Alaska Air Cargo, Phox Health expand same-day medicine delivery
Through the partnership, medications are flown across Washington and delivered on the same day while maintaining cold-chain requirements.
Patients across central and eastern Washington can now receive same-day home deliveries of prescription medicines from healthcare providers in Seattle through a pharmacy logistics service that combines Alaska Air Cargo’s GoldStreak Package Express shipping with technology developed by Phox Health. The service is being used to transport temperature-sensitive and high-value medications, including cancer and fertility drugs, directly from speciality pharmacies to patients across the state.
Seattle-based Phox Health has integrated its software and logistics network with Alaska Air Cargo’s next-flight-out shipping service, allowing patients to track their medication shipments from the provider’s pharmacy to their doorstep. The company said between 70 and 90 patients each week in Yakima, Wenatchee and Spokane currently receive medications from healthcare providers, including UW Medicine and Providence Swedish, through GoldStreak shipments operating between Seattle and those communities.
The initiative addresses a challenge faced by patients who live far from speciality pharmacies located in urban centres. Speciality medications often require strict temperature control during transport and can carry a high financial value. Through the partnership, medications are flown across Washington and delivered on the same day while maintaining cold-chain requirements.
“Washingtonians know the airline well, so to see that Alaska Air Cargo is part of their care is very profound,” said Dr Amit Gir, founder of Phox Health. “Their meds are not leaving the state. Their meds are staying local, [carried] by an airline they already know and love.”
Phox Health transports prescriptions in reusable temperature-controlled containers known as PhoxBoxes. The containers are designed to preserve product integrity throughout transit and delivery. Once the medication reaches the patient, the container is returned to the provider’s pharmacy through Alaska Air Cargo’s network for reuse, creating a circular logistics process that eliminates the need for single-use packaging materials.
Describing the nature of the shipments, Gir said speciality medicines can cost tens of thousands of dollars and require careful handling throughout transportation. “It's like shipping a diamond ring that can melt,” Gir said.
The company said its delivery process is designed to maintain the cold chain until the medication is handed directly to the patient. “This cooler is opened up like a pizza delivery cooler, and we hand the patient their drug in a sealed bag,” Gir said.
Most large healthcare providers in the Seattle metropolitan area now use Phox Health's services. The company is also exploring expansion opportunities beyond Washington, including potential services connecting healthcare providers and patients in Hawaii. According to Gir, the focus remains on serving patients who live significant distances from the speciality pharmacies that dispense their medications.
“It’s our belief that every patient deserves the best delivery experience for their medication no matter where they live,” Gir said.
For Alaska Air Cargo, the partnership expands the healthcare applications of its GoldStreak Package Express service, which guarantees shipments are available for pickup within one hour of arrival. The service is already used across the carrier’s network for transporting medical supplies and laboratory samples to communities in its operating regions.
“When a customer chooses GoldStreak, they are trusting us with something they cannot afford to lose,” said Tony Dimeglio, managing director of operations at Alaska Air Cargo. “People's lives and livelihoods depend on us.”
The partnership reflects a broader trend in healthcare logistics, where providers are seeking faster and more reliable methods to connect patients in remote locations with speciality medicines. By combining air cargo capacity with tracking technology and reusable cold-chain packaging, the companies aim to reduce delivery times while maintaining product integrity and visibility throughout the journey.
