacy in 2020. Two years later, it acquired primary care provider One Medical.
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