Amazon’s pharmacy hires hint of ambitions to upend a $360 billion market

If you’re in the pharmacy business, Amazon’s roster of employees is starting to look ominous.

In the past 18 months, the e-commerce giant has poached more than 20 employees from industry heavyweights such as CVS Health, Express Scripts, and UnitedHealth Group, according to a STAT review of available LinkedIn data. The new hires include software engineers, data analysts, business strategists, and others with years of experience in the prescription drug and health care industries.

It is not clear how these employees fit into Amazon’s sprawling business. The e-commerce giant has been extraordinarily secretive about its plans in health care and no group of hires provides confirmation that Amazon will begin selling prescription drugs anytime soon. But according to financial analysts who follow Amazon, its push to hire people with drug pricing and buying expertise is another piece of evidence pointing to the famously disruptive company’s intentions to enter the $360 billion market.

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