In a move aimed at improving accessibility to affordable insulin and diabetes medications, Amazon announced on Tuesday that its online pharmacy will now automatically apply manufacturer-sponsored coupons to over 15 insulin and diabetes drugs. This will eliminate the need for patients using Amazon Pharmacy to manually search for and enter coupons from industry giants Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi. As a result, patients can enjoy discounts that bring the cost of a month’s supply of insulin to as low as $35.
The decision to implement this program comes after Novo, Lilly, and Sanofi pledged to cut their insulin prices by 70% no later than 2024. However, a recent report from Senator Elizabeth Warren revealed that some patients were struggling to access the promised discounted generic insulin at pharmacies. Even with Lilly lowering the list price of its Insulin Lispro to $25 per vial, patients were still quoted prices as high as $330 for the medication, were not informed about more affordable alternatives, and encountered difficulties with Lilly’s savings program.
Vin Gupta, Chief Medical Officer of Amazon Pharmacy, emphasized the importance of making it easier for patients to obtain insulin at the lowest possible cost. He stated, “Transparency here is really key.” Additionally, Amazon Pharmacy will extend its automatic discounting to diabetes-related medical devices from Dexcom and Insulet, which include continuous glucose monitors and pumps. Other cardiometabolic medicines, such as Novo’s weight-loss drug Wegovy, will also be subject to these discounts.
Charles Henderson, Chief Executive of the American Diabetes Association, expressed his support for Amazon’s initiative, noting that the automated discounting will greatly benefit the 37 million Americans with diabetes in accessing necessary treatments. Amazon has been actively competing with established pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens since entering the healthcare market in late 2020. The company recently announced that its active pharmacy user base had doubled over the past year.
John Love, Vice President of Amazon Pharmacy, emphasized the importance of providing customers with choices that cater to their needs. He stated, “Customers have a variety of options available to them, and they will choose what suits them best. Our aim is to offer options that grant them access to these medications.”
By streamlining the coupon application process and automating discounts, Amazon Pharmacy aims to not only enhance affordability but also attract customers away from traditional pharmacies. Their goal is to provide transparency and convenience to individuals seeking quality and cost-effective pharmaceutical solutions.
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