Amazon Enters Healthcare Space: “Amazon Pharmacy” Added to PillPack Brand 

Expanding its share in the health care industry, Amazon acquired Internet pharmacy firm, PillPack in 2018. Recent reports announce that the branding of PillPack will now include “Amazon Pharmacy” in the logo and in all sorts of paperwork.

The American online pharmacy will change its brand name from “PillPack, an Amazon company” to “PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy”. The change of name with specific mention to Amazon Pharmacy states that Amazon plans to gradually achieve more than mail delivery of medicines via PillPack.

PillPack is best-known for fulfilling multiple prescriptions and mailing them to buyers in clearly labelled packages which helps them to take their pills at proper timings, in case customers have a forgetful nature or get mixed up using multiple medications. As per analysts, Amazon might be serving patients with acute medical needs.

Besides the logo change, PillPack has also modified the licensed name of its pharmacy fulfilment centres in New York, Texas, Florida, Arizona and New Hampshire. As of now, no significant service changes will be there for existing or new customers and it will retain its own brand. Customers will be able to notice the change when new labels and printed materials will have references to Amazon Pharmacy.

Sources claim PillPack will continue to have its own offices but change its marketing materials to highlight its acquisition by Amazon. In order to promote PillPack to its customers, Amazon has launched a landing page introducing its Prime members to the service. On the other hand, Zappos, the shoe brand bought by Amazon in 2009, makes no mention of Amazon in its “terms of service” or “About” page.

After impressing high-ups with his pharmacy knowledge, the CEO of PillPack, TJ Parker got a promotion over summer 2019.

Competition in the online pharmacy market is increasing everyday as the Belgian e-pharmacy business firm, Newpharma has teamed up with the global leader in seamless payment, Ingenico Group. The initiative will ensure payment experiences that protects security concerns of online pharmaceutical buyers. With sales regularly increasing in the domestic market and the sensitive nature of pharmacy business, the Ingenico Group payments provider will help Newpharma process international sales and protect personal information of users.

Having authorisation to sell non-prescription medication online, nearly 15 percent of Newpharma sales are due to sale of non-prescription medicines. Most of these sales come from France and Netherlands.

Amazon is extending its stronghold in the e-commerce market by buying several firms all over the world. In April 2019, it purchased a Dubai based e-commerce company, Souq.com, for $580 million in the Middle East. Post the purchase, the URL of Souq.com directly takes users to Amazon.ae. 

In another news, Amazon has recently made its way into the health care sector by snapping up a start-up called as Health Navigator. Health Navigator is a firm that provides technology and services to the digital health companies. The Amazon Care group, initiated with the tie up is designed to provide medical benefits for Amazon employees. It will ensure employee health via a video visit or even home visits if necessary.

As online pharmacy is going to gain humungous popularity in near future, Amazon Pharmacy will surely up the market share of Amazon Inc. and give it an upper hand as compared to other online retailers such as Flipkart.