Amazon Is Putting Pharmacy Kiosks in Its Own Medical Clinics

By Crystal Lindell

Have you ever dreamed of skipping the hassle of going to a pharmacy to pick up a prescription after you’ve seen your doctor?

Amazon wants to eliminate that extra trip by putting pharmacy kiosks — vending machines — in its One Medical clinics to dispense drugs on site. The move will increase Amazon’s growing share of U.S. pharmacy sales, at a time when many retail pharmacies are struggling. 

It also raises questions about a conflict of interest when doctors at One Medical – a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon – steer their patients to Amazon Pharmacy kiosks to fill their prescriptions on the spot. 

In an Amazon promotional video, a One Medical doctor does just that:

Amazon is framing this as an issue of convenience that will improve the healthcare of One Medical patients, pointing out that nearly a third of all prescriptions are never filled.

"As clinicians, we see firsthand how delays in starting medication can impact treatment outcomes," Andrew Diamond, MD, Chief Medical Officer at One Medical, said in a press release. "The ability to know a patient is leaving our office with their medication in hand – especially for conditions requiring immediate treatment like infections – can make a meaningful difference in their care journey."

Starting in December, Amazon Pharmacy kiosks are being installed at One Medical clinics in the Los Angeles area, with expansion to additional clinics soon after.   

"By bringing the pharmacy directly to the point of care, we're removing a critical barrier and helping patients start their treatment when it matters most — right away," said Hannah McClellan, Vice President of Operations at Amazon Pharmacy.

To use the kiosks, patients must already have an account with Amazon Pharmacy, which requires them to provide their insurance information and other payment options. 

Once a prescription is scanned at a kiosk and the patient is verified, an Amazon pharmacist will begin to process the prescription remotely and be available to answer questions. If the prescription is approved, a robotic arm will pick out the medication from a vault inside the kiosk, label it, and drop it through a bay door for the patient to pick up.

The kiosks won’t carry controlled substances like opioids or drugs that need to be refrigerated, but that still leaves a lot of medication options for One Medical doctors to prescribe.

One Stop Shopping

Will Amazon’s doctors be incentivized to prescribe unnecessary or high-cost medications just to make extra money for their parent company?

Unfortunately, that’s not a far-fetched question to ask, given the well-known influence of pharmaceutical sales reps. The reps often give free meals, paid speaking engagements, and other financial incentives to doctors in hopes of getting them to prescribe their company’s medications. 

Amazon Pharmacy currently has a small market share compared to big chain pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, but its home delivery system is rapidly growing and gaining in popularity. Amazon Pharmacy sales were projected to reach $1.8 billion in 2024 and some analysts say it could eventually be the leading drug store in the U.S.  

I fear that adding Amazon Pharmacy kiosks to One Medical clinics is just the first step. The company could place kiosks in other non-Amazon locations such as hospitals, medical offices, and urgent care clinics. Amazon admitted as much when it said its kiosk expansion plans include “additional One Medical offices and other locations.”

Amazon, which has a market cap of over $1 trillion, could wind up doing to pharmacies what it did to book stores 30 years ago: drive them out of business. Of course, chain pharmacies have already done a good job of doing that to themselves.

Millions of low-income and rural Americans already live in "pharmacy deserts" and have to drive long distances to fill a prescription. What will happen to them when additional pharmacies close? Or the patients who need controlled substances or refrigerated medications that the kiosks don’t dispense and Amazon won’t deliver? 

In the end, when it comes to healthcare, we should be extra cautious about the financial incentives at work and putting too much power in the hands of one company. 

Maybe the pharmacy kiosks will be convenient. Maybe Amazon’s doctors won’t prescribe unnecessary medications just to reach a kiosk sales goal. But I’m not willing to bet my health on that.

Herbal Pain Relief Tea Recalled for Having Undeclared Drugs

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

“Alleviates Pain & Inflammation Within 10 Minutes”

“Drug-Free All Natural Herbal Pain Relief”

As the saying goes, if the ads sound too good to be true, they probably are. Especially the part about being “drug-free.”

An herbal tea being marketed as a pain reliever for arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia and migraine is being voluntarily recalled after the Food and Drug Administration found that it contained “undeclared drugs.”

