Leading US pharmacy chain Walgreens has launched nationwide next-day deliveries with FedEx as it faces up to the threat of competition from Amazon.
The two companies already cooperate through the FedEx Onsite programme, under which FedEx customers can pick up and drop off packages at more than 7,500 Walgreens locations in all 50 U.S. states.
In their latest cooperation, they announced today the nationwide launch of Walgreens Express, a next-day prescription delivery service, combining Walgreens’ network of 9,560 neighbourhood pharmacy locations with FedEx’s air-and-ground delivery network. Walgreens claimed the move makes it into “the fastest choice for next-day prescription delivery across the nation”.
The new service follows a similar move by rival CVS, which has some 10,000 stores across the USA. In June, CVS launched a home delivery service in cooperation with the US Postal Service.
But both drugstore chains are closely watching Amazon, which recently agreed to acquire online pharmacist PillPack. Analysts have speculated that the e-commerce giant will use its new subsidiary to make a major move into the prescription drugs market, combining product sales and home deliveries.
Walgreens Express allows patients to preview their cost, prepay for eligible prescriptions and choose between home delivery or express pickup in store. Patients who prefer collecting prescriptions at their local Walgreens can enter a dedicated Walgreens Express pickup checkout line to receive their prescriptions.
For those wanting home delivery, patients enrolled in text alerts will receive text notification when qualifying prescriptions are ready. Following a simple process on their mobile device, they can get their qualifying prescriptions delivered right to their home as early as the next day for a $4.99 fee nationwide. In addition, same-day delivery is currently available in select markets and will be expanded in 2019.
“Walgreens is driven by a desire to make healthcare accessible to all across the thousands of communities we serve. Next-day prescription home delivery is another convenience-driver, alongside our industry-leading number of extended hours pharmacies and one of the most downloaded digital apps in the category, designed to put care in the hands of our patients,” said Richard Ashworth, Walgreens president of operations. “This expansion of our alliance with FedEx illustrates our commitment to making filling prescriptions as fast and easy as possible.”
“FedEx and Walgreens are empowering consumers to choose when and where they receive their orders,” said Randy Scarborough, vice president of retail marketing, FedEx Services. “Just as FedEx package pick-up and drop-off services at Walgreens locations provide customers with much-needed convenience, the ability to ship prescription medication directly from Walgreens to their homes offers valuable flexibility to best meet individual needs and schedules.”
