亚马逊药房推出诊室快速取药亭
内容总结:
亚马逊公司正通过推出新型药房自助服务终端,大幅缩短患者就诊与取药之间的时空距离。该设备将于今年12月率先入驻亚马逊旗下医疗保健企业One Medical在洛杉矶都会区的诊所,并计划逐步推广至更多医疗场所。
这种独立式终端旨在优化配药流程,患者结束诊疗后无需专程前往传统药房排队等候。据官方介绍,终端储备了包括抗生素、吸入器和降压药在内的多种常用处方药,所有药品均根据各诊所处方习惯精准配置,但暂不提供管制药物和需冷藏药品。
就诊后,患者可通过亚马逊应用程序获取二维码,在终端扫描后数分钟内即可取得现场打印定制标签的药品。整个流程融合了人工智能与专业药剂师的双重保障:内置摄像头支持远程实时审核药品,患者还可通过视频或电话咨询药剂师。
亚马逊药房运营副总裁汉娜·麦克莱伦向媒体透露,公司已备足终端设备待命投放,西雅图作为总部所在地有望成为重点推广区域。每台重约1,700磅的防破坏终端配备振动传感器和监控系统,且严格遵循医疗信息安全规范。
值得注意的是,这项服务对Prime会员和非会员均不收取额外费用,支持保险结算,与传统药房收费标准保持一致。亚马逊期望通过此项创新,改善美国每年近三分之一处方未被领取的现状,从而提升公众健康水平并节省巨额医疗支出。
此次业务拓展标志着亚马逊在2020年推出在线药房服务后的又一次战略升级。该公司先后于2018年以7.53亿美元收购邮寄药房PillPack,2023年完成对One Medical的39亿美元收购,持续深化其在医疗健康领域的布局。
中文翻译:
亚马逊正通过推出新型药房自助服务终端,消除诊所与药房间的距离壁垒,患者就诊后即可快速获取药品。首批终端将于12月落户亚马逊旗下医疗保健公司One Medical在洛杉矶都会区的诊所,后续将逐步扩展至更多One Medical网点及其他场所。
这种独立式终端旨在简化配药流程,省去患者专程前往传统药房排队取药的麻烦。亚马逊表示终端将配备各类常用处方药,包括抗生素、吸入器和降压药等,但管制药物和需冷藏药品除外,库存会根据各诊所的开药习惯动态调整。
医生开具处方后,患者可选择将药品配送至亚马逊药房的自助终端。通过亚马逊应用程序获取二维码,在终端扫描后数分钟内即可取得现场打印定制标签的药品。整个过程并非无人化——内置摄像头允许远程药师实时审核药品,还可通过视频或电话解答患者疑问。
设立线下取药点是亚马逊药房的重要转型,该服务此前仅提供药品配送。药房运营副总裁汉娜·麦克莱伦向GeekWire透露,公司已准备好将终端推广至洛杉矶以外地区。"我们备有大量待部署终端",她表示,"One Medical是终端的首发平台,但其应用场景远不止于此。它们能显著提升当前取药体验。"
西雅图地区拥有八家One Medical诊所,麦克莱伦称亚马逊总部所在地可能成为终端布局重点。这些防篡改终端重约1700磅,固定于地面并配备振动传感器和监控摄像头。亚马逊强调患者信息受HIPAA法规保护,整套系统经过严格测试与合规审查。
Prime会员与非会员使用终端均无附加费用,患者仅需支付药费且支持医保结算。亚马逊期望通过这种便利性,改善美国每年近三分之一处方未被领取的现状,从而提升公众健康水平并节省数十亿可避免的医疗支出。
"这绝非简化版药房",麦克莱伦强调,"我们未做任何删减。零售药房能提供的服务这里一应俱全,只是将药房体验移植到诊所场景,使其更高效透明。"
亚马逊于2018年以7.53亿美元收购邮递药房PillPack后,在2020年11月正式推出药房服务。2022年7月宣布以39亿美元收购One Medical,并于2023年2月完成交易。2024年2月,该公司对两个医疗部门进行了数百人的裁员。
英文来源:
Amazon is erasing the distance between the doctor’s office and the pharmacy with the introduction of new Amazon Pharmacy kiosks that can quickly dispense medications to patients after a medical appointment.
The kiosks will initially be located inside offices for One Medical, Amazon’s primary healthcare company, in locations across the greater Los Angeles area starting in December. Expansion to additional One Medical offices and other locations is expected soon after.
The goal of the freestanding kiosks is to facilitate easier filling of prescriptions, eliminating the need for an extra trip or waiting in line at a conventional pharmacy.
According to Amazon, the kiosks will be stocked with a wide range of commonly prescribed medications, including antibiotics, inhalers, and blood pressure medications. Controlled substances and medications requiring refrigeration are not available. The inventory is tailored to the prescribing patterns of each office location.
After a provider writes a prescription, patients can choose to have it sent to Amazon Pharmacy for in-office kiosk pickup. In the Amazon app, patients get a QR code to scan at the kiosk to pick up their medication, which is delivered within minutes with a custom label printed on the spot.
The initiative is not without human intervention — cameras inside the kiosks allow an Amazon pharmacist to get a live view and review medications before they are dispensed, and those pharmacists can also answer any patient questions via a video or phone consultation.
Giving customers a pickup point is a departure for Amazon Pharmacy, which works via home delivery of medications. Hannah McClellan, vice president of operations for Amazon Pharmacy, told GeekWire that Amazon is prepared to scale the kiosks beyond the L.A. rollout.
“We do have many more kiosks ready to go,” McClellan said. “I see One Medical as a launch pad for the kiosk, but I think they have runway far beyond One Medical, and frankly, far beyond primary care offices. There’s so many ways that they can drastically improve the pharmacy pickup experience today.”
The Seattle area has eight One Medical locations, and McClellan said Amazon’s hometown could be “high on the list” for where kiosks are placed.
The tamper-resistant kiosks weigh approximately 1,700 pounds and are secured to the floor, with additional security features including vibration sensors and surveillance cameras to discourage break-ins. Amazon says patient information is protected in accordance with HIPAA regulations and the entire system has undergone rigorous testing and regulatory review.
There is no additional fee to use a kiosk for Prime and non-Prime members. Patients pay only for their prescription medications, and insurance is accepted just as with traditional pharmacy options.
Amazon’s ultimate hope is that convenience cuts back on the nearly one-third of prescriptions in the U.S. that are never filled each year, leading to better health outcomes and billions in preventable healthcare costs.
“This is not a watered-down version of a pharmacy,” McClellan said. “We have cut zero corners. Every single thing that’s available to you at a retail pharmacy pickup is available to you here. We really have just brought the pharmacy experience to your provider office, and made it incredibly fast and transparent.”
Amazon launched the Amazon Pharmacy service in November 2020, following its $753 million acquisition of prescription-by-mail company PillPack in 2018. The company announced its $3.9 billion acquisition of One Medical in July 2022 and closed the deal in February 2023. In February 2024, Amazon cut hundreds of jobs from both health care units.