Amazon-owned PillPack and other players face a new online pharmacy competitor with UnitedHealth’s acquisition of startup company divvyDOSE, CNBC reported Tuesday.
Terms of the deal have yet to be made public. However, an individual claiming to be familiar with the transaction told CNBC the transaction totaled “just over $300 million.”
Like PillPack, divvyDOSE sorts patients’ medicines into packets with clearly labeled dates and times for taking them. Packets are sent to recipients, who can sign up for the service online or by phone, along with a full medication list. The company claims to charge no additional fees to patients outside of their co-pay, and to accept all major insurance plans.
Amazon acquired PillPack in 2018, and Walmart recently bought medication management technology from CareZone—moves that were, according to CNBC, made in part to tap into the sizeable base of consumers who use online pharmacy services, “many of whom are juggling multiple medications.”
Health plans like UnitedHealth—the U.S’ largest health insurer—could benefit from ownership of divvyDOSE by “providing additional benefits to a segment of users that rely on getting their medicines delivered in neat, easy-to-use packets.”