Late last year, Amazon ratcheted up the urgency surrounding the wave of pharmacy-related consolidation that was sweeping through the US market after reports emerged that the company had received licensing to sell medical products in 47 out of 50 US states and Washington DC.
But whatever Amazon had planned for its first foray into the medical products space has been indefinitely delayed, as the company's Amazon Business segment, which sells bulk items to business customers, has abandoned plans to sell and distribute pharmaceutical products.
Instead, Amazon is focusing on selling less sensitive medical supplies to hospitals and small clinics - a sign that even a company of Amazon's size can have trouble breaking into the health-care supplies and pharmaceutical space, CNBC pointed out.
An Amazon spokesperson told CNBC, "As we've developed Amazon Business, we've used our working-backwards methodology for consumers and applied it to the needs of business customers and sellers. One of the ways we do this is convening advisory boards from across the industry to give us feedback so we can continue innovating on behalf of customers."
The health care supply chain is well-entrenched and will be hard to break into, according to one expert. "The hospital and health care systems have entangling alliances with their existing purchasing and supply chain partners," said Tom Cassels, head of strategy and business development at Leidos Health. "It's very difficult to replicate the Amazon buying experience in healthcare," he said.
For now, the sweet spot for Amazon Business in health care is smaller practices, such as dental offices, freestanding ambulatory surgery centers and small physician practices, where the licensed providers appreciate the convenience and affordability.
While Amazon might consider other health-care related businesses in other branches of the company, its plan to become a major supplier and distributor of medical products was likely sidelined by the difficulty in convincing large hospitals to change their traditional purchasing process, which typically involves a layer of salespeople and other middlemen.
The company would also need to build a more sophisticated distribution network to handle products that are temperature sensitive.
Another major barrier to entry has been Amazon's warehouse and logistics infrastructure, which is not set up to store and deliver temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products.
Many biopharma companies require their products to be stored and shipped in a tightly controlled supply chain system. For example, some products have insulation and need to be stored in a warehouse that can provide an ice-cold environment.
Amazon's current logistics network doesn't offer this type of sophistication. Today, some Amazon sellers that sell temperature-sensitive products use a customized delivery process, according to several people familiar with the company.
That said, the company's Alexa unit and its secretive Grand Challenge team, sometimes referred to as "1492," are still exploring other health-care related offerings.
Amazon has been selling some simple medical products like glucometers and stethoscopes for years. But hospitals with longstanding contracts with distributors like Cardinal Health and McKesson are reluctant to let them go. Some hospitals also own stakes in group purchasing organizations that negotiation collectively on their behalf.
Shares of other pharmacy companies rallied on the news.
Amazon hasn't yet started selling products considered "high risk" - also known as Class III devices - products like pacemakers that are necessary to sustain life. Its inability to sell these products have also made hospitals reluctant to switch over.
One Amazon spokesperson said Amazon's meetings with hospital advisory boards were merely "feedback"-seeking exercises.
"As we've developed Amazon Business, we've used our working-backwards methodology for consumers and applied it to the needs of business customers and sellers. One of the ways we do this is convening advisory boards from across the industry to give us feedback so we can continue innovating on behalf of customers."
Comments
Bozos looks like he's on drugs already.
Looks like he got half the amount they fed to Deadpool.
In reply to Bozos looks like he's on… by Erek
Nah! looks to me like he got the full dosage...
In reply to Looks like he got half the… by Joe Davola
Bozos the drug dealer
In reply to Nah! looks to me like he got… by DillyDilly
No Amazon Prime shipping your Opioids bitchez.
In reply to Bozos the drug dealer by Liquid_Silver
Damn..there goes my retirement years....I was hoping I could just order on line....to get mainlined...now I have to go to some seedy corner in my city and wait for you know who
In reply to Damn, does this mean I don't… by cowdiddly
The Jewish gangsters who control the pharmaceutical industry obviously had a conversation with Bezos that probably involved asking Jeff if he enjoyed breathing, and would he like to keep doing it.
Jeff gave their input fair consideration, then decided that maybe getting into the drug-pushing business wasn't the right move at this time.
In reply to Damn..there goes my… by youngman
Yeah, the government...
In reply to Damn..there goes my… by youngman
What's up with doctor evils eye?
