Walmart Stock (WMT) Looks Healthier as it Gives Boost to Pharmacy Arm

Retail giant Walmart (WMT) is investing in new automated prescription facilities to free up the time its pharmacists spend with patients.

The move helped its shares edge higher today.

Automation Tasks

Walmart said it has opened its largest centralized prescription processing facility – all 102,000 sq. ft. of it – in Frederick, Maryland, which can fulfill up to 100,000 prescriptions a day. It can support over 700 stores across 16 states and Washington, D.C.

Two additional facilities are under development in Phoenix and Republic, Missouri, and both are expected to open in 2026. Walmart currently operates five prescription processing centers.

The Maryland facility uses advanced pharmacy automation, including dynamic weighting systems, robotic carriers, and a streamlined conveyance route for prescription fulfillment. Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and patient safety associates work on-site. The automation handles tasks such as vial locating, pill counting, labeling, capping, and sorting.

Prescription Demand

By shifting fulfillment to centralized locations, Walmart said it aims to give in-store pharmacists more time for clinical services such as immunizations, diabetes management, testing and treatment, and patient counseling.

Indeed, a recent study cited by Walmart found that central fill operations can increase pharmacist-patient interactions by 30%. In its Q1 results, it said it had launched pharmacy delivery and that prescription volume grew by 10%.

This also led to growth in new digital users in its ecommerce business, said Chief Executive Doug McMillon.

Is WMT a Good Stock to Buy Now?

On TipRanks, WMT has a Strong Buy consensus based on 29 Buy and 2 Hold ratings. Its highest price target is $120. WMT stock’s consensus price target is $109.33 implying an 13.93% upside.

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