If you regularly pay for expensive generic prescription drugs for a host of conditions like allergies, dementia, diabetes, cholesterol, and seizures, among others, there is some good news. Amazon is introducing RxPass, a $5 monthly unlimited delivery pass for generic prescription drugs.
The prescription delivery pass is an add-on feature for Amazon Prime subscribers. Amazon Prime, which is a yearly program costing $139, includes benefits like free delivery and discounts for generic and brand-name medications already. The new generic delivery program is specifically for customers who pay out-of-pocket for medicines to manage chronic conditions.
This is a part of Amazon’s strategy to boost its presence in health care, boost the bottom line by increasing Prime membership subscriptions, and encourage customers to spend more on the Amazon ecosystem.
In 2018, the company acquired PillPack, an online pharmacy, and in 2020, they launched Amazon Pharmacy. They are also waiting for regulatory approval of the purchase of One Medical, a primary care provider, for $3.9 billion.
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Who Is RxPass For?
RxPass can be a great solution for Prime members who are spending more than $5 monthly on RxPass eligible medicines. If you don’t have insurance or your insurance won’t cover the eligible prescriptions, RxPass can be a cheaper alternative for you.
It can also be very convenient. As per Amazon, subscribers can get all their prescribed medications on the RxPass list as often as they need. Plus, you can use auto-refill to get your medicines refilled and delivered automatically. This saves you from driving to the pharmacy, standing in line, and then finding out exactly what the drugs are going to cost you.
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Who Is Eligible for RxPass?
RxPass has certain restrictions based on where you live and what insurance you have. People with government-funded insurance, such as Medicare or Medicaid, are not eligible to sign up for RxPass at this time. Furthermore, RxPass is not available to deliver medications to California, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.
Is There a Commitment Period?
RxPass can be canceled at any time, but Amazon states that when you purchase medication through RxPass, your subscription must remain active for the entire duration of the supply. For example, if you get a 90-day supply of medication, you are required to maintain your RxPass subscription for those three months. Your RxPass cancellation will not take effect until the end of that 90-day period.
As per the FDA, 9 out of 10 prescriptions in the United States are for generic drugs. At the same time, they only account for about 18% of the total spend on prescription drugs. As the FDA makes it a goal to increase the supply of approved generic and biosimilar drugs, innovations like RxPass will make it easier to obtain affordable treatments and increase access to healthcare.
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