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 pay $3.9 million for the healthcare company. One Medical has clinics in a variety of U.S. markets.
In a recent securities filing, One Medical stated that both company and Amazon had received requests for further information on the transaction.
Amazon’s proposal to acquire One Medical is the company’s first major purchase revealed by new CEO Andy Jassy. Jassy had previously stated that he wished to devote more time to healthcare.
Because federal competition investigations may be long and take months to complete, the FTC inquiry might cause delays. On average, the longest take is roughly 11 months.
One Medical is a membership-based general care practice with on-site locations in major U.S. cities. It also includes telehealth services.
Amazon has been investigating healthcare at a time when many corporations are eager to expand their healthcare operations.
Amazon’s acquisition of One Medical also prompted the eCommerce giant to discontinue its Amazon Care program, which it had launched in 2019 as an employee-based telemedicine service that also delivered healthcare providers to people’s homes.
Senior Vice President Neil Lindsay noted when the service was shut down that the choice had not been simple and that it had taken months to reach the decision.
