Amazon Pharmacy Steps Up Prescription Delivery With AI Technology

Amazon Pharmacy is upgrading its delivery of prescription medicines with artificial intelligence technology and will expand the service to include more US cities by the end of this year.

Same-Day Delivery in NY and LA

Amazon Pharmacy debuted its same-day delivery in Los Angeles and New York City this week. As of Tuesday, the online pharmacy will allow customers in these areas to order prescription drugs to manage certain health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and flu. They are assured of deliveries straight to their doors "within hours." Amazon Pharmacy hopes to include more cities for this delivery option before 2024 ends.

Service Expansion: The Next Target City

Amazon's online pharmacy unit told FOX Business that Orlando, Florida, is the target city for the next launch of the same-day delivery service. Additional locations will be gradually added to the list, and hopefully, the service will be available to dozens more cities by the end of the year.

Currently, its customers in Miami, Austin, Seattle, Phoenix, and Indianapolis are already enjoying the hassle-free purchase that lets them receive their orders on the same day. In College Station, Texas, the service is even faster as orders are delivered within an hour through drones.

Use of AI in the Deliveries

Amazon said its online pharmacy's same-day delivery service is powered by advanced technology. It uses generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and machine learning to help pharmacists fill prescriptions faster and more accurately.

"AI doesn't replace the role of the pharmacist; it allows them to operate at the top of their license," Amazon Pharmacy's director of fulfillment, Kelvin Downes, said in a press release. "Rather than doing duplicative work, pharmacists can use the skills they went to school for to deliver better patient experiences."

He added, "We built out a new fulfillment system by integrating a fully licensed pharmacy into existing logistics operations and smaller sites. Prescription medication processing time is shrinking with AI on the back end and automation and new micromobility technologies on the front end."

Photo by: Amazon Press Release