Insights into Wal-Mart's Specialty Pharmacy

Most of Wal-Mart's 3,700 U.S. retail pharmacies stock between 800 and 2,000 prescription drug varieties. A typical monthly prescription costs $55 to $160. Wal-Mart's Specialty Pharmacy (WMSP) in Lake Mary, FL, on the other hand, carries 275 to 300 drugs, but a monthly prescription can cost thousands of dollars. That's because these are complex, specialty drugs for chronic diseases. About 85% of these require refrigeration from the point they're manufactured to the "last mile" where they reach the patient. Shipping containers and materials must maintain complex, costly prescriptions in the 2ºC to 8ºC (36ºF to 46ºF) temperature range. Now in test: sustainable packaging.