Live data from Hacker News

Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy for prescription medicine delivery

theverge.com

61–70 of 276 posts

Re: Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy for prescription medicine delivery

#61
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Instead of the Govt being the price negotiator, we got giant corporations instead. yay

You really believe the government will do a better job?

Better than the farce that is "competitive market forces." I have more faith in government than corporate structures delivering optimal cost pricing to consumers as opposed to optimizing their profit margins.

Competive forces only work while there's competition, the second competition declines, rest assured consumer pricing is the first to take a hit.

Re: Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy for prescription medicine delivery

#62
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I support price controls in the US, and the government manufacturing generics if necessary (stepping in if the private sector won't due to it not being profitable enough). EDIT: I removed an unrelated paragraph about Planned Parenthood and drug supply chain I thought was out of scope.

> stepping in if the private sector won’t due to it not being profitable enough That’s effectively what government-enforced drug patents are for. I think it’s debatable whether that’s the best implementation of what you’re describing. Government sponsored “Prizes” are another approach that sounds promising -> https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/03/pr... I donate to Planned Parenthood as well, and d…

[deleted]

Re: Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy for prescription medicine delivery

#63
post #34

Companies that big should not be allowed to operate. They will have too much personal data and incredible unfair competitive advantage on the market. It's when capitalism doesn't work and where it needs to have emergency stops. Amazon needs to be split into independent companies. Now that Amazon will also know your medical history, know what you are talking about at home, all your preferences, who you meet, what are…

You're probably right, and I agree with you. However, in this case, the US healthcare system is so terrible and, in some respects, evil that I'm glad Amazon is working to disrupt (what'll probably end up being) large portions of it.

That's a problem right there that a small company couldn't challenge it. Healthcare also is in a desperate need of a reform, as currently is just a gravy train for fat cats meanwhile people are suffering and going bankrupt.

Re: Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy for prescription medicine delivery

#64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like if this were true HIPPA/HHS would have asses in slings. I've worked in a couple of places that worked with HIPPA-adjacent data and boy howdy you don't not mess with them.

It's HIPAA, and there's no such meaningful category as HIPAA-adjacent data. Data is either PHI held by HIPAA covered entities or it's not, and consumer health and wellness data that one would see as being equally sensitive but that involves consumer transactions with an entity which is not a “covered entity” as defined in HIPAA (including where the consumer takes information from a covered entity and provides it to t…

Minor quibble - HIPAA and HITECH are not the same thing, but many people lump the two together.

HIPAA is the general policy. HITECH is what regulates how that policy can be implemented in technology.

Re: Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy for prescription medicine delivery

#65
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Instead of the Govt being the price negotiator, we got giant corporations instead. yay

You really believe the government will do a better job?

Seems to work in every other country with a modern medical industry.

Re: Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy for prescription medicine delivery

#66
post #7

> Amazon claims Prime members will be able to save “up to 80 percent off generic and 40 percent off brand name medications when paying without insurance. This was buried in the article, but is IMO a bigger deal. In the long run, this could really drive down drug prices.

Time will tell how this compares to other pharmacies. Big savings off MSRP are common.

Re: Amazon launches Amazon Pharmacy for prescription medicine delivery

#68
post #67

I'm waiting for the moment when they say Amazon launches on another planet. They seem to be doing everything. It's only time before they cover quite literally every product and service on the earth. At which point there's nothing to conquer except space.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Origin
Post reply on HN