Amazon Expands Same-Day Prescription Delivery to Nearly Half the US Next Year (cnbc.com) 9
Amazon is "embedding pharmacies in same-day delivery facilities often clustered around major metro areas," reports CNBC.
This will enable "a coming expansion of its same-day prescription delivery service," according to Engadget, "with 20 more cities and affiliated metro areas entering the program next year. This expansion will open up the feature to nearly half of US residents."
"In most cases, that means a customer can order medication by 4 p.m. and receive it at home by 10 p.m.," Amazon said in their announcement — making the case that their service (and its 24/7 pharmacists) "ensures customers can get care within hours, bridging health care accessibility divides..." A recent study found nearly half of U.S. counties have communities over 10 miles from the nearest pharmacy, limiting their access to medications and pharmacist care. Traditional mail-order prescriptions can take up to 10 days to arrive, leaving many underserved... As of 2019, seven in 10 hospitals relied on fax machines and phone lines to transfer and retrieve patient records or order prescriptions. Nearly a third of physicians have said they spend 20 hours or more a week on paperwork and administrative tasks...
The new, smaller pharmacies complement Amazon Pharmacy's existing, highly automated pharmacy fulfillment sites that feature robotic arms and other automation, overseen by a team of highly trained, licensed pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
CNBC adds that in the last year Amazon has also tested prescription deliveries by drone in one Texas city.
This will enable "a coming expansion of its same-day prescription delivery service," according to Engadget, "with 20 more cities and affiliated metro areas entering the program next year. This expansion will open up the feature to nearly half of US residents."
"In most cases, that means a customer can order medication by 4 p.m. and receive it at home by 10 p.m.," Amazon said in their announcement — making the case that their service (and its 24/7 pharmacists) "ensures customers can get care within hours, bridging health care accessibility divides..." A recent study found nearly half of U.S. counties have communities over 10 miles from the nearest pharmacy, limiting their access to medications and pharmacist care. Traditional mail-order prescriptions can take up to 10 days to arrive, leaving many underserved... As of 2019, seven in 10 hospitals relied on fax machines and phone lines to transfer and retrieve patient records or order prescriptions. Nearly a third of physicians have said they spend 20 hours or more a week on paperwork and administrative tasks...
The new, smaller pharmacies complement Amazon Pharmacy's existing, highly automated pharmacy fulfillment sites that feature robotic arms and other automation, overseen by a team of highly trained, licensed pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
CNBC adds that in the last year Amazon has also tested prescription deliveries by drone in one Texas city.
Amazon Has Got To Be Kidding (Score:2)
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Also getting the wrong Amazon package or delivered to the wrong address is mostly an inconvenience. I have had to deliver Amazon packages to neighbors and vice versa. Getting the wrong prescription is a major problem.
All of my Amazon Pharmacy orders have been delivered by UPS, not Amazon's own drivers. That says a LOT to me about who Amazon trusts more.
I don't think UPS has ever messed up any delivery to my home. Amazon has. Fedex and USPS have. But not brown.
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Another related problem is that the mail-order providers (and possibly Amazon) will not call your doc for refills.
Amazon does contact the doctor office. Not sure if they call or just send an electronic request. But they always ask my doctor, somehow, and always get denied because I have to go see the doc in person to get new refills. My doctor never ever ever issues refills without collecting her office visit copay.
But at least Amazon does try to ask on my behalf. YMMV
I looked at it... (Score:2)
...and it's not at all like Amazon
Amazon is easy to use and straightforward
The so-called "Amazon pharmacy", is not easy at all, it's a confusing mess
Methinks that Amazon simply slapped their name on some other pharmacy service
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Amazon (Score:3)
Maybe I am the only happy customer (Score:2)
Have used Amazon pharmacy for over a year because it ends up being cheaper than any other option, and that matters when I take 8 different medications every day.
My job provides medical insurance but the prescription co-pays are three or four times what it costs just using Amazon pharmacy and paying out of pocket. It is even cheaper than GoodRx.
But the main downside is that they appeared to have just one pharmacy hub in Miami. The deliveries are by UPS, not Amazon drivers. Make of that what you will. The