Amazon entered the pharmacy business by acquiring PillPack in 2018, then launched Amazon Pharmacy in 2020. By 2026, it's become a serious contender — especially for the 200+ million Prime members who get automatic prescription discounts. But is it actually the cheapest? We compared prices across 20 common drugs to find out. For the complete comparison, see our pharmacy price comparison guide.
Amazon Pharmacy has two pricing tiers:
Without Prime, Amazon Pharmacy is just a regular mail-order pharmacy. Prices are comparable to other online pharmacies and accept insurance. Nothing special here — you'll often find better prices at Costco or Cost Plus.
This is where it gets interesting. Prime members automatically get access to discounted cash prices on most medications:
Amazon also offers RxPass — a subscription that covers an unlimited number of eligible generic medications for a flat $5/month. If you take multiple generic prescriptions, this can be an incredible deal. One flat fee, all your generics delivered free.
The catch: RxPass covers a curated list of about 60 common generics, not every generic available. And it's only available for Prime members.
| Drug (30-day) | Amazon (Prime) | Costco | Cost Plus | Walmart $4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atorvastatin 20mg | $3.00 | $2.81 | $4.20 | N/A |
| Lisinopril 20mg | $2.50 | $1.85 | $3.10 | $4.00 |
| Metformin 1000mg | $3.00 | $3.22 | $3.80 | $4.00 |
| Sertraline 100mg | $3.50 | $3.56 | $4.50 | $4.00 |
| Omeprazole 20mg | $2.00 | $3.07 | $3.60 | $4.00 |
| Amlodipine 10mg | $2.50 | $2.14 | $3.30 | $4.00 |
| Levothyroxine 50mcg | $3.50 | $2.89 | $3.90 | $4.00 |
| Gabapentin 300mg | $4.00 | $5.11 | $4.80 | N/A |
The results are mixed. Amazon Prime pricing is competitive with Costco — sometimes cheaper, sometimes not. For drugs eligible for RxPass ($5/month unlimited), Amazon wins on value if you take 2+ medications. For individual fills, Costco often edges Amazon by a dollar or two.
Cost Plus Drugs is generally more expensive per fill when you factor in the $5 shipping, but their 90-day supply pricing can beat Amazon on some drugs. It depends on the specific medication. See our detailed Cost Plus review for more pricing data.
One of Amazon Pharmacy's best features is automatic refills. For maintenance medications, you can set up Subscribe & Save — your prescription ships automatically before you run out. No calling the pharmacy, no remembering to refill, no gaps in medication.
This matters more than most people realize. Medication adherence — actually taking your prescriptions consistently — is one of the biggest problems in healthcare. Automatic delivery removes the friction that causes people to miss doses or go days without medication.
Amazon still operates PillPack as a separate service. The key difference:
If you take 4+ medications at different times of day, PillPack's pre-sorted packets can be genuinely helpful. For most people taking 1-2 medications, standard Amazon Pharmacy is simpler.
Amazon is one of many ecosystems trying to own your healthcare spend. If you're curious about Amazon's broader marketplace strategies, BagEngine covers the Amazon seller and buyer ecosystem from a different angle.
This deserves its own section. When you use Amazon Pharmacy, Amazon has your prescription history, your health conditions (inferred from your medications), and your insurance information. For a company that already tracks your shopping, browsing, and entertainment habits, adding health data to the profile is a significant data consolidation.
Amazon states they don't use pharmacy data for advertising or product recommendations. Whether you trust that is a personal decision. If data privacy is a priority, Costco's in-person pharmacy or Cost Plus Drugs' more focused operation may feel more comfortable.
No, anyone can use Amazon Pharmacy. But Prime members get significantly better pricing (up to 80% off generics, 40% off brands) and free delivery. Without Prime, Amazon Pharmacy pricing is similar to other online pharmacies and not particularly competitive.
It depends on the medication. For some drugs, Amazon Prime pricing beats Costco by $1-2. For others, Costco is cheaper. If you take multiple generics, Amazon's RxPass ($5/month for unlimited eligible generics) can be cheaper than filling individually at Costco. The best approach is to compare your specific medications.
RxPass is an Amazon Prime benefit that covers eligible generic medications for a flat $5/month, regardless of how many medications you take. It covers about 60 common generics. If you take 2+ eligible medications, it's typically cheaper than filling them individually anywhere. It's not available in all states.
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