The Amazon Pharmacy home screen is displayed on a laptop in Brooklyn, New York, on November 17, 2020.
Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Amazon’s Efforts by customers in the U.S.’s two largest markets to get whatever they want the same day they order have expanded to include prescription drugs.
The e-commerce giant said Tuesday it is launching same-day delivery of prescription drugs in New York City and the greater Los Angeles area.
The prescriptions are delivered through Amazon’s online pharmacy service, launched in 2020. Amazon Pharmacy was born after the company acquired online pharmacy PillPack in 2018, allowing customers to order prescription drugs and have them delivered to their doorsteps. Prime members also enjoy free delivery.
To speed up deliveries, Amazon said it is using new, smaller facilities stocked with the most common prescription drugs to treat acute illnesses. The company said the locations are able to process prescriptions “in minutes rather than hours or days.”
Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, said in a statement: “By integrating Amazon Pharmacy delivery into our existing world-class logistics network, Amazon is creating the fastest and most convenient way to deliver prescription drugs to your door. “These faster delivery times are a game-changer when you or a family member needs medication quickly.”
San Bernardino, Riverside and Anaheim in the Los Angeles area are eligible for same-day prescription delivery starting Tuesday. The broader Los Angeles metropolitan area will be up and running in April. The company plans to add a dozen other cities by the end of the year.
in october, Amazon began offering same-day prescription drug delivery in Seattle, Miami, Indianapolis, Phoenix, and Austin, Texas. Meanwhile, the company said it will begin delivering prescription drugs via drone in College Station, Texas, one of two cities where Amazon has dispatched drones to deliver items weighing 5 pounds or less.
The company said it is sending e-bikes to handle some Amazon pharmacy deliveries in New York. Amazon has been experimenting with e-cargo bikes in the city for the past few years, which could speed up deliveries and reduce emissions.
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