Walmart's acquisition of CareZone's technology has a strategic advantage for its long-term health plans

October 06, 2020 | Case Study

In 2006, Walmart launched its $4 prescription drug program, revolutionizing the way that consumers could access generic drugs, regardless of insurance. This launch irrevocably changed the pharmacy retail landscape in the U.S. Now, with its acquisition of CareZone's proprietary technology, Walmart is further refining the way that it works in pharmacy and giving itself a further toehold into chronic disease management. The key technology is the use of an algorithm that scrapes data from medicine bottles photographed with a smartphone and manages both record-keeping and medication adherence by offering reminders to take and refill prescriptions. With the average chronic care patient managing six medications, this is a significant value proposition for managing care.