Amazon Pharmacy Launches Prescription Vending Machines at One Medical Clinics

directly from the clinic, closing the loop on care without the need for an extra pharmacy visit. Core Features and Limitations Using the Amazon app, patients are shown upfront costs, including available discounts and estimated insurance copays, before purchasing—offering transparency not always found at traditional pharmacies.

Medications are dispensed in minutes post-appointment, reducing delay and improving medication adherence rates by eliminating the extra step of visiting off-site pharmacies. Controlled substances and medicines that require refrigeration are not available through the kiosks, ensuring compliance and safety.

Why This Matters for the Industry The launch comes at a time when U.S. pharmacy chains are under intense economic pressure—Rite Aid recently closed all its remaining stores, CVS has shuttered more than 1,000 sites since 2021, and Walgreens closed 500 stores in the past year.

Following Amazon’s 2018 $750 million purchase of PillPack, the founding of Amazon Pharmacy in 2020, and the acquisition of One Medical two years later, the kiosk rollout is the clearest indication yet of Amazon’s intent to transform the entire pharmacy and primary care landscape. The…