Amazon Pharmacy is set to launch kiosks filled with prescription medicines that will allow patients to pick up prescriptions immediately after seeing the doctor.
The vending-like machines will be introduced at One Medical locations starting December 2025. The first wave will roll out across the greater Los Angeles area, with further expansion planned.
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Amazon Pharmacy, which already offers same-day medication delivery across half of the US, is aiming to further streamline the journey from doctor’s office to the pharmacy counter. In the US, nearly one-third of prescriptions are never filled. This is in part due to areas with a low density of pharmacies – neighbourhoods considered ‘pharmacy deserts.’
“As clinicians, we see firsthand how delays in starting medication can impact treatment outcomes,” said Dr Andrew Diamond, One Medical’s chief medical officer.
“The ability to know a patient is leaving our office with their medication in hand—especially for conditions requiring immediate treatment like infections—can make a meaningful difference in their care journey,” Diamond added.
A range of commonly prescribed medications, including antibiotics, inhalers, and blood pressure medications, will be stored in the kiosks. Prescriptions for controlled substances and medications will not be fulfilled at the kiosks, however.
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By GlobalDataThe new kiosk programme will give patients the opportunity to have the prescription sent to Amazon Pharmacy, which will be ready to be collected from the machines within minutes. Patients wanting to use the kiosk will need a smartphone, with most of the logistics and cost information displayed via the Amazon app.
The kiosks are not completely automatic – an Amazon pharmacist still reviews the medication. Patients can be directly connected to a pharmacist via video or phone to further discuss the prescription.
“We’ve designed the kiosk experience to be simple, fast, and patient-centered,” said Hannah McClellan, vice president of operations, Amazon Pharmacy.
“But we also understand that patients sometimes have questions about their medications. That’s why every kiosk transaction includes access to our team of pharmacists who can provide consultation via video or phone, just as they would at a traditional pharmacy counter.”
Amazon launched Amazon Pharmacy in 2020, offering patients an online pharmacy platform that allows medication refills and ordering via smartphones and other devices. The company acquired One Medical, a membership-based primary care practice with locations nationwide, in 2023.
Amazon Pharmacy is not the first company to launch unmanned vending machines for medicine dispensing. The UK launched the REMEDY machine in Wales in April 2025, offering out-of-hours service to patients who require medication urgently.
The increasing use of technology in the pharmacy sector comes as some traditional pharmacy chains are struggling. Rite Aid, a drugstore that at its peak had more than 5,000 stores in the US, closed its final stores on 6 October.
Several big pharma companies, including Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, have launched digital pharmacies over recent years to offer patients direct access to drugs and home delivery.
