Amazon.com Inc. made a decision to purchase online drug store PillPack, Bloomberg reports. This step threatens success of many players within the sector. Pharmacy retail chains, including largest in the US Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. and CVS Health Corp., are under immediate hit. After announcement shares of Walgreens fell by 8,5%, and shares of CVS lost 8,9%.

Experts think that Amazon will disturb work of drug stores, as it did in case of bookstores, pet supplies, clothing retailers and others.

Amazon will pay about $1 billion for PillPack, based in Boston.

US market for prescription medicine is huge. US consumers spent $328,6 million on such drugs in 2016. CVS sales were $59,5 billion last year, while Walgreens sales were $57,8 billion.

PillPack has mail-order pharmacy licenses in all 50 states. This will help fast growth of Amazon.

Walgreens shares loss put pressure on Dow Jones Industrial Average Index that included stock in its 30-companies list replacing General Electric.