Amazon pharmacy goes live this week receive pass, a monthly subscription service for generic drugs covering common health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and anxiety. As long as you have a current drug prescription and RxPass has the drugs you need, you can get as many drug fills as you want for as little as $5 a month.
However, RxPass isn’t for everyone, especially if your insurance offers better coverage, you’re taking medications that RxPass doesn’t cover, or because you’re not an Amazon Prime member (you must be a Prime subscriber to use RxPass).
If you’re interested in RxPass, read on to learn what RxPass is, whether you qualify for the program, and what medications you can get. Here’s everything you need to know.
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What is RxPass and is it right for me?
RxPass is a $5 monthly subscription service for certain generic drugs you have a prescription for. Currently, you can get generic medicines for more than 80 health conditions, including breast cancer, dementia, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Parkinson’s disease, seizures, and epilepsy, Amazon said.
If you are uninsured or underinsured and pay more than $5 per month for prescription drugs you can get through RxPass, you may consider paying for RxPass (see the full list here).
Additionally, you cannot use a health savings account or flexible spending account to pay for your RxPass subscription.
Am I eligible for RxPass?
Before you start signing up for Amazon’s RxPass, it’s a good idea to take a look at the requirements to join:
- You must have an existing prescription for the drug. RxPass will not help you get prescriptions, so you must already have a prescription from your doctor to transfer to Amazon.
- You must have an Amazon Prime membership. Before registering for RxPass, you need to have senior member. Currently, Prime membership costs $15 per month or $139 per year. If you’re a student, you can get Prime for $7 per month or $69 per year.
- You do not receive benefits from state or federal health care programs. This includes Medicaid or Medicare.
- You must live in an eligible state. At this time, RxPass cannot ship medications to California, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Texas, or Washington.
How to sign up for RxPass
If you meet all the requirements, go to the Amazon Pharmacy for RxPass page on your computer, phone or tablet (using the Amazon website or app) and click Get started with RxPass button to start.
The RxPass signup process requires you to answer some eligibility questions and enter information such as your name and address, your account’s PIN, and a payment method for your monthly subscription fee.
When done, click Confirm RxPass subscription button to register.
When you sign up for RxPass, you will be prorated for the remainder of the month and $5 on the first day of the following month.
Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
How to add medications to RxPass
Now that you’ve signed up for RxPass, you can start creating your health profile and adding eligible medications.
You will be asked to add your insurance (if you have one), enter your medications and find a doctor who will prescribe them for you. Use your zip code, and Amazon will automatically fill in the last name you enter for local doctors. If your doctor is found, tap their name. Finally, you’ll be asked to enter any of your health conditions.
After you complete your health profile, you can view prices for your medications on Amazon, request your prescriptions, and place orders.You can also add any more prescriptions add medicine button. Enter the drug name and choose the form, strength, frequency and supply.
Amazon needs to confirm with your doctor that your prescription is valid, so you may have to wait a while before ordering anything.
Escitalopram is the generic version of Lexapro, which you can get through RxPass.
Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
What medications does RxPass offer?
With your RxPass subscription, you get free access to over 50 drugs, all generics of brand name drugs, including:
If you can’t tell if a drug is included in RxPass, look up Included in RxPass Labels in Amazon listings.
You can view a full list of medications here. If you don’t see your drug on the list, it may still be available through Amazon Pharmacy, but you’ll have to pay extra because it’s not covered by RxPass.
These are some of the conditions that can be treated with the medications available on RxPass.
Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET
How to cancel your RxPass subscription
You can easily cancel your RxPass subscription through Amazon, and you can still use it for the entire month you paid for it. After the end of the month, you will not be charged again. However, please note that if you purchased a 60-day supply of your medication using RxPass, your subscription cannot be canceled until your 60-day supply is exhausted. If you plan to test RxPass only, start with a shorter offering so you can cancel early.
Also, canceling your Prime subscription will automatically cancel your RxPass.
For more information, please view Amazon Prime Features Save You Cash Every Month and Four Prime perks to optimize your Amazon Echo.
The information contained herein is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider if you have any questions about a medical condition or health goals.
