For those struggling with diabetes and the consistently high costs of insulin, Amazon Pharmacy may have the answer for you.
The company announced that it will launch automatic coupons in its pharmacy on over 15 of the most common diabetes care and insulin brands, bringing the monthly cost of the life-saving drug to a starting point of $35 a month.
“It’s exciting to know that patients will now have instant access to discounts on many of the most commonly prescribed insulin brands and diabetes care products available,” said Andrew Vo, an Amazon Pharmacy pharmacist. “Plus, we are offering a broad selection that will support the needs of a wide patient population.”
Know the price before you checkout
With automatic coupons, consumers looking for their specific brand of insulin won’t have to worry about remembering to input a discount code or applying a coupon. Once the chosen insulin is added to customers’ carts in Amazon Pharmacy, the discount will be automatically taken off the total cost before checkout.
Another key component of utilizing these discounts is getting to see the final total before checking out. Customers can scroll through dozens of different options of insulin, pumps, glucose monitors, and more to find the best price for them with the available discounts, and with and without insurance.
“Imagine not knowing the price of food or other essentials before being asked to pay at the cash register – that would be a terrible experience,” said John Love, vice president of Amazon Pharmacy. “The lack of upfront pricing in pharmacy is a pain point for customers that Amazon Pharmacy can help solve. Similar to how customers shop for the items they need on Amazon, we’re making it simpler to get critical medications.”
With Amazon Pharmacy, consumers get many of the same benefits that come with shopping on Amazon, including free delivery on medications. As an added bonus, Amazon’s pharmacists are available to answer any questions around the clock, 24/7.
Some restrictions to the discounts
While these insulin discounts are available to consumers regardless of their insurance status, there are a few restrictions on who is eligible to redeem the coupons.
Those receiving government assistance, like Medicare, Medicare Part D, or Medicaid are ineligible to utilize the coupons.
In addition, those who are enrolled in Amazon’s Prime prescription savings benefit – a program that discounts prescription drugs and allows consumers to pick them up at their local pharmacies – or Amazon’s RxPass, a $5/month subscription service that gives consumers all of their prescriptions for one flat fee, are also ineligible for the insulin discounts.