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Amazon has announced its intention to embark on the North American industry of by acquiring a group of online pharmacies that deliver home-based medicines to patients with chronic diseases. After the operation, investors fled traditional pharmacy chains.
The acquisition of PillPack, a consumer-driven pharmacy that needs several daily remedies, comes after months of fear in the health industry that Amazon is starting to sell drugs on order in its attempt to become a store that offers everything from batteries, clothes and televisions to music, movies and food.
The online sales giant is already grabbing more than $ 4 from every $ 10 spent in the United States through Internet shopping; and the possibility that this has wreaked havoc with the pharmacy business has caused Wall Street to fall sharply on the shares of America's largest drugstores
Walgreens Boots Alliance, which replaced General Electric on the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Monday, 10% yesterday at noon in New York, while CVS Health Group, the largest pharmacy operator in the United States, was almost collapsing 7%.
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Last year, Amazon paid $ 13,700 million to Whole Foods to accelerate its ambitions in the food sector, an operation that had a similar immediate effect on the actions of supermarket chains such as Kroger and Costco. But since then, the majority has recovered, a sign that Amazon's entry into the health sector could take longer than some investors predict.
Stefano Pessina, CEO of Waltreens, said yesterday that he did not think that the acquisition of Amazon would have a big impact on the sector.
"It's a statement of intent from Amazon, but we see that pharmacy operation is much more complex than just delivering some pills or some packages," he says. Stefano said. "I firmly believe that the role of physical pharmacy will continue to be very important in the future."
Amazon did not disclose the terms of the PillPack transaction, but those close to the agreement maintained that the purchase price was less than $ s. 1,000 million. The transaction is expected to be finalized in the second half of this year as regulatory approval is pending.
Many badysts have attributed the recent consolidation in the health sector to the spectrum that Amazon has entered into the industry. CVS accepted the acquisition of Aetna health insurer for $ 69,000 million in December and, in March, Cigna, a competitor of Medicare, closed for $ 67,000 million dollars the purchase of Express Scripts, a manager of pharmaceutical benefits.
By purchasing PillPack, Amazon follows a strategy similar to that applied with Whole Foods: acquiring a company with presence in a market, instead of trying to build a new company within its own sales network.
The PillPack service – which packages drugs at pre-determined doses – is primarily intended for people with chronic or multiple illnesses who ingest several different remedies each day, and not for people taking a single medication or taking medication.
Mail delivery accounts for a small proportion of the total prescription drug market, but it is considered According to Colin Sebastian, badyst at Baird, the acquisition "will create another competitive advantage" for Amazon compared traditional pharmacies and online rivals, as the population ages. thanks to its extensive logistics network and "loyal" consumer base that provides its Prime delivery service.
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