Amazon Launches Virtual Healthcare Clinic in US for Third-party Virtual Consultants

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has launched a virtual healthcare clinic called Amazon Clinic to treat common ailments. According to reports, Amazon Clinic is a virtual platform that connects users with healthcare providers to treat health conditions like acne, hair loss, and allergies.

Amazon Clinic will initially launch in 32 states across the United States and does not require health insurance. Instead, if a prescription constitutes part of treatment, customers may choose any pharmacy to fill it, including Amazon’s full-service online pharmacy Amazon Pharmacy. Furthermore, the clinic’s overall pricing may vary depending on several variables, including providers, conditions, and location.

Amazon Clinic to Offer Convenient, Fast & Affordable Healthcare

The new Amazon virtual clinic imitative prides itself on the flexibility and ease of use it affords customers. By granting them access to convenient and affordable healthcare for over 20 common conditions, Amazon Clinic says customers can access these on the go. In addition, the platform also states that the large pool of available partnering healthcare consultants and providers gives customers a wide berth to choose from. A statement from Amazon’s site regarding the telehealth offering reads:

“Our new health care store lets customers choose from a network of leading telehealth providers based on their preferences. Every telehealth provider on Amazon Clinic has gone through rigorous clinical quality and customer experience evaluations by Amazon’s clinical leadership team.”

Amazon Clinic also prides itself as a seamless and easy-to-use service and provides detailed guidelines on how customers may use it. However, the platform concedes that virtual care may only be suitable in specific instances. In such cases, the clinic says it will inform patients upfront before they connect with a provider. Ultimately, the virtual telehealth service says its goal is “to make sure you get the care that’s right for you.”

Successful consultations might also entail follow-up messages with relevant clinicians. According to the clinic, this could happen for up to fourteen days after the initial consultation.

Virtual Clinic Strides

Amazon Clinic is part of the tech giant’s continued push into the healthcare sector. Previously, the company acquired primary care tech provider One Medical for close to $4 billion. Further back in 2018, Amazon also acquired online pharmacy PillPack, later launched as Amazon Pharmacy. The platform offers 24/7 access to pharmacists in addition to swift and free delivery of prescription medications. The cost of prescribed drugs is not included in the price of the visit, but customers can pay for medication using their insurance. In addition, they could also pay for over-the-counter drugs using their Prime memberships.

Amazon shut down Amazon Care a few months ago, which initially launched back in 2019 as a pilot program for employees. At the time, it was not clear how much traction the initiative had gained, but Amazon decided to step up its expansion plans to a nationwide scale.