Sav-On launches Internet drug sales in Vegas

Phil Levine

Monday, Oct. 25, 1999 | 11:23 a.m.

The battle to fill Las Vegans' pharmaceutical needs heats up this week with two new online programs.

Sav-On Drugs entered the fray today, revealing a pilot project providing customers with online prescription refills. A spokesman for rival Walgreen Drug Stores said his company has offered online prescription refills since January 1998. Michael Polzin said Walgreen plans to expand its online services to include filling new prescriptions this week.

Sav-On is the latest of the large drug store chains to offer online prescription services. A spokeswoman for Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Longs Drug Stores said her company has offered online prescription refills "for about two years" via its Web site www.longs.com. Longs operates six stores in Metropolitan Las Vegas.

A spokesman for Rite-Aid Drugstores, which operates 29 Las Vegas locations, said the company has provided online refills since 1997. Officials at both Rite-Aid and Longs say their companies hope to expand their online services in the months to come.

Boise, Idaho-based Albertson's, parent company to Sav-On Drugs, plans to initially offer online refills only to customers in Las Vegas and Kansas City. Company spokesman John Sonego said Las Vegas was chosen as a test market due to its "key demographics and importance for the company." Sonego said the "hope and goal is to expand the program nationwide during the second quarter of next year."

Albertson's recently acquired Sav-On Drugs, along with Lucky supermarkets, and sold its 19 brand-name supermarkets in Las Vegas to Raley's.

Sonego said the Web site, Sav-OnDrugs.com, will offer a full range of items, including prescription refills and consumer health information.

Customers can pick up online pharmacy refills at the store where the prescription originated. Sundry items ordered on the site will be delivered to customers' homes in three to five business days. Delivery service to Sav-On customers will be provided by United Parcel Service.

Walgreen's Polzin said that despite a lack of marketing, his company has been impressed with the response to its online services.

"We've received about 2,000 orders per day nationwide, without any significant advertising," he said. "We chose not to really market the product until our system was adequately upgraded. But later this week we plan to expand our online service to include filling new prescriptions." The service will be available through the company's Web site at Walgreen.com

Polzin said Walgreen customers would be able to e-mail their prescription requests online; pharmacists would then check with the doctor before issuing any new prescriptions.

Sav-On Drugs currently operates about 30 stores in the Metropolitan Las Vegas market, while Walgreen has some 25 Las Vegas locations.