TradingKey - On Thursday, U.S. Eastern Time, according to Amazon ( AMZN ), it was disclosed that the company will stock at its self-service kiosks Novo Nordisk's ( NVO) Ozempic oral medication, which is used to treat type 2 diabetes and supports same-day delivery.
Amazon also stated that customers with prescriptions can order Ozempic at the self-service kiosks, with costs as low as $25 per month for insured users and starting from $149 for cash payments. Same-day delivery will cover approximately 3,000 cities and towns, expanding to 4,500 by the end of the year.
For Amazon's pharmaceutical business, the most valuable part of this step is that it enhances the closed-loop efficiency for patients from consultation to prescription, medication pickup, and repurchase. GLP-1 drugs (used to treat diabetes and obesity) are high-frequency, long-term use, and highly path-dependent categories; once a patient enters a treatment cycle, the demand for subsequent refills and supplements will continue to arise.
Amazon has been delivering GLP-1 drugs since 2021 and has saved customers a cumulative total of over $200 million through its automated coupon program, with GLP-1 being its largest savings category. Integrating Ozempic into self-service kiosks and same-day delivery means Amazon is turning these types of chronic disease drugs into a more standardized, lower-friction service process; this change directly aids prescription conversion rates, refill rates, and user retention.
On a deeper level, this is also driving the evolution of Amazon's pharmaceutical business from drug delivery to healthcare retail infrastructure. According to Reuters, Amazon began piloting self-service kiosks at One Medical clinics as early as October 2025, with the original intention of lowering access barriers and reducing transportation costs. The company has also explicitly mentioned internally that placing inventory closer to customers will decrease shipping costs and increase demand.
The value to One Medical is even more apparent. Previously, One Medical acted more like an outpatient entry point in Amazon's healthcare landscape, but now it is starting to form a closer synergy with Amazon Pharmacy. After patients complete a consultation at the clinic, they can pick up medicine directly at the kiosk or access same-day delivery. Once this closed loop is formed, One Medical will not only be a medical service brand, but will also become a traffic entry point for Amazon's pharmacy business. For Amazon, this synergy is more important than simply selling drugs because it is easier to retain long-term users and easier to bundle pharmacy, membership, delivery, and medical services into a single system.
From a business competition perspective, Amazon's move is also strengthening its advantage in the chronic disease medication market. The GLP-1 track is already very crowded; whoever can simultaneously excel in price, accessibility, and delivery speed will more easily acquire users. Amazon is gradually incorporating Ozempic, Wegovy, and other related weight-loss drugs into its delivery and self-service kiosk systems, indicating that it is trying to create a replicable drug retail template.
For investors, the key focus should be on whether this model can be extended to more drugs and more medical scenarios. Amazon has also invested over $4 billion this year to expand its delivery capabilities, with the goal of including more small towns and rural areas in its network. If same-day delivery and kiosk pickup continue to expand, the pharmaceutical business will have the opportunity to become a high-frequency, essential growth sector with strong repurchase rates.
Once this direction is established, Amazon's pharmaceutical business will not just be a supplementary business, but the part most likely to achieve scale effects after the company integrates its logistics capabilities, medical services, and retail entry points.