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BUSINESS Wednesday 18 november 2020
Amazon opens online pharmacy, shaking up another industry

By JOSEPH PISANI and country at Costco, CVS,
TOM MURPHY Walgreens, Walmart and
AP Writers other stores.
NEW YORK (AP) — Now at Health economist Craig
Amazon.com: insulin and Garthwaite sees several
inhalers. reasons Amazon may be-
The retail colossus opened come an attractive option
an online pharmacy Tues- for patients looking to fill
day that allows customers prescriptions.
to order medication or pre- The retailer is a known en-
scription refills, and have tity that many people al-
them delivered to their ready use. It may be able
front door in a couple of to make price shopping for
days. prescriptions more pleas-
The potential impact of ant, and it might be com-
Amazon’s arrival in the petitive on the pricing of
pharmaceutical space generic drugs, said Garth-
rippled through that sec- waite, who teaches at
tor immediately. The stocks Northwestern University’s
of CVS Health Corp., Wal- Kellogg School of Manage-
greens and Rite Aid all tum- ment.
bled Tuesday. Amazon’s prescription busi-
The big chains rely on their ness could be appealing
pharmacies for a steady In this Oct. 1, 2020 file photo, an Amazon logo appears on an Amazon delivery van, in Boston. to the uninsured or people
flow of shoppers who may Associated Press who have plans that make
also grab a snack or sham- competitive threat that will hold their own against Am- stay refrigerated, like insu- them pay a high deduct-
poo or groceries on the likely shift scripts away from azon, offering home deliv- lin. Shoppers have to set up ible first before their cov-
way out. All have upped the retail channel,” ana- ery and curbside pickup of a profile on Amazon’s web- erage starts, added John
online services and touted lysts at Citi Research said in groceries. site and have their doctors Boylan, an analyst who
their abilities to deliver pre- a note. Amazon has also become send prescriptions there. covers Walgreens for Ed-
scriptions and other goods Amazon has a history of dis- a threat to shipping com- It won’t ship medications ward Jones.
as the COVID-19 pandemic ruption. Launched in 1995 panies, delivering more that have a high risk of be- He said Amazon’s move
has pushed more consum- as an online book store, it than half of its own pack- ing abused, like some opi- will mostly affect smaller
ers to stay home. But Am- pushed other booksellers ages itself. Vans stamped oids. drugstores that don’t have
azon.com has mastered to sell online. But those that with the Amazon logo have Most insurance is accept- either the retail giant’s pur-
these things, and its online couldn’t keep up went out become as common a ed, Amazon said. But Prime chasing power or deals
store is infinitely larger, with of business, like the Borders sight as the UPS truck. members who don’t have that major drugstore chains
millions of loyal shoppers bookstore chain, which dis- The company said its online insurance can also buy have with insurers to funnel
already buying books, TVs appeared in 2011. pharmacy will offer com- generic or brand name patients to their stores for
and just about anything Its purchase of Whole Foods monly prescribed medica- drugs from Amazon for a prescriptions.
else. three years ago sent super- tions in the U.S., including discount. They can also get Amazon has eyed the
“The news represents a dis- market stocks spiraling, but creams, pills, as well as discounts at 50,000 physi- health care industry for
ruption to the system and many have been able to medications that need to cal pharmacies around the some time. q

Twitter launches disappearing tweets that vanish in a day

By The Associated Press echoing social media sites posts. The company says South Korea, before rolling Zuckerberg and Dorsey
Twitter is launching tweets like Snapchat, Facebook the ephemeral tweets, it out globally. promised lawmakers last
that disappear in 24 hours and Instagram that al- which it calls “fleets” be- Fleets are a “lower pres- month that they would
called “Fleets” globally, ready have disappearing cause of their fleeting na- sure” way to communi- aggressively guard their
ture, are designed to allay cate “fleeting thoughts” platforms from being ma-
the concerns of new users as opposed to permanent nipulated by foreign gov-
who might be turned off by tweets, Twitter executives ernments or used to incite
the public and permanent Joshua Harris, design di- violence around the elec-
nature of normal tweets. rector, and Sam Haveson, tion results — and they fol-
Fleets can’t be retweet- product manager, said in lowed through with high-
ed and they won’t have a blog post. profile steps that angered
“likes.” The news comes the same Trump and his supporters.
People can respond to day Twitter CEO Jack Dors- The new “Fleets” feature
them, but the replies show ey and Facebook CEO is reminiscent of Instagram
up as direct messages to Mark Zuckerberg faced and Facebook “stories”
the original tweeter, not questions from a Sen- and Snapchat’s snaps,
as a public response, turn- ate Judiciary Committee which let users post short-
ing any back-and-forth about how they handled lived photos and mes-
into a private conversation disinformation surrounding sages. Such features are
instead of a public discus- the presidential election. increasingly popular with
This April 26, 2017, file photo shows the Twitter app icon on a sion. Both sites have stepped up social media users looking
mobile phone in Philadelphia. Twitter tested the feature action taken against disin- for smaller groups and and
Associated Press in Brazil, Italy, India, and formation. more private chats.q