Amazon is expanding its services to include same-day delivery for various prescription drugs in Los Angeles and New York, reflecting its commitment to meeting customers' increasing demand for convenience and quick service.

Amazon Pharmacy is broadening its reach into the country's top two markets. According to a statement released by the company on Tuesday, residents of Los Angeles and New York City can now order a range of common medications online, including drugs for conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and the flu. The company promises delivery within hours of ordering.

Amazon Speeding Up Prescription Deliveries

According to the company's announcement, Amazon intends to extend this service to over twelve US cities by year-end. Already operational in several cities like Phoenix, Seattle, and College Station, Texas, Amazon promises swift delivery, with drones facilitating deliveries within an hour in selected areas. While the service's launch in the Los Angeles metropolitan area is slated for April, it has already commenced in San Bernardino, Riverside, and Anaheim as of Tuesday, as confirmed by a company representative via email.

Amazon Prime, launched in 2005, offers swift delivery of diverse products and has over 200 million global members. However, consumers may be hesitant to make online medication purchases.

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The Changing Landscape of Online Medication Market

While the idea of receiving medications via mail is not groundbreaking, it remains a small portion of overall drug purchases. Amazon referenced that reality in a McKinsey & Co. survey indicating that just 10% of US prescriptions were obtained through mail-order or online pharmacies in 2021. However, the online medication market is experiencing rapid growth.

CVS, a major competitor to Amazon in the pharmaceutical sector, already provides fast prescription delivery and digital platforms like GoodRx and Cost Plus Drug Co., which have built a sizable consumer following.

In a video released Tuesday, the director of fulfillment for Amazon Pharmacy highlighted a key feature of the company's pharmacy, which it launched in 2020, which provides customers with estimates of medication costs, including insurance co-pays and without insurance.

Vin Gupta, Amazon Pharmacy's chief medical officer, emphasized that the company was focusing on price transparency to ensure affordability.

Pranav Patel, a former University of Toledo researcher familiar with the pharmacy field, sees Amazon's decision as wise.

When discussing medication purchases, Patel emphasized that for many Americans, price transparency takes precedence over convenience, viewing convenience as merely effective public relations. Patel's research revealed that for several commonly prescribed generic medications, at least one in five prescriptions would have been more economical if individuals had paid out of pocket and utilized discount cards from retailers like Amazon and GoodRx rather than relying on insurance plans.

In its announcement on Tuesday, the company mentioned that the delivery methods for medication would be customized for each region. In the Greater Los Angeles and other suburban regions, the company intends to utilize Rivian electric vans and other vehicles for deliveries. Meanwhile, in Manhattan, medications could be delivered to doorsteps by workers riding e-bikes.

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