- Augusta Riddy
Amazon to sell Diabetes products
Online retail giant Amazon has partnered with health brand consultancy Arcadia to sell diabetes management devices.
Under the “Choice” brand, the company will sell blood glucose monitors and blood pressure monitors, which will be paired with apps that allow users to track the data. Bob Guest, CEO of Arcadia Group, said: “Consumers no longer need to drive to a store to stand in line and purchase their medical devices and supplies. Now, in the privacy of their home, consumers can review, compare and purchase the products of their choice. ”
The move signals a foray into healthcare for the internet giant, which acquired the online pharmacy PillPack earlier this year. The sheer size of Amazon has caused apprehension within the healthcare market as observers wait to see what impact the company will have.
In certain areas of the UK, the British Medical Journal found that thousands of type 1 diabetes patients were not being offered the most up-to-date glucose monitoring devices, despite their being available on the NHS. There are now 4.6m people living with diabetes in the UK, and 12.3m are at increased risk of type 2, according to Diabetes UK.
