CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) said Tuesday it plans to roll out delivery of prescription drugs and some over-the-counter medicines.
Customers in most markets where CVS' nearly 10,000 stores are located will be able to receive their orders either one or two days after placing them. Some customers in urban markets will be able to receive orders the same day.
The move comes as CVS races to stay ahead of Amazon, the e-commerce giant that has strained retailers with its free two-day shipping and is now eyeing the prescription drug market. It will be a test of whether patients are willing to wait for their medicines in exchange for the convenience of delivery.
Patients hoping to use CVS' delivery will need to be patient and pay for the convenience. To have their orders filled and delivered in one or two days, CVS will charge $4.99. For same-day delivery, the company will charge $8.99.
CVS introduced same-day delivery to New York City at the end of last year. It's now expanding it to other cities across America.
Customers can place their orders online, through the drugstore's app or over the phone, and can add over-the-counter products like cold and flu medicines, vitamins and baby or feminine care products.
This bundled approach could help CVS counteract declines in traffic as people avoid brick-and-mortar stores and opt to instead buy their goods online, often at less expensive prices.
The drug store chain’s stock gathered 84 cents, or 1.2%, to $68.58 Tuesday morning, within a 52-week trading range of $60.14 to $84.00
