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Technology Stocks : Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Glenn D. Rudolph who wrote (43113)	2/28/1999 10:36:00 PM
From: getgo234	Respond to of 164684

I apologize if the following has been discussed previously but I have not been following the Amazon/drugstore.com agreement. I have been on medication periodically for a number of years. In those cases where the prescription will run beyond 90 days I have purchased the medication via the mail through companies such as Express Scripts. My insurance company (two in the last five years) have entered into agreements with companies such Express Scripts whereby I can purchase my medication at a substantial discount to what I would pay at a pharmacy. The five day lag time is not critical because typically I would initially buy the medication at the local pharmacy and when it is time to refill a prescription I will order via mail. My motivation to buy via the mail at a discount is that I pay 50% for the cost of the medication. This has been my experience with both HMO's and PPI's. My insurance company will dictate where I purchase my medication via the mail based on the agreements between the insurance company and the Express Scripts of this world. Without the insurance company's approval I will be required to 100% of the cost of the medicine. Therefore, drugstore.com must have agreements with my insurance company before I can purchase from Drugstore.com. However, I would surmise, if Drugstore.com can reduce the costs to insurance companies by offering lower prices of prescription medicine then the insurance companies will be anxious to enter into such agreements. , I suspect that drugstore.com would have to be very price aggressive to outbid companies such as Express Scripts to win agreements with the insurance companies. I am sure that millions of Americans who spend thousands of dollars for medication annually would love to see more price competition in prescription medication. The market is huge but the price competition should be intense. I will continue to buy my toothpaste and shampoo at Walmart.