Amazon Pharmacy offers insulin discounts amid price hikes: 'Making it as simple as possible'

Consumers who are struggling to get discounted insulin due to pharmacy restrictions and red tape will soon have another option to order the life-saving medication needed by millions of people.

Amazon Pharmacy said it will begin automatically applying manufacturer coupons to more than 14 commonly-used insulin products to ease consumer purchases. If insurance plans provide additional discounts, consumers will pay even less, officials said.

"We’re making it as simple as possible," said Dr. Vin Gupta, Chief Medical Officer of Amazon Pharmacy.

In March, three insulin makers that dominate the market announced they would slash prices by 70% or more on their respective products. The move followed consumer and political pressure urging Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi to lower insulin prices, which soared last decade and promoted some consumers to ration supplies.

Older Americans on Medicare received some price relief through the Inflation Reduction Act, the climate and health bill that caps insulin costs at $35 a month for Medicare enrollees. And President Joe Biden urged Congress to extend that out-of-pocket cap to younger Americans who have private health insurance.

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Consumers search for discounted insulin

Despite efforts to lower the price of this medication required by all with Type 1 diabetes and sometimes necessary with Type 2 diabetes, some consumers struggle to navigate the health system to access cheaper insulin

A report this summer from Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, and Raphael Warnock found consumers had trouble getting discounted insulin from pharmacies nationwide and were often charged more than what the drug manufacturers promised. The report cited a "confusing thicket of coupons, competing generic drugs, and misleading information" consumers faced when asking about discounted insulin.

The report included a survey of more than 300 pharmacies that found 43% did not stock Lispro, Eli Lilly’s less expensive generic version of insulin, while 79% had the more expensive brand drug Humalog. The report said the average Lispro price for uninsured patients was $97.51, or about four times as much as the $25 Eli Lilly promises for its authorized generic.

Eli Lilly said the company is doing its part to ensure people have access to affordable insulin. A company spokesperson said pharmacies fill 50,000 prescriptions of Lispro each week. And those who are uninsured can download a savings card at insulinaffordability.com to get insulin for $35 per month.

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Discounts applied to Humalog, Lispro, Novolog, and Lantus

Amazon said it will extend the $35-per-month price to Eli Lilly’s Humalog, Humulin, and Lispro products. Other widely-used insulin brands at that price include Novo Nordisk’s Novolog and Sanofi’s Lantus.

Amazon said its website will estimate the consumer’s insurance price. If consumers transfer their prescriptions to Amazon, they will see the actual price with insurance and what it would be without insurance.

The retailer also will apply manufacturer coupons to Insulet's insulin pump, the Omnipod 5 Introket, and Dexcom's G6 and G7 continuous glucose monitors.

Consumers enrolled in a government insurance plan such as Medicare or Medicaid are not eligible to receive manufacturer coupons. Also, the offer can't be combined with other discount programs such as Rxpass or Amazon Prime prescription savings benefit, Amazon officials said.

Charles Henderson, chief executive officer of the American Diabetes Association, said Amazon's new initiative will help diabetes patients with a "transparent purchase process that automatically applies any eligible discounts."

A 2020 survey from T-1 International found 1 in 4 people with Type 1 diabetes rationed insulin because of cost. Patients also struggled to pay the out-of-pocket costs for other needed supplies such as insulin pumps, testing strips, and continuous glucose monitors.

Other tech companies also have sought to offer insulin products. Tech entrepreneur Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs aims to cut out pharmacy benefit managers and deliver lower-priced drugs to consumers. The company has launched a test program for insulin.

Nonprofit CivicaRX plans to make and sell market-discounted biologics that are interchangeable with Lantus, Humalog, and Novolog.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amazon Pharmacy offers insulin discounts with manufacturer coupons