Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Sunday July 01 2018, @11:21PM   Printer-friendly
from the resistance-is-futile dept.

By buying an online pharmacy allowed to deliver in all US states for a billion dollars, Amazon entered a new market and caused incumbents' stocks to plummet. The stock valuations of the traditional players lost 12.8 billion dollars just from the announcement.

Will Amazon help Americans afford their medications? How does it factor in with their announcing a combined healthcare provider with JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway, and will it scale to the rest of us from there?


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by sjames on Monday July 02 2018, @12:08AM (4 children)

    by sjames (2882) on Monday July 02 2018, @12:08AM (#701110) Journal

    They solve their counterfeit problem!

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 4, Informative) by krishnoid on Monday July 02 2018, @01:09AM (2 children)

    by krishnoid (1156) on Monday July 02 2018, @01:09AM (#701129)

    India (and probably other countries) looks like it handles counterfeiting and distribution by blister-packing the pills. If you go to pretty much any pharmacy there, they cut the packs with scissors to match the count of pills on the purchase, so the seals on the blisters are never broken until you open them yourself. The expiry dates, manufacturer, etc. are printed across the foil seals on the back to make it a little harder to counterfeit, especially since you'd have to insert yourself into the supply chain and distribution network to try to make money on medicine that isn't ridiculously expensive in the first place.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 02 2018, @01:54AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 02 2018, @01:54AM (#701141)

      And the counterfeiters do not know how to make plastic...

      That sort of thing raises the bar to entry for them. It does not make it impossible. Probably never will be.

      • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 02 2018, @03:30AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 02 2018, @03:30AM (#701178)

        I used to get my meds from Indian manufacturers. My bloodwork showed they were legit. Pennies on the dollar compared to what "insurance" claims they cost. Hell, pennies on the dollar compared to the "great deal" insurance claims I'm getting. The price of drugs is pure bullshit.

  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday July 02 2018, @04:03PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Monday July 02 2018, @04:03PM (#701427) Journal

    The counterfeiters can be outsmarted by the manufacturer of the genuine item.

    The genuine manufacturer can counterfeit the counterfeiters! Make an item soooo close to the counterfeit item that nobody can tell the difference. Then people will flock to buy their genuine items on Amazon.

    It has genuine imitation leather! And all natural artificial flavors!

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.