BRIEF—Amazon holds wholesale pharmacy licenses in twelve US states

Amazon has secured approval to become a wholesale drugs distributor in at least 12 states, fuelling speculation that the online retail giant is moving closer to becoming a pharmacist.

The licenses, uncovered by a review of public records from the St Louis Post-Dispatch, could mean the company is gearing up to enter the drug supply chain in some capacity.

However, they do not allow Amazon to start selling prescription drugs directly to consumers, for which a pharmacy license would be required.