PillPack From Amazon Pharmacy Expands Into Medicare Part D Services: Inside Its PillPack, Caregiver Tools, and AI-Powered Pharmacy Vision

Amazon Pharmacy is reshaping the Medicare Part D experience with innovations that go beyond traditional pharmacy models. In this interview with Pharmacy Times, Tess Carey, PharmD, shares how Amazon is combining same-day delivery, 24/7 pharmacist access, and caregiver management tools to simplify complex medication routines for seniors and caregivers alike. From AI-powered prescription fulfillment to the expansion of PillPack for Medicare patients, Carey outlines how Amazon Pharmacy is streamlining access, improving affordability, and setting the stage for a more patient-centered health care future.

Q: Medicare Part D can be complex. What strategies is Amazon Pharmacy implementing, and what role do senior pharmacists play in educating Medicare beneficiaries about their benefits, cost-sharing, and how to best utilize PillPack from Amazon Pharmacy under their Part D plans?

Tess Carey, PharmD: Amazon Pharmacy offers an alternative to the traditional pharmacy experience, which unfortunately can force people to spend time waiting in lines, potentially have a public conversation about a private health concern, and then face a surprising price at checkout.

As a full-service pharmacy on Amazon.com, we're providing 24/7 access to pharmacists, along with clear and transparent pricing—so no price surprises. Amazon Pharmacy customers can get same-day medication delivery. We're talking hours within the medication being prescribed in over a dozen cities, including New York City today, and there are more than 20 other cities on the horizon. By the end of the year, half the country is going to have access to same-day delivery from Amazon Pharmacy.

Q: The pharmacy landscape for Medicare Part D is competitive. What do you believe are Amazon Pharmacy’s key differentiators, particularly with the expanded PillPack access and caregiver features, that will attract and retain Medicare Part D patients compared to traditional pharmacies?

Carey: Amazon's mission in healthcare is to make it dramatically easier for customers to find, choose, afford, and engage with the products, services, and professionals they need to get and stay healthy.

We're really focused on building a customer- or patient-centered experience, and the expansion of PillPack from Amazon Pharmacy to Part D patients helps us reach this goal by ensuring that more individuals have access to our services.

While I can't speculate on the future, we're definitely committed to serving our patient populations. We're rapidly scaling our logistical capabilities, and we are planning to build a new pharmacy every 18 days in major urban areas over the course of 2025 as part of that same-day initiative I was speaking about.

Q: Looking ahead, how does PillPack from Amazon Pharmacy expanding into Medicare Part D fit into Amazon Pharmacy’s long-term vision for health care? Are there specific innovations or service expansions you envision for this patient population in the coming years?

Carey: While always focused on clinical support, Amazon Pharmacy also continues to invest in speed, convenience, and value to provide a more engaging customer experience.

One example is our recently launched caregiver support feature, which allows a patient to securely invite a family member—or it may be another trusted individual—to help manage medications through their own Amazon Pharmacy account. So if my dad were to need help managing his medications, he can invite me to be his caregiver, and then I can help manage his medications from my Amazon profile. I might sign him up for packets if he needs it. I can help coordinate his refills. This enhancement can really help support and improve medication adherence for individuals who receive caregiver support, and we know that includes some of the Part D patients.

With the caregiver launch, we're now able to support both independent and caregiver-assisted medication management. So again, we're expanding access and supporting more individuals.

Additionally, touching on technology, Amazon Pharmacy is using AI to ensure that we're creating the safest and most clinically sound pharmacy. AI can allow pharmacists to provide more direct care by freeing them up from tasks that were previously cumbersome or less clinical.

For example, right now we're using AI to help fill prescriptions more quickly and more accurately, to make customer service faster and more helpful, and to ensure that we've got the right medications in stock.

Lastly, with the AI piece, we know that the human aspect of pharmacy is so important and that AI cannot replace that, but it can help create the bandwidth to improve pharmacist support and connection.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to add?

Carey: Sure. I'd just like to add that PillPack is a convenient option that really can benefit anyone who's taking two or more medications—not just Part D patients. Packets can be a great medication management tool for so many populations.

I think of busy professionals, parents, caregivers managing medications for a loved one, patients with cognitive impairments, or even those populations with dexterity issues. So if managing multiple medication bottles is difficult, then PillPack can really be a great solution.