Walmart is adding same-day delivery for certain pharmacy items that require refrigeration.
It is now offering medications such as insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1, an example of which is Ozempic) and pediatric amoxicillin for same-day pharmacy delivery across the United States, Walmart announced Sept. 22.
Walmart said it has made refrigerated and reconstituted prescriptions available in the same online order as groceries and other products. Reconstituted medications refer to those that require mixing a liquid with a dry powder or ingredient before ingestion. The service is part of Walmart+ memberships. Consumers using the service without a membership will pay a fee based on delivery preference, the retailer said.
Competitor Amazon began same-day pharmacy delivery in New York and Los Angeles in 2024. On the pet side, Chewy and Tractor Supply both offer pharmacy items for animals.
Walmart is No. 2 in the Top 2000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of North America’s online retailers by their annual ecommerce sales.
Walmart is also No. 8 in the Global Online Marketplaces. That database ranks the top such marketplaces by third-party gross merchandise value (GMV).
Walmart pharmacy adds eligible items for same-day delivery
The retailer launched pharmacy delivery a year ago. Walmart said it has since fulfilled more than 4 million pharmacy delivery orders.
About four months after launching, it expanded the service across all its locations. It said its fastest delivery since launch was in nine minutes.
Walmart said refrigerated medications represent more than 30% of its pharmacy sales. Once it fills consumers’ prescriptions, they can choose same-day, on-demand or express delivery options. Walmart said it automatically applies insurance, “just as it would at the store.”
It added that consumers can track their order status in real time through the Walmart app. Its fulfillment team puts medications that require refrigeration into insulated bags that the retailer said “maintain safe and regulated temperatures, ensuring medications arrive in optimal condition.” Those bags feature light-blocking materials to shield sensitive prescriptions from ultraviolet and ambient light exposure, according to the retailer.
“We continue to unlock new levels of convenience while also broadening access to critical medications,” said Kevin Host, senior vice president of Pharmacy at Walmart, in a statement. “Adding refrigerated prescriptions to our Pharmacy Delivery capabilities is the result of listening to our customers, identifying where we can create even better, seamless experiences, and keeping the communities we serve at the heart of what we do.”
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