E-commerce giant Amazon is set to expand its prescription drug business beyond the USA, according to news channel CNN. Amazon has already applied for registration of the trademark „Amazon Pharmacy“ for Canada, Australia, and Great Britain. According to media reports, the applications have already been filed on 9 January 2020. The online giant has already driven the drug business in the USA in 2018 with the start-up „Pillpack“ and its takeover because Pillpack was and is specialized in sending patient-specific blister packs to patients with chronic complaints who have to take many drugs on a regular basis. Through the acquisition of Amazon, Pillpack became the „Pillpack by Amazon Pharmacy“ brand. With the purchase of the start-up and the renaming, the problems in the USA also began, because the competition is very large and powerful. Legal disputes have so far made life difficult for Pillpack, which holds all pharmacy licenses in the 50 states. Amazon’s hiring practices have been legally challenged, but there has also been trouble with Suresripts, a company that has tried to block access to its patients‘ drug data. As a result, Amazon is still concentrated in the USA. Expansion of business to Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, but also to Brazil, China, Japan and other international markets around the world could be imminent, according to CNN, as Amazon’s business strategies focus on international expansion in the near future.
