South Carolina is among the 6 states where Walmart is offering express delivery of most prescription drugs and refills on the same day or as soon as 30 minutes

U.S. retailer Walmart on Tuesday said it will start delivering prescription medicines and medication refills along with groceries and other items as a single order within 30 minutes, upping the ante in its delivery competition against Amazon Inc.

Walmart and Amazon are promising same-day deliveries in the $600bn US prescription medicines market, putting new pressure on drugstores and supermarkets that compete against the nation’s two largest retailers.

Walmart will begin delivering prescriptions across the U.S. early next year, as the retailing giant strives to keep pace with rival Amazon in competing for health care dollars. Walmart's new service includes new prescriptions and refills,

Competition in the pharmacy sector is heating up as Walmart announces it will offer same-day prescription delivery.

Walmart Inc. will start delivering prescriptions to US homes in as little as 30 minutes, a move that’s intended to grab a bigger slice of online spending and compete against Amazon.com Inc.

The new service is already available at select Walmart locations in Arkansas, Missouri, New York, Nevada, South Carolina and Wisconsin. (Scripps News)