• Arkansas: Last week, Walmart announced that it will offer same-day delivery for prescription drugs. So far, the drug delivery service is available in Arkansas, Missouri, New York, Nevada, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, and will expand to another 43 states by the end of January 2025. Walmart, which has almost 4,600 stores nationwide, said that it expects to offer prescription delivery services to over 86% of U.S. households. Customers will be able to order their prescriptions through the Walmart app and schedule delivery for specific time windows. Walmart+ members will be able to get their prescriptions delivered for free while nonmembers will pay a $9.95 fee. "The service provides a significant benefit to Walmart customers and members, particularly families, seniors and those managing chronic conditions who do not have time for multiple trips," the company said in a statement. "For Walmart, reaching these people is no problem." (Bomey, Axios, 10/22)
• California/Ohio: Amazon One Medical and Cleveland Clinic have partnered to open a primary care office in 2025, with additional locations planned for the next few years. According to Modern Healthcare, the facilities will be staffed by One Medical clinicians. Walk-in care will also be available, but only One Medical members will be able to make online appointments or use telehealth services. "We're starting small with a couple of locations, … then we'll see where it takes us," said Tomislav Mihaljevic, CEO and president at Cleveland Clinic. "We're continuously evaluating potential partnerships, and this is the one that just rose to the top of what we think is the right thing for our patients." The organizations said that the affiliation will allow One Medical members to access specialty care at Cleveland Clinic through patient referrals. "Our [electronic health records] will connect, so it will be very easy for patients and providers to refer to the Cleveland Clinic, but we will not be their only referral option," said Meghan Cassidy, Cleveland Clinic's senior director of sales and product development. (Turner, Modern Healthcare, 10/21)
• Maryland: FDA has halted Novavax's clinical trial of its combination COVID-19 and flu vaccine, as well as a standalone flu vaccine, after a participant experienced a serious adverse event. The trial was put on hold after a participant who received a combination vaccine developed motor neuropathy, an immune disorder affecting the nerves that control muscles. According to Novavax, it does not believe the condition was due to the vaccine and noted that data from past COVID-19 and flu trials "have shown no signals for motor neuropathy." Robert Walker, Novavax's CMO, said that the company's goal "is to successfully resolve this matter and to start our Phase 3 trial as soon as possible." (Reed, Axios, 10/16)

Amazon's acquisition of One Medical has the potential to reshape the healthcare industry, but it needs the help of incumbent health systems to succeed. Take a closer look at the relationship between One Medical and health systems, including the benefits of these partnerships for both parties and the potential impact on the healthcare industry.