Amazon Pharmacy rolls out coupon savings for branded medications
Amazon Pharmacy is introducing coupon savings on certain medications. In making the announcement on the company’s website, Vin Gupta, chief medical officer at Amazon Pharmacy, said, “For the millions of people in America managing chronic conditions, navigating the accessibility and cost of their medications can be dizzying. Challenging conditions like diabetes, obesity and asthma often require newer, branded therapies to enable a better and healthier future. Yet these transformative medicines can be prohibitively expensive for patients. That’s why we’re making it easier for patients to afford these medicines with coupons on Amazon Pharmacy, a new feature that automatically applies manufacturer-sponsored coupons directly to an eligible patient’s order.”
Gupta said that to reduce out-of-pocket costs, some drug manufacturers offer coupons on their brand-name medications. “However, unless a patient knows to ask, these discounts can be hard to find—a recent study found patients only used manufacturer-sponsored coupons 15% of the time they were available to them. Even once coupons are found, a patient faces a tedious, confusing process that involves searching online, downloading forms, enrolling in a program or having to call the drug manufacturer directly. We believe it should be much easier for patients to find and afford clinical solutions,” he said.
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Gupta continued, “That’s why we’re pleased to work with GSK, Kaléo, Novo Nordisk and Dexcom to integrate coupons for their brand-name medications—including Trelegy, AUVI-Q, Wegovy, G6 and G7 continuous glucose monitoring systems, and more—directly into the checkout experience on the Amazon Pharmacy website and app. Now, eligible patients can seamlessly access savings on novel, brand-name therapies for the treatment of diabetes, asthma, emphysema, obesity and other conditions. Amazon Pharmacy will automatically apply these coupons at checkout when eligible, meaning patients no longer have the burden of finding and applying coupons, and can focus on managing their care. No clipping, clicking or downloading.”
Pointing out that automatic savings from manufacturer-sponsored coupons is one more way Amazon Pharmacy is providing selection, value and convenience for patients who need prescription medications, Gupta said that when not using a coupon, Prime members also can access the Prime prescription savings benefit. “This enables discounts of up to 80% off generic and 40% off brand-name medications at more than 60,000 participating pharmacies nationwide, including Amazon Pharmacy, when paying without insurance. Patients also can save time and money by enrolling in RxPass, a new Prime membership benefit that offers access to unlimited eligible prescription medications for only $5 per month, including free shipping. Amazon Pharmacy also accepts most insurance plans, provides free delivery, and connects patients 24/7 with a pharmacist,” Gupta said.
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Lastly, Gupta said, “We at Amazon Pharmacy are hopeful that this new feature will both improve the patient experience and connect people with more affordable access to the medicines they need to better manage their health. We will continue to add more coupon selection over time, helping more patients save time and money.”