Walmart announced on Tuesday that it will deliver prescription drugs from stores directly to customers as it competes with rivals like Amazon.
The Arkansas-based retailer is joining a list of companies including Amazon, CVS and Walgreens that have embraced the trend of delivering prescriptions directly to consumers that have become more reliant on e-commerce.
Walmart's service applies to both new prescriptions along with medication refills, according to the retailer. All medication – barring some exceptions – will be available for this service, too.
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Customers will be able to receive their deliveries in as soon as 30 minutes through the company's express delivery option.
The new pharmacy delivery service launched in six states – Arkansas, Missouri, New York, Nevada, South Carolina, and Wisconsin – and is expected to be available in 49 states by the end of January 2025.
The company said its nearly 4,600 store locations with pharmacies across the U.S. enable it to deliver to more than 86% of households.
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"We understand that health care is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s hyper-local. Each community has unique needs. This new offering allows us to continue serving customers while also giving more time back to our pharmacies for high-touch health services," Kevin Host, senior vice president of pharmacy at Walmart U.S., said in a statement.
The company launched the service after receiving feedback from a significant number of customers who wanted to have their prescriptions delivered along with their groceries and other items they need in a single online order.
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The program is seemingly trying to compete with services like Amazon Pharmacy, which offers same-day delivery for Prime members but only in certain states. Currently, Amazon Pharmacy same-day delivery is available in Austin, Indianapolis, Greater Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Orlando, Phoenix, and Seattle. Drone delivery is available in College Station, Texas.
It takes anywhere between one and four days for other states.
Other companies like CVS and Walgreens also have prescription delivery options.
The companies also compete with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs online pharmacy, which also ships right to the patient's door.
