After five years, Walmart has decided to shutter its health clinic and virtual care operations while refocusing on wellness and customer care initiatives in pharmacy.
Walmart will continue operating 4,600 Pharmacies and more than 3,000 Vision Centers. The company said that pharmacy departments have continued to evolve as Walmart has expanded its clinical capabilities. The company has long-established immunization services on offer and has expanded into testing and treatment services and access to specialty pharmacy medication and care, even as it has added other essential services such as medication therapy management and a range of health screenings. With more than 4,000 stores in medical provider shortage areas, Walmart has been positioning pharmacies as the front door of healthcare. At the same time, Walmart has expanded its optical operations, moving more than 200 Vision Centers from private to Walmart ownership. The company plans to launch a suite of optical tools, including virtual try-on capabilities, to make getting a pair of glasses even easier.
Walmart says it plans to introduce more wellness initiatives such as the Walmart Healthcare Research Institute – developed to increase community access to healthcare research that may lead to safer, higher quality and more equitable healthcare via innovative interventions and medications – and programs to join fresh food and OTC offerings to help customers live better.
