The e-commerce giant plans to expand the service to more than a dozen U.S. cities by the end of 2024
Amazon $AMZN is upping the ante against its retail competitors, and this time it’s in the pharmacy space. The e-commerce giant is expanding its same-day pharmacy delivery service to New York City and the greater Los Angeles area, the company said Tuesday.
To get prescriptions delivered within hours, Amazon said it’s using small-format facilities that will be “stocked with the most common prescription medications,” such as medication to treat the flu or diabetes.
The smaller facilities will carry more than 12,000 medications that are also available online, which will give on-site pharmacists and fulfillment staffers the ability to process a prescription with “minutes, rather than hours or days,” Amazon said.
Amazon has sold prescription medications on its website since 2020. With the latest expansion, the retail giant is moving closer to making its prescription delivery as quick and easy as other retail orders.
Doug Herrington, the CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, said that by combining Amazon’s Pharmacy’s deliveries with its logistics network, “Amazon is building the fastest and most convenient service for the home delivery of prescription medications.”
Amazon stock was largely level in midday trading on Tuesday, but the shares are up about 20% so far in 2024.
The Seattle-based Amazon said it plans to expand the service to more than a dozen U.S. cities by the end of the year. The same-day medication delivery service already exists in some cities, including Austin, Miami, and Phoenix.
Deliveries will look different in different cities, Amazon said. In New York, deliveries will be made via“riding eco-friendly e-bikes.” In Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, deliveries will be made via “Rivian $RIVN all-electric vans or other commercial vehicles,” the company said,
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