Negotiating that legal framework is going to be challenging
This Is How Amazon Could Invade the Pharmacy Business
31–40 of 51 posts
Re: This Is How Amazon Could Invade the Pharmacy Business
#32Is Amazon going to attempt to tackle the healthcare insurance market? CVS and Walgreens may have started in that direction, but they rely on EHRs to get them the industry knowledge they lack. I'm not sure if Amazon would do the same. That opens patients up to some crazy HIPPA scenarios when Amazon decides to collect your prescribing visit info to send to the insurance company.
Re: This Is How Amazon Could Invade the Pharmacy Business
#33I already have to worry about counterfeit electronics when ordering from Amazon. I’m not sure I’d trust them with prescriptions.
Also, with expensive drugs I would worry that counterfeits could be introduced within Amazon‘s warehouses by workers, or within the postal system. Open a package, extract the original, and put the counterfeit in. For drugs that are worth hundreds of dollars per package, why not? I expect pharmacies to double check everything they buy, and I somehow doubt Amazon will be able to ensure safety when the package is handle…
They would have to operate a pharmacy, they won't just dump expensive drugs into their fulfillment system.
Re: This Is How Amazon Could Invade the Pharmacy Business
#34I think the brick and mortar pharmacy business is already being cut out by placing like Optum and express scripts.
Re: This Is How Amazon Could Invade the Pharmacy Business
#35I already have to worry about counterfeit electronics when ordering from Amazon. I’m not sure I’d trust them with prescriptions.
I am not a big fan of the shoes, but I am a fan of Nike socks and underwear.
I am not worried about fakes from less famous brands, but I would not buy any Nike products from Amazon; I get them at local retailers, Nike's online store, or Niketown if I am visiting a big city.
Re: This Is How Amazon Could Invade the Pharmacy Business
#36They ought to buy Pillpack.
Re: This Is How Amazon Could Invade the Pharmacy Business
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
Also, with expensive drugs I would worry that counterfeits could be introduced within Amazon‘s warehouses by workers, or within the postal system. Open a package, extract the original, and put the counterfeit in. For drugs that are worth hundreds of dollars per package, why not? I expect pharmacies to double check everything they buy, and I somehow doubt Amazon will be able to ensure safety when the package is handle…
IIRC in The Everything Store, Stone recalled how Jewellery was a struggle because of its high value to weight ratio. Pharmaceuticals will probably be a similar problem, but I'm sure Amazon will have a process built in to manage for this if they chose to move into the area
Of course. People assuming that they'd toss drugs in with their random goods are not even trying to comprehend this business move.
They bought World Foods. They didn't start storing week old bread on their shelves.
The pharmacy division would be a completely separate process subject to all the additional _legal_ requirements all the other pharmacies adhere to. They're not going to just have buckets of Percocet lying around on shelves for anyone to access.
Re: This Is How Amazon Could Invade the Pharmacy Business
#38I already have to worry about counterfeit electronics when ordering from Amazon. I’m not sure I’d trust them with prescriptions.
i just want to highlight a few scenarios to allay your gripe.
Not all deliveries come from the warehouse; think of liaise scenarios with dispensaries eg https://www.amazon.com/restaurants
Also having a special section for pharma products staffed with licensed chemists and thoroughly vetted delivery staff shouldn't be beyond amazon.
There are other vectors of implementation I dont think authentication would be a problem
Re: This Is How Amazon Could Invade the Pharmacy Business
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
The barrier of entry to pharmaceutical sales is a bit higher than electronics.
It shouldn't be, dodgy appliances can get you seriously injured or even killed. [1] [1] http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1283818/woman-electro...
You can't be serious.
Drugs differing by a couple thousands of a gram (mg) can severely harm or kill someone. There are some drugs measured in micrograms. And that speaks nothing of potential contaminates and cross-contamination. There's also no serious black market for theft and addictive abuse of electronics. (Not one that compares in the order-of-magnitude to the amount of drugs abused every day.)
You can say electronics should be more regulated. You can't argue (without much more talking points) that electronics are as deadly or dangerous as drugs... things you put inside your body.
And if you bring up medical electronics... we're right back to the same strict regulation that drugs have. So we don't even necessarily need more regulation of them.
Re: This Is How Amazon Could Invade the Pharmacy Business
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
But then it would turn into a slow government entity, all the talent will leave, and our economy would lose a great innovator.
> But then it would turn into a slow government entity Public utilities are not necessarily government entities; they can be privately owned. > all the talent will leave, and our economy would lose a great innovator That talent could work at universities again, so everybody would benefit more evenly from innovation.
Public utilities are not necessarily government entities; they can be privately owned.
Like Bell, who had to be sued to allow people to use modems and fax machines?