MK Ultra eye
In reply to What's up with doctor evils… by juicy_bananas
Hard drugs can do that to a person.
In reply to What's up with doctor evils… by juicy_bananas
Those drugs are actually a TRUTH SERUM... They compel a person to stand before a camera, and proclaim how long their penis is using hand signals with a beady eyed look on their face...
In reply to Hard drugs can do that to a… by Erek
Lex Luthor must die.
In reply to What's up with doctor evils… by juicy_bananas
And with Superman at the Fortress of Solitude arguing with Lois because he doesn't want to commit to their relationship.
In reply to Lex Luthor must die. by cheech_wizard
What's up with doctor evils eye?
So many Dr Evils, so few eye patches.
In reply to What's up with doctor evils… by juicy_bananas
The Amazon in 1492 may not be the best metaphor...
Even now, you turn green and get completely eaten by bugs within 24 hours...
Looks Like Trumptards are going to have to walk to the pharmacy for Viagra and Stupid pills.
Looks like you have no need for either...
In reply to Looks Like Trumptards are… by QueenDratpmurt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjKQc-UyL6w
In reply to Looks Like Trumptards are… by QueenDratpmurt
Who's pharma's biggest customer: (1) failing federal/state/private pension plans or (2) the sick?
Follow the money!
Perhaps Amazon should become prison industrial complex suppliers...
Remember the Robert Redford movie Brubaker?
Yeah, something like that ...
In reply to Who's pharma's biggest… by truthseeker69
From: Pharma bros
To: Jeff Bezos
BTFO
The one industry that needs intense competition is the sickcare industry. Trillions have gone down the drain in the last decade just to see falling longevity and more obesity. Epic fail.
They did succeed in creating millions of opium addicts.
If Big Pharma sells it, it's not addictive according to the FDA.
Even the tobacco industry never had that kind of power.
In reply to The one industry that needs… by VK
damn and getting free drugs for being a contracted delivery driver goes up in smoke
Adds a whole new dimension to the term "contracted"
In reply to damn and getting free drugs… by dark pools of soros
They're probably not doing it because it would require all kinds of HIPAA-related data privacy compliance controls instituted.
I want my pacemaker and arterial stents delivered just-in-time by helicopter drones, flying into the operating room at exactly the right moment! And free shipping! And free returns if in case of heart failure!
Selling drugs is highly regulated, as an example cough medicine sales are regulated in some areas even though over the counter.
Then there are different categories or classes of drugs that require as an example that the purchase of say certain pain killers require a DEA number and non-repudiated signature (typically a digital signature) and that item must then be only delivered to the location on the DEA address on file or physical location of the usage and only deliverable to the purchaser who must sign for receipt.
I know this as I work in the medical industry.
Or there is the alternative, where the medication is prescribed and that is on a system where again the doctor must login and verify that they are who they are, and then the patient must show proof of who they are to receive the higher classes of medicine at a pharmacy, the entire network and patchwork of 50 states, reimbursement and partial payments, insurance, etc.. makes this really a challenge where doing one or two states is enough burden.
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Health-Personal-Care-Cold-Flu-Medic…
It is the "schedule of drug" that is the challenge. I'll bet you order a large amount of OTC that might be used for some other purposes under existing regulations it is reported.
If only he would abandon collecting data on Amazon's users.
Social engineering is real and driven by digital data collection.
Don't give away your privacy and thus your freedom for convenience sake.
Liar Liar pants on fire, Why they stopped? They were told to or they would suffer consequences from the elite almighty who control the drugs! I gaurantee it
All those underpaid Employees and Contractors could make off w/the Meds.
bezos care..he found out he needs to own a major drug insurance co to get in..and cvs, walgreens and walmart got that locked up.
force the old folks to use their pharmacy stores/mail order for better prices..restraint of trade?? wha's dat?
fucked up my CVS short today goddamit
Whether it's pills or band-aids, they won't be made in the USA.
Oh no. This story is totally wrong.
I work for USPS. I deliver white plastic Uline printed bags of DRUGS. All day long.
They are not Chocks vitamins. They are from the VA or some Part D dispensary.
Amazon already ships a ton of stuff thru us, to houses we already pass every day.
We're not losing any money except on Sundays.
AMAZON should absolutely strive to be the lower-cost player in this field.