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Amazon buys PillPack, an online pharmacy, for just under $1B

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Re: Amazon buys PillPack, an online pharmacy, for just under $1B

#141

Post by yalogin »

tombrossman wrote: post #18

This is interesting because Amazon isn't exactly known for supply chain integrity. Who here hasn't received fakes from Amazon? If you rely on a specific medication for your health, is Amazon a brand you trust to deliver it? How long until they start commingling pills and shipping random counterfeit/fake product to users? Hope it never happens but if they do with pharmaceuticals what they did with everything else they…

How would they get the fakes though? This is not a USB stick or a cable to get fakes from China. There are strict laws that control how they are obtained.

Re: Amazon buys PillPack, an online pharmacy, for just under $1B

#142

Post by lurker456 »

protonimitate wrote: post #22
tombrossman wrote: post #18

This is interesting because Amazon isn't exactly known for supply chain integrity. Who here hasn't received fakes from Amazon? If you rely on a specific medication for your health, is Amazon a brand you trust to deliver it? How long until they start commingling pills and shipping random counterfeit/fake product to users? Hope it never happens but if they do with pharmaceuticals what they did with everything else they…

I understand the fear, but I don't think fake medicine is as big of an issue as fake market place items. PillPack already has an established distribution network and prescription delivery licensing in 50 states. I don't know for certain, but I would assume that fake prescription medicine is a much bigger risk and would threaten the operation more than, say, fake batteries.

it absolutely is a huge issue, with fines that bite. Google had to settle for +500M after serving ads for fake medicines in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if the primary aim here was to get a bargaining chip for their negotiations for their health care JV (a much bigger market)

Re: Amazon buys PillPack, an online pharmacy, for just under $1B

#143

Post by PeanutNore »

md224 wrote: post #128
harshaw wrote: post #81

I interviewed at Pillpack years ago and was very impressed but didn't get the gig. They seemed to be solving a great problem for customers using multiple medicines. I am not sure the solution works well for the millions of us taking one pill every night, e.g the "pillpack" is wasteful. It also doesn't address this really annoying problem I have getting my daughter's ADD meds. These require a paper prescription that m…

That’s weird... I live in NYC and get my Vyvanse prescription delivered by Capsule. Haven’t had to drop off a paper prescription in years. Different local laws? Or maybe it’s because she’s a minor? That sounds frustrating, sorry you have to deal with that. P.S. While we’re on the topic, if anyone’s interested in a libertarian perspective, check out Jessica Flanigan’s 2012 JME paper “Three arguments against prescripti…

Likely it's due to the Controlled Substances Act - one of the most common ADHD medications, Adderall, is schedule 2 or schedule 3. Electronic prescribing for controlled substances (EPCS) has strict requirements and your local pharmacy or your physician may not yet be certified.

Re: Amazon buys PillPack, an online pharmacy, for just under $1B

#144

Post by taf2 »

Molaxx wrote: post #95

The issue isn't fakes, it's the fact over medication is a real problem. Thank heavens that where I live drug advertising is illegal. After a visit to the US and encountering the brainwash machine of drug companies I realized just how important this law is.

Dont worry the side effects include certain death you’ll be super happy on this pill!

Re: Amazon buys PillPack, an online pharmacy, for just under $1B

#146

Post by joezydeco »

pen2l wrote: post #79
tombrossman wrote: post #18

This is interesting because Amazon isn't exactly known for supply chain integrity. Who here hasn't received fakes from Amazon? If you rely on a specific medication for your health, is Amazon a brand you trust to deliver it? How long until they start commingling pills and shipping random counterfeit/fake product to users? Hope it never happens but if they do with pharmaceuticals what they did with everything else they…

> This is interesting because Amazon isn't exactly known for supply chain integrity. The supply chain integrity problems were allowed by Amazon because it benefited their bottom line. If they wanted it perfect, they could have made it perfect. Remember when the eclipse was happening and they actually did a pretty good job of removing all glasses which weren't safe? They know where integrity counts, and I think when i…

Remember when the eclipse was happening and they actually did a pretty good job of removing all glasses which weren't safe?

They also recalled a number of good units, which only sowed confusion and anger among buyers.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2017/08/14/a...

And it turns out some of the counterfeit glasses did get out to to buyers who thought they were purchasing legitimate units.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-lawsuit-eclips...

Re: Amazon buys PillPack, an online pharmacy, for just under $1B

#147

Post by shawn-butler »

eurticket wrote: post #50
jtchang wrote: post #35

Hopefully Amazon will be able to get rid of express scripts. They are the ultimate middleman sucking both pharmaceutical companies and consumers dry.

This does look like a death blow from multiple angles for ES. I think ES does provide a service that people want regardless if it hurts Pharmacies and it doesn't hurt consumers if they want to pay for the service; but maybe it affects drug prices in other ways? If the Cigna deal fails to go through they both owe some billions, coupled with Amazon in their space, ES looks doomed.

If Cigna's deal to acquire Express Scripts is terminated, either party could owe a fee of either $2.1 billion or $1.6 billion depending on the reason for the breakup, according to the filing.

Re: Amazon buys PillPack, an online pharmacy, for just under $1B

#149

Post by md224 »

PeanutNore wrote: post #143
md224 wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s weird... I live in NYC and get my Vyvanse prescription delivered by Capsule. Haven’t had to drop off a paper prescription in years. Different local laws? Or maybe it’s because she’s a minor? That sounds frustrating, sorry you have to deal with that. P.S. While we’re on the topic, if anyone’s interested in a libertarian perspective, check out Jessica Flanigan’s 2012 JME paper “Three arguments against prescripti…

Likely it's due to the Controlled Substances Act - one of the most common ADHD medications, Adderall, is schedule 2 or schedule 3. Electronic prescribing for controlled substances (EPCS) has strict requirements and your local pharmacy or your physician may not yet be certified.

Right, but Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) is also a Schedule II ADHD medication, hence my surprise that this person has to jump through more hoops than I do. You have a point about certification, though... perhaps less populous areas don’t have these advanced systems in place.

Re: Amazon buys PillPack, an online pharmacy, for just under $1B

#150

Post by joezydeco »

rablo wrote: post #82
pen2l wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is interesting because Amazon isn't exactly known for supply chain integrity. The supply chain integrity problems were allowed by Amazon because it benefited their bottom line. If they wanted it perfect, they could have made it perfect. Remember when the eclipse was happening and they actually did a pretty good job of removing all glasses which weren't safe? They know where integrity counts, and I think when i…

That’s your opinion. I disagree. With the glasses they probably needed lots of filtering by hand. Costed them a lot of money. They were afraid of costly lawsuits. But they don’t have the capacity to do that with every product they sell.

No, Amazon totally had the ability to separate glasses from different suppliers and keep them apart in the warehouse.

The bogus ones could then have been isolated and recalled, but this is not what happened.

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