oday marks a significant milestone as Walmart continues to help customers live – and feel – better. The company is announcing Same-Day Pharmacy Delivery now available to hundreds of millions of customers in 49 states. The retailer is the first to integrate pharmacy, general merchandise and grocery in a single online order. Same-Day Pharmacy Delivery, one of Walmart’s most expansive technology undertakings, is a tech-powered store-to-door service, using a combination of highly complex in-store and cloud-based technology platforms, AI capabilities and a new geospatial platform.
Launched in six states in October, Pharmacy Delivery brings together what only Walmart can do at this scale – an extensive nationwide presence coupled with profound expertise in pharmacy and store deliveries – to power an Adaptive Retail experience that brings medications to customers exactly the way they want and need. Pharmacy Delivery is people-led by more than 15,000 pharmacists across the country who are helping to give customers more convenient access to care through the dispensing and delivery of prescriptions and medication refills, with a few select exceptions1.
Delivering for customers and members
Walmart Pharmacy customers told us they tend to shop for other items and needs across the store when getting their prescriptions in stores2. This service offers game-changing convenience for Walmart customers and Walmart+ members who may be stretched for time or want to shop from the comfort of their homes.
“To have that service where they are delivering it to our doorstep… it’s great,” says Melissa Y., a Walmart customer who lives in a rural neighborhood of North Little Rock, Arkansas. Melissa is a busy mom who lives with her husband, their two teenagers and her sister.
“I think the service is very important for people out in this area because it’s an older area,” Melissa says. “There are a lot of people out here – like my sister that is disabled – who can’t get out and go to the store.”
Convenient care powered by cutting-edge technology
Same-Day Pharmacy Delivery exemplifies Walmart’s people-led, tech-powered ethos, commitment to innovation and ability to create hyper-personalized, convenient experiences that meet customers’ rapidly evolving needs.
Seven out of eight Americans choose their pharmacy based on how convenient it is for them, according to a recent study3. In response, hundreds of associates from dozens of technology teams collaborated to seamlessly connect pharmacy systems to e-commerce, scheduling and delivery systems, while ensuring HIPAA compliance and protecting customer privacy. This intricate network is connected to Walmart’s AI-powered delivery platform, Spark. Additionally, the platform uses new geospatial technology to define delivery catchments (areas) with greater precision. These catchments are customized for each store using customer insights and external data – an approach that far outperforms traditional metrics such as zip code or distance from the store. This technology recently powered the expansion of regular delivery to 12M more households and is now enabling Walmart to extend this new offering to even more customers.
From pharmacy to door
Providing access to affordable quality goods and care is core to Walmart’s mission, and the retailer’s network of in-store pharmacists is helping communities across the country stay on top of their health, dispensing medications and providing counsel, as well as administering immunizations and health screenings. Half of Americans choose their pharmacy based on quality of services3.
“It’s an expectation now that you can have your groceries delivered – you can have everything you need delivered to your home,” says Bonnie Chandler, pharmacy manager at Store 4460 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. “Your healthcare should be similar to that as well.”
Chandler has been a pharmacist with Walmart for over 30 years and has seen the industry evolve in a way that prioritizes access to care and added convenience for customers. “Pharmacy Delivery is going to help save them time,” says Chandler. “It just gives you one more option to have what you need at your fingertips… without having to leave your home.”
Once a pharmacist fills a customer’s prescription, the customer is notified through their Walmart.com account that their order is ready to be delivered. At this time, they can select the delivery that works best for them – Same-Day Scheduled, On-Demand or Express. New or existing insurance plans will be applied to the transaction just as they would when picking up a prescription in-store. A driver will safely and securely bring the order to the customer’s location during their preferred time window. Medications are delivered in tamper-evident packaging and customers can track their orders in real-time.
Affordability remains top of mind for many, especially at the pharmacy where three in four Americans are cost conscious and looking for ways to save money3. Walmart+ members will receive free Pharmacy Delivery4 as a member benefit, while those customers who are not yet Walmart+ members will be charged based on delivery preference.
1 Medication exceptions include controlled substances, those that need refrigeration, and Medicare Part B items.
2 Walmart CIS, Health and Wellness A&U, FY25
3 Rx A&U FY25, Walmart Customer Insights & Strategy General Population
4 Where delivery is available.
