Mississauga, ON, February 1, 2021 – Walmart Canada has been ramping up efforts to offer Canadians a one-stop shop for increasing customer needs for health, wellness and pharmacy services during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"At Walmart Canada, part of our mission is to help Canadians live better,” said Horacio Barbeito, President and CEO, Walmart Canada. “Now more than ever, our associates and pharmacists have been helping Canadians with all their healthcare needs.”
Walmart Canada operates 337 corporate pharmacies nationwide and has an additional 68 Accès Pharma chez Walmart franchise locations in Quebec, with over 1,300 pharmacists and affiliated pharmacists across the country. In addition, Walmart Canada operates over 189 vision centres, and offers 67 medical clinics and nine dental clinics in stores across the country through third party relationships.
From the very start of the pandemic, the company has worked hard to support Canadians in receiving the health, wellness and pharmacy products and services they needed in the safest way possible. In 2020, the network of pharmacies:
· Offered free home delivery from over 268 locations – with more to come in 2021
· Delivered close to 1 million prescriptions for free – an increase of 300 per cent
· Introduced curbside pickup for prescriptions, delivering over 10,000 orders in recent months
“Throughout the pandemic, Canadians have come to Walmart for all their health, wellness and pharmacy needs – and we’ve been ready to support them,” said Shelly Kiroff, Senior Vice President, Health and Wellness, Walmart Canada. “With 60 per cent of all households in Canada living within a 10-minute drive of a Walmart store, Walmart can be one of the most accessible healthcare providers, offering expert advice and compassion on healthcare issues.”
In 2020, Walmart Canada also significantly ramped up its flu vaccination campaign. Walmart’s pharmacies and Accès Pharma chez Walmart franchise pharmacies have immunized over 180,000 Canadians – an increase of over 50 per cent from 2019.
Based on government announcements and discussions with pharmacy stakeholders across the country, Walmart Canada is ready to play a role in the upcoming COVID-19 vaccination rollout. Already, Walmart Canada has provided thousands of asymptomatic COVID-19 tests in Alberta and Ontario as part of provincial government pilot programs. In the United States, Walmart is already providing COVID-19 vaccinations at select stores and expects to deliver between 10 and 13 million doses per month at full capacity when supply and allocations allow.
In anticipation of plans to include pharmacies to maximize vaccine distribution in various provinces, Walmart Canada has increased its refrigeration capacity in its pharmacy network across the country in order to do its part to help get Canadians immunized. In addition, the company is purchasing a number of ultra-cold freezers to assist with the storage and handling of some vaccine formulas.
About Walmart Canada:
Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 900,000 customers daily. With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $400 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca and on Walmart Canada’s social media pages – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
