Amazon, known for its fast and efficient delivery services, has taken a significant step forward by introducing its first same-day pharmacy fulfillment center in California. Located in Corona, this facility now offers same-day delivery for prescription medications, aiming to enhance convenience for customers across the Inland Empire and Greater Los Angeles areas.

According to John Love, Vice President of Amazon Pharmacy, the company’s service makes ordering prescription medications as easy as ordering any other item on Amazon, whether it’s a book or a golf club.

“It’s really like ordering anything on Amazon,” Love said. “Half of Americans don’t take their prescribed meds, either due to cost or inconvenience. Amazon aims to fill that gap.”

Love highlighted the difficulties many Americans face, particularly in pharmacy deserts where access to medication can be limited due to distance, restricted hours, or long lines. The new same-day pharmacy service is designed to combat these issues, offering a faster, more accessible alternative.

By locating the Corona fulfillment center next to a delivery hub, Amazon ensures that prescriptions are processed, reviewed by pharmacists, and shipped out on the same day they’re ordered. Patients can decide whether to use insurance or pay cash, and their medications arrive right at their doorsteps.

Among the medications offered through Amazon Pharmacy are popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, has chosen Amazon as a delivery partner for its product, though Love acknowledged the current scarcity of these GLP drugs due to manufacturing shortages.

On the other hand, ADHD medications and other Schedule II controlled substances are not yet available through Amazon Pharmacy, owing to regulatory challenges and shortages.

Despite the convenience Amazon offers, some independent pharmacies believe they still have an edge. Sherri Cherman, a pharmacist at Elements Pharmacy in Studio City, pointed out that personal relationships, vaccination services, and hands-on care for patients with complex medical needs are areas where neighborhood pharmacies can continue to thrive.

“The use of complicated meds with complicated disease states where you just really need to have somebody’s time,” Cherman said.

Amazon’s new same-day pharmacy service represents an evolution in the healthcare landscape, but as Love emphasized, the company aims to complement—rather than replace—the essential services offered by local pharmacies.