Amazon Pharmacy is partnering with a slew of pharma companies to offer a new feature that automatically applies manufacturer-sponsored coupons to a patient's medication order when eligible.

The tech giant's online pharmacy said it's working with GSK, Kaléo, Novo Nordisk and Dexcom to integrate coupons for their brand-name drugs, including COPD or asthma inhaler Trelegy; AUVI-Q, an injection for life-threatening allergic reactions; weight loss drug Wegovy; and sensors and transmitters for Dexcom's G6 and G7 continuous glucose monitors.

Laura Jensen, head of manufacturer and prescriber business development at Amazon Pharmacy, told MobiHealthNews the typical experience for applying manufacturer coupons can be cumbersome for patients, and many of them don't use them when they are available. 

"Most manufacturer-sponsored coupons are really built more for a brick-and-mortar pharmacy experience," she said. "We essentially modeled this user experience against every other Amazon experience, because that is what we were hearing from our customers. They would like Pharmacy to behave just like every other experience on Amazon."

Amazon Pharmacy plans to add more partnerships and medications to the program this summer. Jensen said they'll be "doubling down" on medications for cardiometabolic conditions and adding more drugs for respiratory care. 

THE LARGER TREND

Amazon Pharmacy launched in 2020, about two years after the tech and online retail company purchased digital pharmacy PillPack.

Over the past year, it's added new features and programs aimed at drug cost and price transparency. Last March, Amazon Pharmacy partnered with some Blue Cross Blue Shield plans and pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics to offer a prescription discount savings card. In January, it announced generic medication subscription service RxPass.

Dr. Vin Gupta, chief medical officer of Amazon Pharmacy, said they're hoping to be a medical home for more patients with multiple chronic conditions, arguing that a more convenient experience will help patients stick to their care plans. 

"We think that convenience is going to drive better adherence, [and] better adherence can drive better clinical outcomes for chronic conditions," he said.

Joe Drygas and Randy Bush will offer more detail during the HIMSS23 session "The 5G Advantage: Advanced Connectivity for Life Sciences and Healthcare." It is scheduled for Friday, April 21 at 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. CT at the South Building, Level 1, room S105 C.