Walgreens partners with DoorDash, Uber Health to provide free Paxlovid delivery

Walgreens is poised to offer free prescription delivery of Paxlovid, a COVID-19 oral antiviral therapy, directly to the doorsteps of those in need, with the help of delivery partners DoorDash and Uber Health.

The initiative, which will launch on Walgreens.com and the Walgreens app in the coming weeks, will prioritize access to free delivery of Paxlovid for patients with a prescription who are in socially vulnerable or medically underserved communities, and will help ensure that transportation access is not a barrier to receiving treatment for COVID-19. Walgreens dispenses COVID-19 oral antivirals to eligible populations at nearly all locations across the United States.

Walgreens noted that it has a long history of collaborating with community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and national civic groups to reach medically underserved and underrepresented communities with education, information and access to life-saving vaccines.

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Uber has been at the forefront of ensuring that all communities have access to the tools to fight COVID-19, including a commitment to 10 million free or discounted rides to vaccines to communities most in need and a 2021 partnership with the White House to provide free rides to vaccination appointments across the country. Through Uber Health, millions are connected every day to the care they need with options for stress-free transportation and critical deliveries, Walgreens said.

DoorDash’s mission to empower local economies has guided its work to broaden access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments. Since the start of the pandemic, DoorDash has teamed up with the White House, CalOES, the state of Ohio, and others to donate more than $3 million in Community Credits gift cards to broaden vaccine access. DoorDash also donated nearly 40,000 at-home COVID tests to community organizations in Chicago, Seattle, New York City and Washington, D.C. including the James Beard Foundation, DC Central Kitchen and Metropolitan Family Services of Chicago. 

Walgreens has played a critical role throughout the pandemic educating the public on COVID-19, how to reduce community spread and the safety and efficacy of vaccinations. Trained Walgreens pharmacists continue to play a trusted and essential role in helping to keep people protected from COVID-19, including getting people vaccinated, tested and treated as safely, equitably and effectively as possible, the retailer said.

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Previously, Uber and Walgreens teamed up to create the Vaccine Access Fund, which brought rides and donations to help connect people from underserved communities to transportation to and from COVID-19 vaccination sites.