AmazonRx Pass may increase medication refills, study finds

Subscription models aren’t just for streaming services anymore.

Amazon Pharmacy’s RxPass, a subscription for Prime members that delivers 50 common generic drugs to their doors or pharmacies for a total $5/month fee, may be increasing medication adherence, according to a January JAMA study.

Researchers analyzed pharmacy data of about 10,000 people, comparing RxPass users to people who pick up prescriptions the old-fashioned way. RxPass users had on average an additional 10 days’ worth of medication on hand per person per month—a 27% increase—and had 29% more prescription refills per person per month. They also saved about $2.35 in out-of-pocket costs per month on average.

Imamu Tomlinson, CEO of Vituity—a physician-led and physician-owned multispecialty partnership—told Healthcare Brew that it makes sense that, when refills are cheaper and more convenient, people are more motivated to stay on track with their medication.

Other studies, too, have found mail-order pharmacies may increase medication adherence rates compared to retail brick-and-mortars.

Zooming out.

Amazon Pharmacy’s RxPass, which began in 2023, follows efforts by companies like Walmart, which has offered a 30-day supply of some generics for $4 per prescription since 2006. 

“Having some free-market pressure on pharmaceuticals, like an Amazon entry…is a good thing for patients,” Tomlinson said. 

Amazon declined to share profit or enrollment in RxPass with Healthcare Brew.