Amazon Pushes Deeper Into Healthcare
Amazon has unveiled a new healthcare initiative: prescription vending kiosks inside One Medical clinics across Los Angeles. The system brings pharmacy services directly to the doctor’s office — a model designed to eliminate extra trips and increase prescription adherence.
- Each kiosk is operated by Amazon Pharmacy and stocked with hundreds of common medications like antibiotics, inhalers, and blood pressure treatments.
- Inventory is customized to each clinic’s patient profile.
- The process allows patients to get prescriptions filled immediately, reducing delays that often lead to unfilled medications.
This marks another strategic step in Amazon’s expansion into healthcare, combining its logistics power with patient-facing services.
Pharmacy Chains in Decline
Amazon’s timing couldn’t be better. The traditional pharmacy landscape is shrinking fast:
- Rite Aid has shuttered all remaining stores after more than six decades in business.
- CVS and Walgreens have been downsizing amid thin margins and falling in-store traffic.
- These closures leave a gap that Amazon’s on-site fulfillment model can directly fill — offering speed, convenience, and integration.
By embedding pharmacy services into its clinics, Amazon sidesteps retail real estate costs while gaining valuable health data and customer retention opportunities.
How the Kiosks Work
The prescription process is fully digital and designed for simplicity:
- Doctors send prescriptions directly to Amazon Pharmacy.
- Patients complete their order in the Amazon app.
- They then scan a QR code at the kiosk to receive their medication.
- A licensed pharmacist verifies the prescription remotely before it’s dispensed.
- Patients can consult pharmacists via video or phone directly at the kiosk if needed.
The kiosks are debuting in downtown LA, West LA, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, and West Hollywood, with plans to expand into more One Medical offices and additional locations across the U.S.
Currently, the system is available only for in-person clinic visits, but non-members can use the service. Telehealth integration is expected in future phases.
WSR Take
Amazon is executing a closed-loop healthcare model — diagnosis, prescription, and fulfillment all within one ecosystem. It’s not about replacing pharmacies; it’s about eliminating friction and capturing value that legacy chains are losing.
With major pharmacy chains shuttering and healthcare convenience becoming a competitive edge, Amazon is positioning itself as the front door of modern medicine — one machine, one clinic, and one patient interaction at a time.
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