Wal-Mart Tests Pharmacies Around The Clock
By George Anderson
Wal-Mart is testing 24-hour pharmacies in five stores in Arkansas and Texas to determine if it should rollout the feature in its other stores.
“The need to consult a pharmacist or fill a prescription can occur day or night,” said Frank Segrave, vice president, Pharmacy for Wal-Mart. “By doubling the number of hours we’re available each day, we’re looking to meet, and hopefully exceed, our customers’ expectations for this expanded service.”
Ron Chomiuk, Wal-Mart’s vice president, Pharmacy Operations added, “We’re going to concentrate on these five pharmacies and work to perfect our model. These facilities will allow us to gather feedback from our customers and our associates on what we’re doing right and how we can further enhance this concept.”
Four of the stores where the 24-hour pharmacy will be tested are Neighborhood Market format stores while the fifth location will be a Supercenter.
Moderator’s Comment: What are your thoughts on Wal-Mart testing 24-hour pharmacy operations?
As a parent we realize sometimes you need a pharmacy just when they are least likely to be open. From a business standpoint, however, we wonder if there
is enough overnight business to justify it.
A company release doesn’t specify whether the 24-hour pharmacies will be a walk-in and drive-through operation or if the stores will use drive-through only.
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George Anderson – Moderator