Walmart plans to deliver prescriptions nationwide in as little as 30 minutes
Walmart will begin delivering prescriptions across the U.S. early next year, as the retailing giant strives to keep pace with rival Amazon in competing for health care dollars.
Walmart’s new service includes new prescriptions and refills, which customers can receive along with groceries and other products, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company announced on Tuesday. Prescriptions will be delivered in as little as 30 minutes and should be available for over 86% of American households, according to Walmart.
The offering is already live in Arkansas, Missouri, New York, Nevada, South Carolina and Wisconsin, and is expected to be available in 49 states by the end of January, reaching tens of millions of customers.
said it would open pharmacies in 20 new cities across the U.S. in 2025, with the ecommerce company expecting to offer same-day prescription service to nearly half of its U.S. customers by the end of next year. “
Walgreens’ plan for 1,200 store closings renews concerns over “pharmacy deserts”
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CVS and Walgreens already offer same-day home delivery for prescription medications.
Pharmacies, both independent locations and retail chains, are closing around the country amid low reimbursement rates for pharmacy care as well as low dispensing fees for Medicaid enrollees.
Nearly half of U.S. counties have communities more than 10 miles from a pharmacy, according to a study published in August by the Journal of American Medical Association. In addition to community drugstores disappearing, major drug store chains such as CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens have closed hundreds of pharmacy locations across the country.
Most recently, Walgreens last week said it would close 1,200 stores over the next three years, citing low drug reimbursement rates as one factor behind the overhaul.
Kate Gibson
Source: cbsnews.com