(Bloomberg) -- Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. is rolling out a nationwide next-day prescription-delivery service to fend off competition from Amazon.com Inc. and numerous venture capital-backed startups.
Walgreens has thousands of retail stores, which could give it a leg up in speedy distribution of prescription drugs. But Amazon also has a sizable network of stores where consumers can pick up things they order online after its takeover of the grocery chain Whole Foods.
Key Insights
- The new service would allow patients to go online to fill a prescription and pick it up in a drugstore or have it delivered by FedEx Corp. the next day for $4.99. Same-day service will be available in select areas.
- Walgreens and rival CVS Health Corp. face a looming threat from Amazon, which bought online pharmacy PillPack for about $1 billion in June. While Amazon hasn't disclosed its plans, its new online pharmacy has licenses in every state.
- Several venture-backed startups also offer same-day prescription delivery or websites that allow you to pay in advance for drugs and pick them up at a drugstore of your choice.
- CVS started offering one-to-two day home delivery nationwide for $4.99 in June. It also has same day-delivery in certain areas.
Get More
Read the Walgreens news release here.
To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Langreth in New York at rlangreth@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Drew Armstrong at darmstrong17@bloomberg.net, Timothy Annett
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.
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