Eli Lilly is partnering with Amazon's pharmacy unit to offer home delivery for diabetes, migraine and obesity medications, including GLP-1 weight loss drug Zepbound.
The drugmaker launched its direct-to-consumer service, LillyDirect, in January to provide consumers access to telehealth and pharmacy services and the ability to get some medications directly from the company via online pharmacies.
Lilly selected Aazon Pharmacy to serve as a third-party dispensing provider for LillyDirect Pharmacy Solutions, delivering prescribed Lilly medications directly to a patient’s home, according to an Amazon Pharmacy blog post.
Through Amazon Pharmacy, consumers also have 24/7 access to a clinical pharmacist.
Prescriptions sent to LillyDirect Pharmacy Solutions will be delivered by either Amazon Pharmacy or online pharmacy Truepill, depending on the patient’s insurance coverage and other factor, executives told Reuters.
"For many patients who start using insulin, or injectable medications for migraine or obesity, this will be the first time they administer an injection. Amazon pharmacists can support medication management by providing guidance on administration techniques, drug interactions, side effects, and cost considerations," Dr. Vin Gupta, Amazon Pharmacy chief medical officer, wrote in the blog post.
Companies including the weight loss program providers Noom and WeightWatchers have begun offering telehealth services to help people access Lilly’s Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy. Drugmakers have kept in their lane, though, developing and manufacturing medicines without getting into the business of connecting patients to physicians and delivering products to their homes, Fierce Pharma's Nick Paul Taylor reported.
LillyDirect marks a shift in strategy, at least for Lilly. The website features sections to help people access healthcare, either remotely or in person, and details of how to send prescriptions to LillyDirect Pharmacy Solutions to get home deliveries of Lilly drugs.
Online retail giant Amazon has been building out its pharmacy unit since it acquired PillPack in 2018.
Amazon Pharmacy has largely been focused on price transparency and affordability of branded and generic drugs. Amazon rolled out RxPass, a prescription drug subscription for Prime members, as well as a new feature to make it easier for consumers to use manufacturer discounts on branded meds by integrating the coupons into the checkout experience.
The company also is focused on leveraging its logistics and supply chain muscle, now including drone delivery, to make it faster and easier for patients to get their prescription medications and speed up "triage to treatment," executives said.