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Walmart is getting into home delivery of prescription drugs and medication refills. The move hints at Walmart’s ambitions to further boost its e-commerce business by adding prescription delivery to its cart.
“By combining Pharmacy Delivery into a single order, we’re strengthening our commitment to providing everything they need, whenever and wherever they need it,” Tom Ward, EVP and chief e-commerce officer at Walmart US, said in a press release.
Shoppers will be able to add prescriptions along with other items from their local Walmart in a single order, available both in-app and online, Walmart said. The “every day, low price” retailer said customers will have the option to schedule same-day delivery. However, Walmart has plans to get into fast and convenient delivery options of 30 minutes or less soon.
Walmart’s pharmacy delivery is available in six states: Arkansas, Missouri, New York, Nevada, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. By January, the service is expected to be available in 49 states, according to the company.
Walmart said new or existing insurance plans will be applied to the shopper’s transaction, just as they would when picking up a prescription in-store. Walmart said its existing store footprint across the US enables delivery to more than 86% of households.
Turf wars: Walmart rival Amazon has been selling prescription drugs online since 2020.
In October, Amazon announced plans to expand its same-day pharmacy delivery service to 20 new states in 2025, including Boston, Philadelphia, and San Diego. In March, Amazon started offering same-day pharmacy delivery in New York and Los Angeles.
On average, Amazon Pharmacy customers already receive their medications in two days or less, according to Amazon, and by the end of 2025, nearly half (45%) of US customers are expected to be eligible for same-day delivery of its prescription medications.