Walmart teams up with Quest to sell common lab tests online

Walmart is enabling consumers to purchase common laboratory tests on its e-commerce site.

The discount giant is expanding a partnership with clinical laboratory Quest Diagnostics to enable consumers to purchase from an assortment of more than 50 different tests, including general health, digestive health, allergy, heart health, women's health and infectious disease.

The new collaborative offering follows a pilot of drone delivery of at-home COVID-19 self-collection kits Walmart ran with Quest Diagnostics and nationwide drone services provider DroneUp in North Las Vegas in September 2020. 

Leveraging the QuestDirect consumer-initiated test platform, shoppers can now visit the Walmart website and select their own lab tests.  Each purchase is reviewed and, if appropriate, ordered by a licensed physician.  (The service is not available in Arizona, Hawaii, or Alaska.)

Depending on the test, customers will be prompted to schedule an appointment at one of Quest's 2,220 centers across the country, including locations at select Walmart stores. Appointments may be available that same day, depending on location. At-home collection kit with detailed sample collection instructions will be sent to consumers for certain tests.

Results are typically available within days, according to Walmart. Consumers can gain access to results through the free, secure MyQuest patient portal via smartphone, tablet, or desktop. Consumers can also choose to share their results with their doctor, family, or friends. Access to a healthcare professional for an explanation of test results and prescription treatments, if appropriate, are also included as part of the service.

Tests ordered through QuestDirect via the Walmart site may be considered eligible expenses for flexible spending accounts (FSA) and health savings accounts (HSA).

"Walmart is committed to providing its customers broad access to healthcare services," said Julie Barber, senior VP of health & wellness merchandising, Walmart. "This new testing solution, which is powered by QuestDirect, from Quest Diagnostics, allows us to build upon this commitment by empowering customers with a new way to take control of their own health and obtain high quality lab services with the click of the mouse."

Walmart continues to expand its healthcare partnerships. In September 2021, the company teamed up with health records system company Epic to integrate all of its health and wellness lines of business – across channels. By creating a single, unified system, the retailer intends to engage patients, health care professionals, insurance carriers and other stakeholders in its Walmart Health offering through a unified portal.

June 2021, Walmart acquired the technology platform, patents and intellectual property of CareZone, which developed an app that helps people manage their health information and medications. Individuals can also use the app to scan labels or insurance cards to speed and simplify the process.

CareZone, which also operates an online pharmacy that puts customers’ medications into pill packs and delivers them to patients via mail, will remain a separate company unrelated to Walmart. At the time of the acquisition, Walmart said CareZone would augment its current health & wellness capabilities and support its focus on the digital health care solutions process.

And in May 2021, Walmart announced it would acquire MeMD, a multi-specialty telehealth provider. The purchase will allow Walmart to expand its Walmart Health services by providing access to virtual care services across the nation. Walmart said the services, including urgent, behavioral and primary care, will complement its in-person Walmart Health store offering.

[Read more: Walmart Health expands to Illinois; Florida is next]