Healthcare stalwarts Walgreens (NASDAQ:WBA), CVS (NYSE:CVS), and Kroger (NYSE:KR) are putting a cap on the sales of children’s flu medications amid rising cases of viral respiratory infections, including flu, RSV, and COVID-19.
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The onset of winter has made children across the U.S. more susceptible to different types of influenza, which has led to a surge in demand for pediatric over-the-counter pain, cold, and cough medicine products.
Walgreens restricted the number of online purchases of pain medications for children to six per buyer. Reportedly, the limit resulted from a spike in demand as well as supply challenges. Fortunately, retail stores have no such limit.
CVS Pharmacy, on the other hand, limited kids’ pain relief medication purchases to two products in physical stores as well as online.
In separate news on Tuesday, U.S. grocer Kroger also announced limits on purchases of children’s flu-related medications as a result of supply constraints amid burgeoning demand. Customers will be able to buy two pediatric pain relief drugs and four cold and flu medications at a time.
In this situation, Walgreens appears to be in the best position among the three, as the limit applies only to online purchases. This is expected to lead more customers to Walgreens products in retail stores and boost sales during the flu season.
Is WBA Stock a Buy?
Wall Street is cautious of WBA stock, with a Hold consensus rating based on three Buys, seven Holds, and one Sell. The average price target stands at $41.70, indicating an upside of 5.49% over the next 12 months.
