Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Amazon on Tuesday targeted the dominance of drug store chains with the launch of its online pharmacy, which allows users to complete entire prescription drug transactions without leaving home.
Using a secure pharmacy profile, Amazon Pharmacy customers can enter their insurance information, manage prescriptions and choose payment options on a desktop or mobile app before checking out, the tech giant said in a release.
Free two-day delivery of drug orders is included with Amazon Prime memberships.
Investors saw Amazon's push into the $300 billion pharmacy market as a potential threat to dominant players in the field such as CVS and Walgreens -- their share prices fell by 7.5% and 10% respectively in pre-market trading Tuesday.
Amazon began building its pharmacy operation after acquiring PillPack two years ago. PillPack offered customers who take multiple daily medications delivery of pre-sorted dose packaging, along with coordination of refills and renewals.
PillPack co-founder TJ Parker, now an Amazon vice president, said the launching of online pharmacy is "bringing Amazon's customer obsession to an industry that can be inconvenient and confusing.
"We work hard behind the scenes to handle complications seamlessly so anyone who needs a prescription can understand their options, place their order for the lowest available price, and have their medication delivered quickly," he said.
