- Since 2018, Amazon offers the possibility of buying medicines online, although it is an option that is only available in the United States.
- Currently, the company founded by Jeff Bezos is the second most valuable in the world, just below Apple.
- The sale of skin products developed as drugs has prompted the FDA to issue a warning to Amazon.
The ways of acquiring products have seen a radical change in recent years. Now it is no longer necessary to go to other places because everything can be done from home. Within this category Amazon has become the absolute king and among its most recent changes is the possibility of buying medicines through the internet.
From the sale of books to the largest digital store in the world
In this case, it all started in 1994 when Jeff Bezos saw the potential of the internet. Back then it was a tool that was only used by a majority but it was on the rise. His idea was to create a huge bookstore with home delivery. As time went by, it expanded its catalog until it became the largest digital store in the world.
Similarly, the appearance of the health emergency further boosted internet sales. Not only for safety but also for convenience, now more and more people prefer to buy any product and receive it at home instead of going out and displaying it.
To get an idea of the power of Amazon, according to Statista it is already the second most valuable brand in the world, just below Apple. It is estimated that it is currently worth just over 200 billion dollars. In fact, during the first year of the pandemic it achieved a record growth of 60 percent.
Now, since 2018 Amazon began selling medicines through its platform. At the moment it is an option that is only available in the United States but it is expected that it will progressively be extended to the rest of the world.
FDA issues a wake-up call for Amazon
While today adverse news was released for the technology giant. This is a warning issued by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because detected the sale of medicines that lack health approval.
In this case, they are skin products that were developed as drugs, therefore they require FDA permission to be marketed.
The problem was that so much Amazon as Ariella Naturals and Justified Laboratories offer these products to users. Therefore, it is an improper action that not only has legal consequences but also exposes the health of users.
“The sale of these products is a risk to public health and may compromise the health of consumers when used without consulting a healthcare professional,” the FDA said in a statement.
For its part, the health authority gave a period of 15 days for Amazon, Ariella Naturals and Justified Laboratories withdraw their products from the market. Otherwise, they will be subject to an economic penalty.
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