October 28, 2004
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Oct. 26, 2004 - No one likes waiting, especially when theyre not feeling well. Thats why Wal-Mart pharmacies nationwide are unveiling a new service today that allows customers to simply pick up their prescriptions and head out the door.
Easy Pay allows customers to pre-register a credit card with their local Wal-Mart pharmacy. On future visits, prescriptions are automatically charged to that credit card upon request. With the payment process already out of the way, customers spend less time in the pharmacy and more time at home getting well.
"Most people want to get their prescriptions and get home as quickly as possible," said Ron Chomiuk, Wal-Marts vice president, Pharmacy Operations. "Easy Pay makes that happen. It also allows people who want to talk with a Wal-Mart pharmacist about their medications extra time to do so without extending the length of their visit."
"Were always looking to expand customer convenience," said Frank Segrave, Wal-Marts vice president, Pharmacy. "For example, earlier this year, we inaugurated our first 24-hour pharmacies and weve worked to make Wal-Mart the easiest place to use Medicare-approved drug discount cards. Easy Pay is another step in this process."
Wal-Mart pharmacies offer a full spectrum of services. They are complemented by a mail order pharmacy, which provides a cost-effective alternative for long-term maintenance medications, and a specialty pharmacy, which provides specialty and injectable medications and case management for chronic diseases.
More than 10,000 pharmacists serve customers in over 3,000 retail pharmacies throughout 49 states. The pharmacies are located inside Wal-Mart stores, Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets, many with convenient drive-through service.
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAMS CLUB locations in the United States. Internationally, the company operates in Puerto Rico, Canada, China, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina, and South Korea. The companys securities are listed on the New York and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol WMT.