In a strategic shift from a merchandising powerhouse to a notable entity in the healthcare sector, Amazon appears to be aligning its extensive logistics network and expanding medical presence to potentially impact healthcare delivery directly to consumers’ homes.
According to Bloomberg, in 2023, Amazon conducted a pilot initiative named Project Pulse over several months. This program involved equipping delivery vans with defibrillators and training drivers in CPR. Over 100 drivers in cities such as London, Amsterdam, and Bologna participated. These drivers received alerts via citizen responder apps and arrived at emergency sites, although rescue services were reportedly already attending to the victims.
Despite not advancing beyond the pilot stage, Amazon is assessing the feedback and considering additional opportunities for future programs, as stated by a company spokesperson to Bloomberg.
Such initiatives could enhance Amazon’s public relations standing and would extend its healthcare pursuits beyond its acquisition of One Medical, a primary care provider it acquired for $3.9 billion in early 2023.
While competitors like Walgreens and Walmart are withdrawing from primary care — with Walmart closing its primary healthcare business in April of the previous year, resulting in the closure of 51 locations, and Walgreens being taken private by Sycamore Partners for $10 billion — Amazon might feel increasingly optimistic about its potential to succeed where others could not, transforming healthcare delivery and offering more than just parcel delivery to its customers’ doors.