(Reuters) – Amazon.com announced on Tuesday that its online pharmacy will now automatically apply manufacturer-sponsored coupons to over 15 insulin and diabetes medicines. This initiative aims to help patients access the discounts promised by the drug industry.
By implementing this new program, patients who use Amazon Pharmacy will no longer need to search for and manually enter coupons from major insulin manufacturers such as Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi. As a result, the cost of their insulin can be lowered to as little as $35 for a month’s supply.
Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi had previously pledged to reduce their insulin prices by at least 70% by 2024. However, a report released by Senator Elizabeth Warren last month revealed that some patients encountered difficulties in obtaining the already discounted generic insulin from pharmacies at the promised reduced price.
Despite Lilly’s reduction of the list price of Insulin Lispro to $25 per vial in May, patients were still being quoted prices as high as $330 for the medication. In addition, they were not being informed about more affordable options available at pharmacies and faced challenges in utilizing Lilly’s savings program, according to Warren’s report.
Addressing these concerns, Vin Gupta, the Chief Medical Officer of Amazon Pharmacy, emphasized the importance of making it easier for patients to access insulin at the lowest possible prices. He stated, “Transparency here is really key.”
Furthermore, Amazon Pharmacy will automatically apply available discounts to diabetes-related medical devices from manufacturers Dexcom and Insulet. These discounts will be applicable to continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, as well as other cardiometabolic medicines such as Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wegovy.
Charles Henderson, the Chief Executive Officer of the American Diabetes Association, praised Amazon’s automated discounting as it will enable the 37 million Americans with diabetes to more easily afford the treatments they require. He expressed the importance of empowering individuals in the diabetes community to make informed decisions about their diabetes care and medication costs.
Since its launch in late 2020, Amazon has been actively working to attract customers away from more established pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens through its healthcare business. This month, the company announced that it had doubled its active pharmacy users over the past year.
Amazon Pharmacy Vice President, John Love, stated, “Customers have a lot of choices out there, and they will choose what’s best for them. So, we’re going to create options that give them access to these medications.”
Patrick Wingrove reporting in New York; Edited by Sandra Maler
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
