Walmart announced that it would now allow customers to purchase new prescription medications, medication refills and general merchandise for same-day delivery in a single order via the Walmart app and through the company's website. 

The company says customers will have access to same-day delivery of medications via its Pharmacy Delivery, excluding controlled substances, Medicare Part B items, and medicines that need refrigeration. 

The new offering is available in New York, Wisconsin, Arkansas, South Carolina, Missouri and Nevada, and the company says Walmart's Pharmacy Delivery will be available in 49 states by the end of Jan. 2025. 

Walmart says the offering will eventually include both same-day prescription delivery and, in the future, on-demand and express delivery. On-demand delivery will allow prescriptions to be delivered within hours, while express delivery provides delivery within 30 minutes. 

The company says insurance plans will be applied to the prescription delivery transaction as they would be for prescription in-store pickup.  

"Our extensive footprint across the nation combined with our deep expertise in pharmacy uniquely positions us to make a profound impact in the communities we serve," Kevin Host, senior vice president of Pharmacy at Walmart U.S., said in a statement. 

"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."

THE LARGER TREND

Numerous companies have announced the launch of same-day prescription delivery services this year. 

In August, digital healthcare company Truepill and healthcare technology prescription company ScriptDrop announced they were partnering to combine ScriptDrop's same-day prescription delivery service with Truepill's pharmacy platform.

The collaboration would allow patients to choose their own retail pharmacy for medication delivery via ScriptDrop's two-hour service.

In April, Uber Health, the healthcare arm of transportation company Uber, announced the launch of an additional offering on its platform that allows users to manage same-day prescription delivery. 

Amazon Pharmacy offered same-day prescription delivery in Phoenix, Austin, Seattle, Indianapolis, Miami and Texas, and in March, expanded its same-day medication-delivery offerings to residents of New York City and the greater Los Angeles area.