Walmart+ now includes prescription savings
Walmart is adding to the benefits it offers to members of its Walmart+ membership program. The new Walmart+ Rx for less program is meant to offer additional savings on some of the most commonly prescribed medications, including meds for heart health, mental health, allergies and diabetes management, as well as antibiotics.
The Walmart+ Rx for less program offers certain medications at no cost, as well thousands of others at discounts as high as 85%, for those who have paid for Walmart+, following a free trial period.
The prescription discount benefit is the latest effort that the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer has used to entice customers to join Walmart+, launched last fall as its answer to Amazon Prime. A full year of the membership costs $98, and also is offered at a monthly rate of $12.95. While the monthly rate rivals Amazon Prime’s $12.99 per month charge, the yearly rate is a little more than $20 less than Amazon Prime’s $119 annual rate.
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“With Walmart+ Rx for less, we’re providing incredible value to Walmart+ members on the prescriptions they rely on most,” said Dr. Cheryl Pegus, executive vice president of health and wellness at Walmart U.S. “When you consider the frequency with which many prescriptions are filled, the importance of medication adherence and the ease of multiple fulfilment options, we can make it easier for someone to manage their medical conditions. As a company, we’re on a journey to make health care more accessible and affordable with our pharmacists providing their clinical expertise to our customers.
Among the benefits that come with Walmart+ is free delivery from stores, offering same-day delivery with in-store prices, and fuel discounts at roughly 2,000 Walmart, Sam’s Club, Murphy USA and Murphy Express stations. Members also receive free next-day and two-day shipping with no order minimum, and Walmart+ members are able to use the Walmart app's Mobile Scan & Go function, allowing them to scan their items as they shop and checkout in the app.
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With the new prescription discount offering, Walmart+ members receive a pharmacy savings card, which they can opt to use instead of their insurance benefits at any Walmart pharmacy when presenting a prescription. The discounts also can be used on e-prescriptions sent by prescribers to the Walmart pharmacy. Administering the program is pharmacy benefit management company MedImpact, which also operates in the prescription discount space.
“We’re designing Walmart+ to be the ultimate life hack for our customers,” said Janey Whiteside, executive vice president and chief customer officer of Walmart U.S. "It’s been our commitment from the beginning to continue to grow the suite of benefits we offer Walmart+ members. We know we can use our size and scale to help simplify things for our customers in a way only we can.”
Walmart noted that its existing $4 generics program — which it launched in 2006 — will continue to be offered regardless of Walmart+ membership at all of its pharmacies across the country.
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