WS Global, a New York-based distribution company, is recalling all packages of Himalayan Pain Relief Tea after being informed by the FDA that the tea contains diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and dexamethasone, a corticosteroid.

The company said it had not received any reports of adverse events involving the tea, but urged consumers to “immediately consult their health care professional” if they consumed it.

In a news release, the FDA said diclofenac may raise the risk of cardiovascular events, such as a heart attack or stroke, and could interact with other medications.

Dexamethasone can suppress the adrenal gland, impair a person’s ability to fight infections, and cause high blood sugar, muscle injuries and psychiatric problems. It may also have serious side effects when combined with other medications.

Neither diclofenac or dexamethasone are mentioned on the tea’s product label or advertising. The company claims the tea was “formulated by a traditional comprehensive recipe from the Himalayan monks.”

Himalayan Pain Relief Tea was being sold online, primarily through Amazon.

This is not the first time that an herbal or dietary supplement sold by Amazon was recalled due to undeclared drugs, contamination or other health concerns. In recent months, recalls were also ordered for a male sexual enhancement product, a glucose supplement, apple sauce, and an anti-cavity mouthwash for kids. All were being sold on Amazon.  

In a recent warning letter to Amazon’s CEO about selling several brands of unapproved eye drops, the FDA said the company should take more responsibility for the products it sells.

“The violations cited in this letter are not intended to be an all-inclusive statement of past or present violations that may exist in connection with the products you distribute. You are responsible for investigating and determining the causes of any violations and for preventing their recurrence or the occurrence of other violations. It is your responsibility to ensure that your firm complies with all requirements of federal law, including FDA regulations,” said Jill Furman, Director of the FDA Office of Compliance, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Amazon complied with that request by removing the eye drops from its online marketplace.

“Safety is a top priority at Amazon. We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws and regulations,” the company said in a statement.

Amazon received a similar warning letter in 2022, for selling a “misbranded” dietary supplement for arthritis that was linked to liver toxicity and at least one death. That product also contained diclofenac and dexamethasone.

You can still find Himalayan Pain Relief Tea on Amazon, with a notation that it is “currently unavailable.”

“We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock,” Amazon cautions potential buyers.

FDA Warns Amazon and Walmart About Selling Misbranded Drugs

By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued another warning to consumers not to purchase or use dietary supplements marketed for pain relief under the brand names “Artri” or “Ortiga” due to potentially dangerous pharmaceutical ingredients. Use of the products has led to liver toxicity and at least one death, according to the agency.

The FDA issued its first first warning about the supplements in January and followed up with a second warning  in April. The latest warning includes Amazon, Walmart and another retailer that continued to sell the supplements, which are marketed with claims that they treat arthritis and osteoarthritis, restore cartilage, and stop joint deterioration.

In a warning letter sent to Amazon last week, the FDA said it had purchased Artri and Ortiga supplements through its website and had them delivered through the company’s delivery service.

Laboratory testing confirmed the supplements purchased through Amazon contained diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and dexamethasone, a corticosteroid used to treat inflammatory conditions.

Neither drug is mentioned on product labels, which list ingredients such as glucosamine and turmeric. The FDA warned Amazon that introducing or delivering a misbranded drug is a violation of federal law.  

“Failure to adequately address this matter may result in legal action including, without limitation, seizure and/or injunction. Please submit a written response to this letter within fifteen working days from the date of receipt, explaining the specific steps you have taken to address any violations,” the FDA letter states.

Similar warning letters were sent to Walmart and Latin Foods Market, which had previously issued voluntary recalls for the supplements, but still continued to sell them.

It appears the Artri and Ortiga supplements have now been removed from the websites of all three companies. The supplements were being marketed primarily to Spanish-speaking consumers, with claims they are “highly effective in restoring cartilage” and “fights arthritis.”  

Diclofenac raises the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, as well as serious gastrointestinal bleeding and damage. When used long term or in high doses, dexamethasone and other corticosteroids can result in serious withdrawal symptoms if a consumer suddenly stops taking them. Both drugs can also interact with other medications.

The FDA encourages healthcare providers and patients to report side effects involving use of the products to its Adverse Event Reporting System. .