continuation Invading the healthcare industryAmazon launches its own prescription service for Principal members It’s called RxPass, which lets consumers buy generics for $5 a month.
And that $5 goes a long way. Not only is it a flat fee, but subscribers won’t be subject to hidden fees or random markups, plus delivery is free. Could you Buy all medicines (Opens in a new tab) You need $5, assuming it’s available through the program. Upon launch, you will have access to More than 50 different medications (Opens in a new tab) To treat more than 80 common health conditions from diabetes to gout and even high blood pressure. Any additional prescriptions you need that are not available must be purchased through RxPass Amazon pharmacy for its normal price. Speaking of which, Amazon Pharmacy will also highlight medications that can be purchased through the new service as a new blue RxPass icon will appear in drug descriptions.
Register
To sign up, the company states that Prime members must go through a “simple sign-up process” to verify someone’s “eligibility and prescription information.” Amazon Pharmacists are available 24/7 to assist with refills or to “coordinate with.” [your] Doctor” for seamless preparation. Packages will be delivered “on a monthly or quarterly basis” to your door – depending on the prescription. It varies.
It should also be noted that the amount of medication you purchase affects how long your subscription lasts. Let’s say you buy a three-month stock of Finasteride. From Amazon’s perspective, you’ve just committed to a three-month subscription to RxPass. Patients can cancel at any time, but the cancellation will not take effect until after that time period. You can’t cancel after 40 days in an effort to save money; Amazon won’t let you do that. So be aware of the amount you are buying.
determinants
As you can imagine, there are some limitations at launch. The service will be available in 42 US states. The eight excluded are California, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. Patients in those states will have to use an Amazon pharmacy to get their medication. Amazon will also disenfranchise people depending on what type of insurance they have. If you use Medicare, Medicaid, or any type of government-funded insurance, you will be denied. No Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) will be accepted.
It seems patients can use their insurance plan to pay for the RxPass, but for only an extra $5 per month on top of the Prime membership fee, do you really need that? Being able to purchase all of your prescriptions (assuming they qualify) in one place for such a low cost is a bargain. RxPass could help a lot of people, especially with the current inflation.
We reached out to Amazon to ask if there are plans to expand the list of eligible drugs and RxPass into the eight excluded states. This story will be updated if we hear back.
Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of Best telemedicine software for 2023. These platforms allow telehealth if you can’t see a doctor in person.