In the midst of ongoing retail pharmacy store closures, Amazon is pushing ahead on same-day home delivery of prescription medications, aiming to have delivery within reach of about half the U.S. market by the end of the year, according to MedPage Today. The offering seems like a natural complement to Amazon’s growing list of partners delivering telehealth visits and subscription-based digital health services. Walmart launched same-day deliveries less than a year ago and now reaches most of the country. CVS Health began same-day deliveries in 2017, and Walgreens delivers medication within 2 hours from hundreds of locations. Meanwhile, Instacart delivers from Costco, Wegmans, and Publix stores.
It’s not for everyone: Convenience is nice for patients, however, medication deliveries have additional fees or subscription arrangements that might deter some families from taking advantage of the service. And not every retailer can deliver to every home. As a portion of the market shifts from prescription fills from the traditional neighborhood pharmacy counter, urgent care operators must consider patient preferences as well as logistical challenges. Read more from the JUCM archive: Reimagining Retail Pharmacy as Major Chains Downsize Offerings