
Amazon Introduces Prescription Drug Subscription Program for $5 Monthly Fee
Amazon’s announcement of a prescription subscription service that charges a flat monthly fee instead of offering discounts on each prescription fill represents the retail giant’s latest foray into the health care space.
Amazon’s latest foray into the health care realm is the announcement of RxPass, a subscription service that will allow members to receive as many prescriptions as they need from a prespecified list of generic medications for $5 a month.
According to
Direct-to-consumer pharmacies such as Cost Plus Drug Company have made waves in the market recently. A
Amazon RxPass’ list of covered medications includes generics ranging from amoxicillin for infections to several statins for high cholesterol. It also features 7 mental health medications, including the
The list of covered drugs appeared shorter than that offered by Cost Plus Drug Company, but Amazon’s announcement of RxPass emphasized the potential savings and convenience for members taking multiple medications that would sum up to more than $5 a month through other pharmacies.
The statement, written by Vin Gupta, MD, chief medical officer of Amazon Pharmacy, cited
Health care has been an area of interest for Amazon in recent years, although its ventures have not always taken off. It shuttered its employer-focused telehealth business
RxPass will not be available to members with government-funded insurance, such as Medicare or Medicaid, nor to those living in California, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas, or Washington, although Amazon Pharmacy will still operate in those states. The discounts from RxPass do not go through prescription insurance, and members cannot use a health savings account or flexible spending account to pay their RxPass subscription fee.
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