It’s official! After more than a year of speculation and rumors, Amazon has entered the pharmacy business with its acquisition of PillPack, a small mail pharmacy. Consider this move to be the end of the beginning for the pharmacy industry's evolution.
The stock prices of pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) predictably plunged yesterday as everyone freaked out. CVS Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and Rite Aid collectively lost more than $11 billion in stock market value.
Below, I offer my initial observations on the transaction and its impact.
But let’s all keep some perspective here. This is a small first step that will let Amazon begin growing a pharmacy dispensing business.
We are still a long, long way from a fundamental restructuring of the complex U.S. drug channel. The incumbents still have opportunities to defend their position, capture value from internet technologies, and streamline distribution. However, the prospects of a retail pharmacy shakeout over the next 10 years have just increased.
Read more »
Source: Post feed
