Redefining industries is not a new concept to Amazon, as the company completely disrupted the world’s approach to retail just two decades ago. In more recent years, the company has set out to disrupt another multi-trillion dollar industry: healthcare. But this has not always proven easy, given how cumbersome and intricate the sector remains. Nevertheless, Amazon has made some innovative efforts, including its acquisition of PillPack in 2018, its various telehealth service offerings, and its more formal movement into primary care with the acquisition of One Medical in 2023. Amazon has also made incredible strides with Amazon Pharmacy, even experimenting with drone delivery for medications.
To take charge of these monumental efforts, Amazon has always been able to recruit top market talent. For its latest iteration, the company wants to make its approach to healthcare even more nimble. As first reported by CNBC last week, Neil Lindsay, senior vice president of Amazon Health Services, explained that the company has been exploring opportunities to “overhaul” healthcare efforts for some time now, with an eye to “move faster and continue to innovate effectively.” This also comes at a time when notable leaders in the company have announced their departures, including Dr. Sunita Mishra, Amazon’s chief medical officer, Dr. Vin Gupta, who served as chief medical officer for Amazon Pharmacy, and Aaron Martin, vice president of healthcare at the company.
Regardless of these changes, Lindsay remains optimistic, commenting that talent is pervasive throughout Amazon and the restructuring will enable a more nimble approach to the behemoth that is healthcare.
At the end of the day, the numbers have to support the story, and most large technology companies that have entered the healthcare market realize that it is a difficult opportunity to pursue. After all, healthcare, in general, faces some of the thinnest margins when compared to other sectors. Furthermore, the sector is incredibly vulnerable to numerous externalities, including supply chain constraints, regulatory changes and a constantly evolving workforce. This is further compounded with significant challenges that primary care specifically faces, including an ever-pervasive lack of access to care.
Notably, other large hyper-scalers have tried similar efforts on this front. For example, CVS Health has leveraged its retail footprint and community brand to enter the realm of clinical delivery with MinuteClinic. Walgreens tried something similar with its VillageMD clinic model, but has reportedly faced significant financial challenges. Even retail behemoth Walmart put forth a valiant effort in this space, but ultimately decided to terminate it last year, citing that “the challenging reimbursement environment and escalating operating costs create a lack of profitability that make the care business unsustainable.”
Nonetheless, Amazon’s strongest feature has always been its ability to disrupt and stay lean. Thus, although more changes may undoubtedly emerge in the coming years, consumers can likely expect that the company will continue to innovate relentlessly.
