E-commerce giant Amazon could soon be entering the multi-billion dollar US pharmacy market.

There is speculation that such a move could see the online retailer selling prescription medicines direct to consumers.

CNBC reported in May that Amazon was hiring a team of staff to prepare to move into the sector.

The report suggests the company could take as much as $50 billion in prescription sales.

Now it has reportedly hired top health technology executive Missy Krasner. Her new official title is currently unknown, but there are rumours she may be appointed to work for its cloud division, Amazon Web Services.

Amazon could set to establish bricks-and-mortar pharmacies or sell prescriptions online

The subsidiary's clients include major health names like Bristol-Myers Squibb and healthcare software company Orion Health, according to the business news website.

Amazon has also been selling medical supplies online in the states for some time.

'I would expect a marketplace of sorts for consumers to choose a doctor or service, and schedule it,' Tom Rodgers, managing director of McKesson Ventures, a medical distribution giant told CNBC.

'I wouldn't be surprised to see them partner with a pharmacy home delivery company first.

'Only after they prove they can deliver demand, then (Amazon could) make their own investments.'

Amazon is the fourth biggest business in the US and has a 43 per cent share of online sales there.

Bricks and mortar or online pharmacy?

Recently, Amazon took a giant stride into traditional retailing in a $13.7bn (£10.7bn) deal to take over organic food chain Whole Foods Market.

Whole Foods, founded in 1980, has around 460 stores, including nine in the UK where it has operated since 2004.

Experts say the move could be a game-changer for the traditional supermarket business.

Amazon has long had ambitions to enter the grocery sector and launched its food delivery service, Fresh, in the US 10 years ago.

Last year, it introduced the service in the UK after entering a wholesale deal with supermarket Morrisons.

These shops could allow Amazon to set up pharmacies to provide face-to-face contact with millions of customers.

Alternatively, rather than establishing a bricks-and-mortar presence, the Seattle-based company may well want to focus on what it knows best and develop an online pharmacy services.

However, it would face challenges as the sector is heavily regulated, in the US and other countries.

The company has tried to enter the health care market previously in the late 1990s when it partnered up with Drugstore.com, but the deal ultimately fell apart.

The 'intelligent personal assistant' for patients

Rumours about Amazon having its sights set on health care began earlier this year when its voice-enabled personal assistant, Alexa, was heavily showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show.

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Alexa and its hardware platform Echo are being tested in numerous medical settings, including in surgery.

A remote patient monitoring tool is just one potential use for such voice recognition technology – it could deliver important medical information to seniors living at home and patients discharged from hospital to reduce costly readmissions.

The potential uses of the hands-free device include answering a patient’s questions about their condition, symptoms, medications, and upcoming appointments.

Patients could also request medication refills or book an appointment and provide updates on vitals to a remote nurse.

Amazon made a deal made earlier this year with WebMD which saw Alexa gain the ability to provide peer-reviewed medical information when asked by an Echo, Echo Dot and Fire TV user.

The company also has Echo Show – a version of the hardware that includes a camera and touchscreen display – which could be used in remote consultations with doctors.

CNBC reported in May that Amazon declined to comment on its report. MailOnline has approached the company for a statement