Dive Brief:
- Amazon Pharmacy will roll out kiosks that dispense common prescription medications at some of its One Medical clinics at the end of the year, the technology and e-commerce giant said Wednesday.
- When a provider writes a prescription for drugs like blood pressure medications, antibiotics or inhalers, patients can choose to have it filled for in-office kiosk pickup. Medications are typically ready in minutes, Amazon said in a press release.
- The kiosks will be available at five locations across the greater Los Angeles area starting in December. Amazon will begin expanding to more One Medical offices and other locations in early 2026, a spokesperson told Healthcare Dive.
Dive Insight:
Amazon Pharmacy’s kiosks will include a range of common medications tailored to the prescribing patterns of individual clinics, the company said. Controlled substances and drugs that need to be refrigerated won’t be included.
The kiosks aim to help ensure patients can consistently pick up and take medications — a challenge for some people who don’t live near a pharmacy or face long wait times before their prescription is filled, Amazon said.
Up to half of patients who take medications to manage chronic conditions don’t use them as prescribed, and many prescriptions are never dispensed.
Quick access to prescribed medications should also improve outcomes, Amazon said.
“The ability to know a patient is leaving our office with their medication in hand—especially for conditions requiring immediate treatment like infections—can make a meaningful difference in their care journey,” Dr. Andrew Diamond, chief medical officer at One Medical, said in a statement.
The kiosks could be a popular choice for patients. If cost and insurance coverage is the same, location is the most important factor for consumers choosing a pharmacy, followed by the speed of prescription fill, according to Arielle Trzcinski, principal analyst at Forrester.
The kiosk rollout comes as Amazon has built up a number of healthcare assets. The technology giant acquired primary care chain One Medical for $3.9 billion in 2023, and launched Amazon Pharmacy in 2020. Amazon had purchased PillPack, an online pharmacy that delivers prescription drugs in pre-sorted packs, in 2018.
Amazon has recently inked plans to add One Medical locations in Ohio, New York and New Jersey. The company has also doubled down on pharmacy offerings, like a generic drug savings program that later expanded to Medicare patients.
However, some of the huge retailer’s healthcare plays haven’t panned out, including a joint venture with J.P. Morgan and Berkshire Hathaway and hybrid primary care delivery business Amazon Care.
