Instacart begins Costco prescription delivery

Instacart has begun delivering prescription delivery from Costco in seven states and the District of Columbia. The company launches the services across 200 locations in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, New York, Washington and Washington, D.C., after a successful pilot in southern California and Washington. 

The prescription delivery service isn’t just for prescriptions, either. Costco customers at participating locations will be able to complete their entire shopping trip online and have it delivered to their home, offering the retailer and opportunity to promote its Kirkland private label brand and other own brands. Instacart already delivers from all of Costco’s locations nationwide, a partnership that began in 2016, but the companies saw adding prescriptions as a next step in their partnership, particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

"Instacart has become an essential service for millions of consumers who are relying on us in the wake of COVID-19 to get the groceries and household goods they need from the retailers they love like Costco. For many people, we know that part of their grocery shopping experience goes beyond fresh produce, meat, seafood and pantry staples, and also includes getting much-needed medications," said Nilam Ganenthiran, president of Instacart. "We're proud to partner with Costco to make online prescription delivery possible for consumers during this critical time. With our total order volume up more than 400% year-over-year last week, and more people than ever turning to Instacart, we want to continue to bring all the aisles of the grocery store online to better serve customers."

Costco’s pharmacy will text patients when their prescription is ready and offer a link with the option to schedule their prescription delivery. The link will take customers to Costco’s site, where they can confirm their prescription, sign in to their Costco account and continue to add groceries and household goods to their Instacart order. 

Instacart said that as part of its safety efforts for its shoppers and customers — which include issuing health and safety kits and its own hand sanitizer to its shoppers — it is offering contactless delivery for most medications in participating states, allowing its shoppers to scan patient IDs without requiring a signature. Patients who want prescriptions delivered must 18 years old or older and enter their date of birth at checkout, then present a valid ID upon delivery. Prescriptions are delivered in tamper-proof bags, the companies said. 

Instacart also allows patients to schedule their prescription delivery up to one week in advance.