Amazon is considering entering the Japanese prescription pharmaceutical sales market, according to Reuters.
If so, it plans to work with smaller pharmacies starting in 2019, when the country will first allow electronic prescriptions.
In Japan, the cost of prescription drugs is determined by the government. There is a disjointed distribution system there, with more than 60,000 pharmacies and 70 wholesalers nationwide.
Recent acquisitions and business developments by Amazon include a stronger emphasis on healthcare. One of the purchases, the purchase of One Medical, is being looked into by the FTC.
Amazon agreed to purchase the healthcare startup for $3.9 million. Clinics for One Medical are located throughout the United States.
One Medical noted in recent security filing that both the business and Amazon had received inquiries about the deal.
The first significant acquisition announced by the company’s new CEO, Andy Jassy, is Amazon’s offer to buy One Medical. Jassy had previously mentioned his desire to spend more time working in the medical field.
The FTC probe may create delays since federal competition investigations may be lengthy and take months to complete. The longest take lasts, on average, 11 months.
One Medical is a medical practice with on-site sites in significant American cities that operates on a membership basis. Telehealth services are also included.
At a time when many businesses are keen to grow their healthcare operations, Amazon has been looking at the sector.
The eCommerce behemoth also decided to end its Amazon Care initiative, which it had started in 2019 as an employee-based telemedicine service that also sent medical professionals to patients’ homes. This decision was made in response to Amazon’s purchase of One Medical.
When the service was terminated, Senior Vice President Neil Lindsay stated that the choice had not been easy and that it had taken months to make.
