Walmart Helps Kids’ Medicine Go Down

To make it easier for parents to get their children to take their medicine, Walmart’s Neighborhood Market pharmacies are now offering FLAVORx – a system in use at more than 46,000 chain and independent pharmacies that enables pharmacists to use copyrighted recipes to safely flavor prescription and over-the-counter medications – with select liquid prescriptions for no additional cost.

The move lets parents and caregivers choose a flavor the child likes best, including grape, strawberry, mango and even bubblegum, for stress-free dosing.

“We know our customers face a lot of challenges during the day, and getting your child to swallow necessary medications shouldn’t be one of them,” noted Jay Picklesimer, senior director of Walmart Neighborhood Market health and wellness operations. “While we have previously offered FLAVORx at a nominal fee to parents, we are now offering it at no additional cost to take the guesswork out of convenience and continuing our mission of offering affordable health care.”

According to Columbia, Md.-based FLAVORx, pediatric adherence rates of taking medication normally are around 60 percent, but when medicines are custom-flavored, those rates can surge to 90 percent or higher.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart operates more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries, as well as ecommerce websites, employing 2.2 million-plus associates worldwide. The company is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.