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Continuing with it forray into the healthcare industryAmazon is launching its own drug prescription service for Principal members called RxPass, which allows consumers to buy generic medication 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, and delivery is free. You can buy all the medicine (opens in a new tab) you need $5, assuming it is available through the program. At launch, you will have access to more than 50 different medicines (opens in a new tab) to treat over 80 common health conditions from diabetes to gout and even high blood pressure. Any additional prescriptions you need that are not available through RxPass must be purchased through RxPass Amazon Pharmacy at its normal price. Speaking of which, Amazon Pharmacy will also highlight the medicines that can be purchased through the new service as a new blue RxPass icon will appear in medicine descriptions.
Registration
To sign up, the company says Prime Members will have to go through a “simple sign-up process” to verify “the person’s eligibility and prescription information.” Amazon pharmacists are available 24/7 to help with refills or “coordinate with [your] doctor” for a smooth arrangement. Packages will be “delivered on a monthly or quarterly basis” to your door – depending on the prescription. It varies.
It’s also worth noting that the amount of medication you buy affects how long your subscription lasts. Say you buy a three-month supply of finasteride. In Amazon’s eyes, you 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 cannot cancel after 40 days in an attempt to save money; Amazon won’t let you. So be careful what you buy.
Limits
As you can imagine the address has some limitations. The service will be available in 42 US states. The eight exclusions are California, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. Patients in those states will have to use Amazon Pharmacy to get their medicine. Amazon will also reject people depending on the type of insurance they have. If you are on Medicare, Medicaid, or any type of government funded insurance, you will be denied. And neither HSA (Health Savings Account) nor FSA (Flexible Spending Account) will be accepted.
It appears that patients can use their insurance plan to pay for RxPass, but for an extra $5 per month on top of the Prime membership fee, do you really need to? Being able to buy all your prescriptions (assuming they are eligible) in one place for such a low cost is a great deal. 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 medications and RxPass to the eight excluded states. This story will be updated if we hear back.
Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the the best telemedicine software for 2023. These platforms allow for remote health care if you are unable to see a doctor in person.
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