The back end is easier to automate....use ndc to scan every drug and use technology to recognize and count every pill (already available).
The front end is a bit more tricky. If Amazon can automate the process, then only certain issues will go to the pharmacist to check. For example, if a doctor prescribed something as simple as Lipitor 10mg once daily and if there is no duplication, no major drug interaction then it bypass the pharmacist.
Amazon is going to face some regulatory issues with the board of pharmacy but you have to remember the bop’s mission is to protect the patients, not the pharmacists. If Amazon can show they can automate the pharmacist without comprising patient care, then it is likely the bop will approve. Amazon doesn’t even need approval from all 50 state bop. They just need one state to approve (with the promises of jobs) and they can ship medications into other states.
This doesn’t mean the need for a pharmacist wont be there but if you take away the dispensing part and the mundane checking part then the need for a pharmacist would drop dramatically.