Amazon Launches Amazon Pharmacy

In a long anticipated move, Amazon today launched Amazon Pharmacy, an online prescription filling and delivery service.

Obviously, we at Savings Beagle are most interested in whether or not this new prescription service can save consumers money.

Unfortunately, the answer to that is not easily discernible…at least at this point.

So, this post is more about introducing the fact that Amazon has entered the prescription drug business. Which may, or may not, be a positive for your bottom line if you have prescriptions you take regularly.

A Quick Amazon Pharmacy Overview

According to the Amazon Pharmacy FAQs, “Amazon Pharmacy makes medication easy. We can fill most common prescriptions – and we offer transparent pricing, simple refills and discreet delivery right to your door. Our Pharmacists are available for consultation 24/7.”

To sign up for the Amazon Pharmacy service, you’ll need to provide some basic information…it’s easiest to tie the sign-up to your Amazon Prime account info. Although, you do not have to be a Prime member to use Amazon Pharmacy.

You’ll be asked about your current insurance information – if you have it – as well as to provide general health info and a listing of the medications you currently are prescribed.

You can get more information and begin the sign-up process for the Amazon Pharmacy at the link below.

Amazon Pharmacy Link

Initially, Amazon Pharmacy services 45 U.S. states. Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana and Minnesota are not served.

If you don’t have insurance, that’s fine, you can still utilize Amazon Pharmacy.

In fact, the Prime prescription benefit is included with a Prime membership and, according to Amazon, can provide discounts of up to 80% on generic and 40% on brand-name prescription medications.

A Money-Saver?

The problem, who knows what “normal pricing ” is for any one prescription. So, an 80% discount off of what?

Which is the problem with America’s health care system in general. Pricing is not transparent…or even known in most situations…whatsoever, making the term “discount” meaningless.

But I digress.

Until Amazon Pharmacy makes it much easier to see pricing, the service is not worth considering as far as I’m concerned.

I went through the sign-up process to try and provide more detailed info for this post, but came up short after adding a drug name to my account and still not seeing a section for pricing.

At this point, at least, it appears you must start the transfer process from a pharmacy at which your prescription is already being filled. Or have your doctor send a prescription to Amazon Pharmacy.

I wasn’t interested in going that far just to see pricing.

So, until you can easily search a prescription by name and see the pricing Amazon Pharmacy will charge, I’ll pass.

GoodRx is a much better option, at this point, for saving significantly on your prescription drug costs. You can also check out our piece “Here’s How to Lower Those High Prescription Drug Costs” for other prescription drug money-saving options.

Hopefully we’ll be able to add Amazon Pharmacy as a money-saving option in the near future.

Just not right now, or until it becomes much more easy to compare pricing.

If you’ve had luck finding a drug pricing list or searchable database on Amazon Pharmacy let us know in the comment section.

We’ll add the link and do some comparison pricing for some of the more widely prescribed prescription drugs.

Until then, competition is always good. And hopefully a giant like Amazon will bend the prescription drug pricing curve downward so that everyone can benefit.

We just need to be able to see the pricing before committing future prescriptions to a new entrant to the pharmacy game.

pill image courtesy of amenic181 at freedigitalphotos.net