Opinion | My prescription for Amazon Pharmacy: Proceed with caution

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Like many people, I’ve been frustrated with traditional pharmacies: long lines, confusing insurance denials and endless back-and-forth with staff who seem as worn down as the customers. So when I saw that my insurance was listed as “accepted” on Amazon Pharmacy’s website, I felt hopeful. Maybe this was the solution. Maybe this was the modern, streamlined approach to prescriptions that would finally ease the burden.

I’ll admit, I was hesitant. Amazon had recently pulled back on its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and that decision gave me pause. But what intrigued me was the promise of convenience: automatic refills delivered to my door, 24/7 online customer service and pre-sorted pill packs that arrive organized by day and time. For someone juggling multiple medications, that kind of system could have been a game-changer. So, despite my hesitation, I transferred all of my prescriptions to Amazon.

That’s when the disappointment began.

After spending time setting up my account and notifying all of my prescribers to move everything over, I went to place my first order — only to be told my insurance actually wasn’t contracted with Amazon. The word “accepted,” it turns out, simply meant that Amazon’s system could store my insurance information, but not that my plan was usable there. It was a bait-and-switch in plain sight.

I turned to their online chat for help. Over the course of more than an hour, I repeated my story to three different representatives. Each time, I started from scratch: explaining how I had checked coverage, moved my prescriptions and now found myself unable to refill them. I asked them to forward the prescriptions to Walgreens or another pharmacy and was replied to with unreasonable questions like the name of the pharmacist on duty.

This wasn’t just inconvenient — it ended up being risky. By trusting Amazon’s word, I had disrupted my access to the medications I rely on for treating nightmares caused by PTSD. For people managing chronic illness or mental health conditions, gaps in treatment can be dangerous, even life-threatening. As a mental health advocate who has worked with the state of Minnesota, Hennepin County and Anoka County, I’ve seen firsthand how essential steady access to medication is. Missing even a few days of a prescription for depression, diabetes or heart disease can have devastating consequences.

Amazon’s promise was convenience. What I experienced was confusion, wasted time and a serious risk to my well-being. A company with Amazon’s reach has the power to reshape how we receive care, but if its systems aren’t clear and reliable, that power becomes a liability.

In the end, I had to request an emergency three-day “vacation refill” and start the process of transferring everything back to a local pharmacy — the very place I had hoped to escape. And while I worry about what it will take to fully restore my prescriptions, I worry even more about the next person who trusts Amazon Pharmacy’s misleading “accepted” language and ends up in the same frustrating position.

Amazon might be good for books, batteries or kitchen gadgets. But when it comes to prescriptions, clarity, accuracy and accountability matter just as much as convenience.

If you’re considering Amazon Pharmacy, think again.