Amazon Pharmacy announced today that it will now automatically apply manufacturer coupons on branded drugs to an eligible patient’s order. The company has partnered with GSK, Kaléo, Novo Nordisk and Dexcom to deliver coupons for their brand name drugs, including Trelegy, AUVI-Q, Wegovy, G6 and G7 continuous glucose monitoring systems and more, directly in the checkout experience on the Amazon Pharmacy website and – app.
“Eligible patients can now seamlessly access savings on new branded therapies for the treatment of diabetes, asthma, emphysema, obesity and other conditions,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Amazon Pharmacy automatically applies these coupons at checkout when they qualify, meaning patients are no longer bothered by searching and applying coupons, and can focus on managing their care. Do not cut, click or download.”
The company says the move aims to make it easier for patients to take advantage of coupons, noting that a recent study by the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission found that patients used only manufacturer-sponsored coupons in 15% of patients. time they were available to them.
There are some limitations, notes Amazon Pharmacy, because coupons may work in connection with a patient’s insurance policy, but whether a particular drug is covered by an insurance plan depends on the insurance company. In addition, patients eligible for benefits from a state or federal health care program, such as Medicare, Medicaid, or Medicare Part D, cannot use manufacturer-sponsored coupons.
If you’re eligible for a coupon, you’ll see your pricing options with the coupon before you check out.
The company outlines that coupons are set by manufacturers, who determine which drugs have coupons and how they can be used, and that coupons can change or expire at any time. Amazon Pharmacy says if you don’t see a coupon for your medication, check it regularly, as it’s working with manufacturers to expand coupon availability.
When not using a coupon, Amazon Pharmacy offers discounts on generic and non-generic medications, up to 80% and 40% respectively through the Prime prescription savings benefit.
The announcement comes a few months after Amazon Pharmacy launched RxPass, a service where Prime users in the US can pay a $5 monthly flat fee to get as many generic versions of drugs as they need. Amazon said the service will initially cover generic drugs for 80 common conditions – they include, for example, Losartan (the generic for the hypertension drug Cozaar) and Sertraline (the generic for the antidepressant Zoloft) and hair growth pills. It is worth noting that coupons cannot be applied alongside RxPass.
Amazon has been looking to expand its healthcare ambitions for years. The company has bought startups and launched new services and products in support of that mission. Amazon acquired online pharmacy PillPack and first-line technology platform OneMedical in 2018 for $3.9 billion by 2022. Last year, it launched a telehealth service called Amazon Clinic.