In the last 365 days, Amazon started a healthcare company, released a line of over-the-counter drugs and acquired an online pharmacy.
On June 28th, PillPack, an online pharmacy, announced that they will be acquired by Amazon. PillPack offers presorted doses of medication and convenient delivery to customers. Utilizing Amazon’s distribution network, consumers may someday see same day delivery for their prescriptions.
Last August, Amazon launched a line of over-the-counter drugs called Basic Care. This line of more than 60 products was found to be about 20% cheaper than the CVS and Walgreens’ over-the-counter counterparts.
On Amazon.com, Amazon places their own private label products at the top of search in a section called “Top Rated from Our Brands.”
Back in December of 2017, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan formed a healthcare company seeking to provide better healthcare at a cheaper price. In June of 2018, they named Dr. Atal Gawande the CEO of the newly formed company. Forbes recently stated that U.S. healthcare was “more than double that of other first-world countries that offer universal health coverage.” The healthcare industry is ripe for disruption and Amazon is running directly toward the challenge.
Business Insider conducted a survey that showed 57% of Americans would leave their current healthcare plan for Amazon. Amazon has always been focused on customer experience and consumers are looking for better options.
Amazon’s moves into healthcare are more examples of how Amazon seeks to shake up healthcare industry as a whole. From books, movies, credit lines, voice recognition, and now healthcare, Amazon is always finding opportunities for expansion.