Oct 22 (Reuters) - Walmart ( WMT ) said on Tuesday it

will now deliver prescription medicines and medication refills

as a single order along with groceries and other items as soon

as 30 minutes, as part of its new express delivery option.

The retail bellwether's latest move comes a couple of weeks

after technology giant Amazon.com ( AMZN ) announced its plans

to open pharmacies with same-day delivery options across 20 new

U.S. cities in 2025.

Walmart's ( WMT ) previous efforts to dispatch prescription

medications typically took at least five to seven business days,

while an overnight delivery upon request was charged an

additional $15.

The company, which has nearly 4,600 store locations with

pharmacies, said the new delivery option is available in six

states, namely Arkansas, Missouri, New York, Nevada, South

Carolina and Wisconsin.

It would be delivering in 49 states by the end of January

next year.

Walmart Plus members will receive free delivery, while

non-members will have to pay a standard charge of $9.95.

The retailer added customers have the option to choose

on-demand or express delivery, where the items would be

available as soon as 30 minutes, or same-day delivery, where the

order can be scheduled for a specific time.

"Customers will be able to seamlessly add prescriptions

along with other items from their local Walmart ( WMT ) in a single

order, available both in-app and online," the company said.

It will offer all medications except controlled substances,

those that need refrigeration and Medicare Part B items that

cover services such as outpatient care.

Healthcare firm CVS Health ( CVS ) offers free same-day

delivery to customers with its membership program, CarePass.

Pharmacy chain Walgreens offers 24-hour delivery

along with groceries and over-the-counter medications, among

other items.

Earlier this year, Walmart ( WMT ) said it would close all 51 of its

health clinics and its virtual healthcare operations, as it did

not see the business model as sustainable to continue.