Q&A with Amazon’s Chris Holt on testing a consumer-first model in healthcare

Amazon has been tiptoeing around the healthcare industry for years, but the e-commerce giant made a splash this year when it announced plans to form a healthcare company with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway for their 1 million-plus employees. Amazon also said it will buy PillPak, which organizes and delivers pharmaceuticals to consumers.

Long before these announcements, Amazon was slowly growing the portfolio of medical supplies offered through its Amazon Business platform, which eclipsed more than 85,000 sellers and 1 million customers last year. More providers are sourcing commodities like syringes, IV bags and forceps from Amazon.

Business leaders in all sectors have wondered whether the company would test its logistical prowess in their industries. A $3.4 trillion...