PillPack from Amazon Pharmacy Expands to Medicare Part D: How PillPack and 24/7 Support Are Transforming Medication Access and Adherence

With PillPack from Amazon Pharmacy now accepting Medicare Part D, millions of seniors and Medicare beneficiaries managing chronic conditions have new options for medication delivery and adherence support. In this interview with Pharmacy Times, Tess Carey, PharmD, discusses how Amazon is leveraging PillPack’s model to simplify polypharmacy management, improve health literacy, and reduce barriers to care. From addressing pharmacy deserts to enhancing caregiver support, Carey shares insights on how this expansion could reshape the pharmacy experience for Medicare patients nationwide.

Q: With Pillpack from Amazon Pharmacy now accepting Medicare Part D, how do you anticipate this will fundamentally change the access and experience for Medicare beneficiaries, especially those who previously faced challenges with traditional pharmacy models or medication adherence?

Tess Carey, PharmD: Yes, good question. It's exciting. PillPack from Amazon Pharmacy has expanded access to Medicare Part D patients across the country, and this is huge because it means that millions of people managing multiple chronic conditions—and therefore juggling multiple medications—now have access to this service.

What we've done is blend PillPack's innovative packaging with Amazon Pharmacy's user-friendly approach and affordability, so these patients can now get their medications in convenient, personalized packets and order everything online through our digital pharmacy.

Just to share a little bit more about our medication packets: these packets are labeled by date and time, and they come in a monthly pill dispenser box. Those packets come right out of the box, and you're able to tear them away. What that does is eliminate the need to manage multiple pill bottles, with the goal of making it easier to take your medications as prescribed.

But where I think this gets better is when you pair the packets with Amazon Pharmacy's benefits like free delivery to your doorstep and 24/7 access to a pharmacist. It's the combination of tools that really has the potential to boost medication adherence and ultimately improve health outcomes.

So I think for patients who have been struggling with the traditional pharmacy setup, this really has the potential to be a game changer. It's all about making medication management easier and more accessible.

Q: Beyond convenience, how do you foresee PillPack’s acceptance of Medicare Part D influencing the clinical outcomes for patients, particularly regarding medication adherence, polypharmacy management, and the potential for improved health literacy among this demographic?

Carey: We know that medication management is a troubling problem, and that's really in part because patients can experience a barrier during any point of their medication journey. Common barriers that I think of include access and cost, but also treatment complexity and forgetfulness.

Since launching Amazon Pharmacy in November of 2020, we've made it easier for patients to access low-priced medications and have them delivered to their door. I really think of that access barrier—we know that one in four neighborhoods is considered a pharmacy desert—and we're able to bring fast, free home delivery to those populations.

In regard to polypharmacy management specifically, I think it can be underestimated how much complexity itself can impact medication adherence. That's really where I think the packets for Part D patients can come into play. We want to help eliminate the hassle of managing multiple medication bottles and help patients not only start their medications but be able to stay on their medications.

Lastly, just to touch on health literacy—when you add in our simplified digital communication and educational touch points, you really create space for health literacy as well.

Q: As PillPack from Amazon Pharmacy expands its reach into the Medicare Part D market, how do you see the role of the pharmacy evolving within this model? What new opportunities or responsibilities might arise for pharmacists in counseling, care coordination, or addressing specific needs of Medicare patients?

Carey: While technology enables many of the features at Amazon Pharmacy, our pharmacist clinical oversight really remains at the heart of our operations. Our pharmacists play a crucial role in medication safety and care coordination, and they're not just dispensing medications. They are available 24/7 to help with medication synchronization, support caregivers, and provide on-demand counseling with that 24/7 access.

These are things that I think are especially critical for Medicare Part D patients who are managing multiple chronic conditions. We also know that all customers, including Medicare patients, can benefit from a simplified pharmacy experience and price transparency.

Q: As Amazon Pharmacy expands its reach into the Medicare Part D market, how do you see the role of the pharmacy evolving within this model? What new opportunities or responsibilities might arise for pharmacists in counseling, care coordination, or addressing specific needs of Medicare patients?

Carey: Pharmacists really play a key and expanding role in healthcare right now. With our 24/7 pharmacist support, patients can learn more about their benefits whenever they have questions—even if it's in the middle of the night.

Another thing that our pharmacists are able to do as they counsel patients is educate these Part D patients about the services we have available to make medication management easier. That includes things like our Caregiver Support feature and PillPack for managing multiple medications.

At Amazon Pharmacy, we want to continue to support pharmacists to work at the top of their license. We know that when pharmacists are empowered, we're able to help improve health outcomes. We can improve clinical efficiency, and we can also help combat the provider burnout that we see today.