Amazon Pharmacy has announced automatic savings on more than 15 insulin brands and diabetes care products. Now, eligible customers can access a wide range of insulin vials and pens for $35 a month and have them delivered free to their door.
The savings are available through manufacturer sponsored coupons that are automatically applied during the Amazon Pharmacy check-out process.
It’s a big cost saving opportunity for diabetics who typically pay hundreds of dollars a month. But how does it work and what concerns do doctors have about sending prescriptions to Amazon Pharmacy?
Dr. Samidha Bhat is a primary care physician with HCA Healthcare. She says sending prescriptions to Amazon might be a learning curve, but she’s willing to do it to save her patients money.
“The cost of medications, including medications for diabetes is a big issue,” Bhat said.
The idea is to help patients easily access the discounts pledged by the drug industry. In 2020, drugmaker Eli Lilly launched a value program capping the price of insulin at $35 a month but a recent study shows an estimated 85% of manufacturer-sponsored coupons go unused.
“If it is truly what it is, then it is going to be very good for the patients because the cost of insulin as almost $200, maybe even $500 sometimes, depending on what we pick,” Bhat said.
Dr. Bhat says diabetic patients who skip out on taking insulin because of the high costs can be hospitalized, so it’s important deliveries from Amazon Pharmacy are on time and don’t sit out in the heat.
“I’m hoping that that is taken into consideration plus contamination. Things like that was my concern when I was thinking about being medications being delivered.”
You don’t have to be an Amazon Prime member to use Amazon Pharmacy but having a Prime membership will get you free two-day shipping and other added cost savings. If you want to transfer a prescription, you need to sign up for Amazon Pharmacy online, find your prescription and click the button to “transfer your prescription.”
Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. So, you’ll have to do the math yourself to find out if using Amazon Pharmacy is worth it when you factor in your prescription needs and the costs of delivery without a membership.
You can also ask your primary care provider about getting your prescription transferred.