News Briefs Archive

Amazon’s New Virtual Doctor Marketplace

Nov. 30, 2022

Amazon has launched a message-based virtual health service called Amazon Clinic a little more than two months after it closed its primary care delivery business Amazon Care, according to a report by Rebecca Pifer in Healthcare Dive.

“Amazon Clinic, which is currently live and available 24/7 through Amazon’s website and mobile app, is a marketplace for telemedicine providers, connecting consumers with virtual doctors who can diagnose, treat and prescribe medication for a range of common health conditions like acne, birth control and migraines, the retail giant said,” Pifer writes.

Pifer reports that Amazon Clinic will be available in 32 states at launch, with plans to expand to additional states in the coming months, according to a recent Amazon blog post announcing the news.

In the blog post, Nworah Ayogu, Amazon Clinic’s chief medical officer, said Amazon Pharmacy and One Medical are “two key ways” that Amazon is “working to make care more convenient and accessible.”

“But we also know that sometimes you just need a quick interaction with a clinician for a common health concern that can be easily addressed virtually,” Ayogu said.

According to the blog, Amazon Clinic users select their condition, then choose their preferred provider from a list of telemedicine vendors.

“Patients complete an intake questionnaire, then chat with a clinician via a message-based portal. There are no video capabilities. Afterward, the clinician will send a personalized treatment plan via the portal, including any necessary prescriptions,” Pifer writes. “Amazon said it would send prescriptions to the patient’s preferred pharmacy, whether that’s Amazon Pharmacy or another supplier.”

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