Seeking to rival the nation’s leading pharmacy chains, Amazon introduced a $5-per-month prescription program that enables Amazon Prime members to receive unlimited quantities of medications from a selection of 50 generic drugs.
The listed drugs address more than 80 long-term health conditions, including hypertension, high cholesterol, anxiety, acid reflux, diabetes and even male pattern hair loss.
Beyond the low $5 monthly fee, the medications are shipped to your door at no extra cost, Amazon says.
Named RxPass, this prescription benefit represents Amazon’s newest push to deepen its presence in health care. In the pharmacy sector, Amazon is attempting to draw customers away from established rivals such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart.
If you already pay for Amazon Prime (currently $139 per year) and fill prescriptions elsewhere, it could be worthwhile to compare costs to see if this $5-a-month delivery option would save you money.
Here is Amazon’s roster of 50 frequently prescribed generics available through RxPass, ranging from Allopurinol (for gout) to Venlafaxine (an antidepressant).
To enroll, visit the Amazon Pharmacy site.
RxPass does not use health insurance, so you won’t have to deal with deductibles or copays. Instead, members pay a flat $5 monthly subscription in addition to their Prime membership fee.
Note that individuals covered by government programs such as Medicare or Medicaid are ineligible for RxPass enrollment.
How Amazon Pharmacy Operates
RxPass debuts a bit over two years after Amazon Pharmacy first launched in November 2020.
Amazon Pharmacy currently serves all 50 states to both Prime and non-Prime customers. You can transfer existing prescriptions to the platform or have providers send prescriptions directly to Amazon.
The pharmacy dispenses standard oral medications and topical treatments, along with temperature-sensitive drugs like insulin. It does not fill Schedule II controlled substances (for example, opioids).
Besides RxPass, Amazon Pharmacy offers several notable features:
- Clear upfront pricing: Amazon Pharmacy lets you compare medication costs across different manufacturers and shows the price if using your insurance copay versus using Amazon’s discount option without insurance. This provides more pricing flexibility than many brick-and-mortar pharmacies.
- Prescription savings card: Prime members can receive up to 80% off generic drugs and 40% off brand-name medications when paying without insurance. These savings are also redeemable at over 60,000 participating pharmacies nationwide by using Amazon’s digital prescription savings card instead of insurance. This functions similarly to discount services like GoodRx and SingleCare, which offer steep discounts when paying out of pocket.
- Free two-day shipping for Prime members: Amazon Pharmacy is most beneficial if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber ($139 per year), because you receive free two-day delivery. Non-Prime customers can still order through Amazon Pharmacy; free shipping typically takes four to five days, or you can pay $5.99 to speed delivery to two days.
- Round-the-clock pharmacist support: Amazon provides online self-service tools and phone-based customer support with licensed pharmacists available 24/7.
Amazon Pharmacy accepts insurance from most major carriers, so insured customers will likely pay amounts similar to the copays they’d face at CVS, Walgreens or Rite Aid, according to Consumer Reports.
All major credit and debit cards are accepted. Users with an HSA or FSA can enter their payment card details to complete transactions.
Things to Consider Before Ordering From Amazon Pharmacy
If some of your prescriptions aren’t part of RxPass, you’ll need to run the numbers more carefully.
With online shopping at peak levels, you might be tempted to move away from local pharmacies in favor of ordering prescriptions online. However, Amazon Pharmacy isn’t necessarily the best option for everyone.
The most reliable method to ensure you’re getting the best price is to call multiple pharmacies. Many stores will match lower prices you find elsewhere, so your current pharmacy may still be able to offer comparable savings to Amazon’s.
Also keep in mind discount services like GoodRx and SingleCare, which also provide discounts redeemable at physical pharmacies. For particular prescriptions, these services may deliver equal or superior savings compared with Amazon.
Most importantly, if you’re tempted to pay out of pocket for prescriptions because of advertised discounts, review your insurance deductible. If you carry a high-deductible health plan and want to reach that deductible in a given year, know that payments made without insurance won’t count toward meeting that deductible; that can affect your overall out-of-pocket exposure for the year.
Amazon Clinic: The Next Phase of Amazon’s Health Initiatives
In November 2022, Amazon unveiled Amazon Clinic, a nascent virtual-care service. Still ramping up, Amazon Clinic offers affordable, remote care for selected health issues—often more quickly than an in-person visit.
Amazon Clinic is available in 33 states so far, with expansion planned. For comparison, Amazon Pharmacy launched in 45 states in 2020 and has since expanded to all 50.
With Amazon Clinic, patients see prices up front, avoiding surprise bills weeks after a visit. The service does not yet take insurance, so patients pay out of pocket (and those payments won’t apply to insurance deductibles).
Amazon acknowledges telehealth won’t suit every medical need; some conditions require in-person exams, tests and monitoring. If a concern isn’t appropriate for virtual care, Amazon will inform you upfront—so you won’t pay for a consult that won’t resolve your issue.
Conditions eligible for Amazon Clinic include acne, birth control, eczema, GERD, hair thinning, migraines, motion sickness and seasonal allergies.
The major advantages of Amazon Clinic are convenience and speed: you can consult with a clinician while at work, cooking, or relaxing at home. What might take days or weeks to schedule with a primary care physician can often be handled within hours through the Clinic.
Consultation fees vary by provider and include two weeks of follow-up messaging. Interactions are message-based only (no video). Providers on the platform can prescribe medications, and you can conveniently use Amazon Pharmacy to fill any prescriptions after your visit.
Product pricing and availability are accurate as of the time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will govern the transaction.Certain site content comes from Amazon and is provided “as is,” subject to change or removal at any time.
