Amazon launches pharmacy kiosks in California
Amazon is making a huge leap into the health world. In December, the company will launch pharmacy vending machines, also referred to as pharmacy kiosks, in several cities around California.
The self-service kiosks will allow Amazon’s One Medical patients to skip going all the way to the drugstore and pick up their prescriptions right after a doctor’s appointment. Instead of taking a trip to a regular pharmacy, the patients can simply go ahead to a machine inside the clinic and pick up their prescriptions within minutes.
Amazon indicates that the new service will start operating in downtown Los Angeles, West LA, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, and West Hollywood. The company also plans to extend the service to other cities in the US by 2026.
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How Amazon’s pharmacy kiosks will work
Amazon says that the fresh kiosk-style vending machines will carry hundreds of commonly prescribed medications, such as antibiotics, inhalers, high blood pressure medicine, and flu or allergy medication of the day.
Here’s how it works:
- Patients first create an Amazon Pharmacy account.
- They schedule an appointment at one of the participating One Medical offices.
- Their physician, during the appointment, electronically transmits the prescription to Amazon Pharmacy.
Following the appointment, patients can go to the proximity kiosk, scan it using a QR code on the Amazon app, and get their medication right away.
There will also be payments through the Amazon app, with a fast and cashless process.
Vice president of operations at Amazon Pharmacy, Hannah McClellan, explained the intent behind the new idea:
“We know that when patients have to make a separate stop after seeing their doctor, many prescriptions never get filled. By bringing the pharmacy directly to the point of care, we’re removing a critical barrier and helping patients start their treatment when it matters most—right away.”
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A new phase for Amazon’s healthcare business
The move is part of Amazon’s larger effort to increase its healthcare offerings. The company launched Amazon Pharmacy in 2020, allowing customers to buy their medications online and have them delivered to their homes.
Then, last February 2023, Amazon grew once more by acquiring One Medical, a membership health care chain with clinics all over the United States. When combined, the two services represent Amazon’s effort to expedite and streamline health care, whether it is provided online or in-person.
There’s a lot of potential for this new technology, Amazon believes, an Amazon spokesperson said.
Ultimately, we see real potential for this technology to spread into other environments — wherever fast access to drugs can make a difference.
What it means for the pharmacy industry
Amazon’s vending machine launch comes at a time when most of the traditional pharmacy chains are in trouble. Industry giants like Rite Aid just revealed the closure of all the remaining stores after it filed for bankruptcy. Other chains also have been facing worker shortages, decreased sales, and online pharmacy options gaining steam.
By locating these new kiosks in clinics themselves, Amazon is hoping to streamline medication acquisition and make it simpler and quicker — something patients have always craved.
Experts indicate that if the test at the California store goes well, the company would be able to take the machines nationwide in the next few years. That might revolutionise the way millions of Americans receive their prescriptions — from standing in long queues at the drugstore to just pushing a few buttons at a machine.
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A new type of healthcare convenience
For now, just a few California cities will get the new pharmacy kiosks—but the launch is a big deal for Amazon and for American healthcare distribution.
As Amazon makes its way deeper into the daily life of medicine, patients in Los Angeles and everywhere else might find that pulling over to pick up a prescription is as easy as digging into the vending machine for a snack — smarter, faster, and a whole lot more convenient.
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