This article was updated January 14, 2020.

Independent pharmacists are expressing concern over a growing practice involving Amazon’s Pillpack, describing what some believe is the company sending unsolicited phone calls to their patients as a way of requesting transfers of prescriptions. 

Dana Gordon, PharmD, who has owned and operated Central Avenue Pharmacy in Pacific Grove, CA, for more than 30 years, explained in an interview with Pharmacy Times that 3 patients living in 2 separate assisted/independent living facilities have received phone calls from the Amazon affiliate.

“One of the patients, according to the pharmacist that received the call, actually thought it was us calling them. So, they were confused and were calling to follow-up [with us], because we’re their pharmacy and we didn’t know,” said Gordon, whose Central Avenue Pharmacy is responsible for retail compounding in independent/assisted living skilled nursing facilities and which provides for 3 hospices on the central coast.

Claims surrounding this alleged practice began almost immediately after Amazon bought Pillpack, according to a report by CNBC.¹ The $753 million acquisition occurred last year, with the online pharmacy promoting simplicity and seamlessness for patients taking multiple medications. Although the prescription transfer request is a standard process for the company,² Pillpack’s competition, including independent pharmacies and larger corporations, such as CVS and Walgreens, are wary.