A PYMNTS Company

Amazon To Partner With Japanese Pharmacies In Pharma Deal

By  |  September 5, 2022

Amazon is considering entering the prescription drug sales market in Japan, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Amazon plans to partner with small- and mid-sized pharmacies for the service, starting next year when electronic prescriptions are allowed for the first time in Japan, Nikkei said, citing people involved in the project.

    We’d love to be your preferred source for news.

    Please add us to your preferred sources list so our news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks!

    Add as Preferred Source

    Under this plan, Japanese customers will be able to order prescriptions online after online doctor visits for the first time next year. Major pharmacies and other Japanese companies are also working on similar programs that would give patients digital access to information on their medications.

    Read More: Antitrust Chronicle™ – Healthcare

    Prescription drug prices in Japan are set by the government, while the distribution system is highly fragmented, with 70 wholesalers nationwide and almost 60,000 pharmacies.

    Amazon first moved into the pharmacy business in 2018 with its acquisition of PillPack, a medicine delivery service. It launched its own pharmacy, Amazon Pharmacy, in 2020, reaping important profits from the increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Amazon’s move into healthcare has not gone unchallenged. Amazon announced plans in late July to buy One Medical, a concierge-type medical service with roughly 190 medical offices in 25 markets. Last week, the e-commerce giant said it would shutter its own hybrid virtual in-home care service called Amazon Care, a One Medical competitor, because it wasn’t meeting customers’ needs. 

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.