Walmart to open 25 specialty pharmacies
Walmart plans to expand its autoimmune-focused specialty pharmacy business with 25 locations in Alabama, Idaho, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Walmart recently closed its healthcare clinics and sold its telehealth business to focus on pharmacy services.
The retail giant debuted its specialty pharmacy in October with six locations focused on the most common autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and other gastrointestinal disorders and dermatological conditions like psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Each pharmacy employs a staff with specialty expertise.
Kevin Host, Walmart senior vice president of pharmacy, said the specialty pharmacies help patients with many aspects of care, including clinical programs, pharmacy services provided by pharmacists trained on autoimmune diseases, enhanced care coordination, nutrition counseling and emotional support services,
The National Institute of Environmental Health Services reports as many as 50 million people in the U.S. have an autoimmune disease, making it the third-most prevalent disease category behind cancer and heart disease.
Walmart said it will own and operate the specialty pharmacy business with trained professionals. Walmart said having the pharmacies inside stores allows for a more holistic approach to treatment that includes foods and over-the-counter options.
Bentonville-based Walmart also has pharmacies in New York, Louisiana, Texas and Rhode Island that provide services for people with HIV.
Midwestern grocer Hy-Vee opened its first specialty pharmacy in Des Moines this spring that provides treatments for rheumatology, pulmonary conditions, neurology, oncology and dermatology on a referral basis.
On Aug. 1, Walgreens is launching Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy, a $24 billion business that integrates a new pharmacy equipped to handle gene and cell therapies with its existing pharmacy operations.
Drug Channels reported in April that Walmart’s specialty pharmacy revenue last year was $3.4 billion, the ninth largest. CVS led the pack with specialty pharmacy revenue of $73.3 billion. Kroger ranked tenth with revenue of $3.2 billion from its specialty pharmacy services.