In a move that signals big changes for prescription drug distribution, Amazon has agreed to buy PillPack, a fast-growing online pharmacy that offers pre-sorted doses of medicines and home delivery.
PillPack, a privately held startup, has attracted substantial interest because the company boasts it can make it easier and faster for consumers to get a prescription filled than at corner drugstores. The five-year-old company manages multiple prescriptions for customers by pre-sorting, packaging, and delivering drugs with a round-the-clock staff that can be contacted online or by phone. Its pharmacy is based in Manchester, N.H., and its business operations are located in Somerville, Mass.
Terms were not disclosed. Recently, Walmart was reportedly eyeing PillPack and willing to pay close to $1 billion.
About the Author Reprints
This move from Amazon will be a real threat to other drugstore companies like Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, etc… https://news.alphastreet.com/amazon-swallows-online-pharmacy-pillpack-gives-a-bitter-pill-to-other-drug-store-firms/
If you have never had a physician change a prescription after you have bought a 90-day supply, then mail order and PillPack can sound enticing. Perhaps the convenience and consistent dosing regimen it promises will out weigh the need for medication to be flexible. I am aware that I am in the minority but I doubt that it will.