SAN FRANCISCO and BOISE, Idaho — Food and drug retailer Albertsons has signed a five-year distribution pact for the sourcing and distribution of branded and generic drugs with McKesson Corp.

The companies said late Tuesday that the pharmaceutical distribution agreement will go into effect on April 1, 2016. Boise-based Albertsons operates about 1,700 pharmacies in its 2,200 supermarkets, located in 33 states and the District of Columbia under such banners as Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market and Carrs.

“Providing what our customers want is our top priority every day. In our nearly 1,700 pharmacies, that means delivering outstanding health and wellness services to each customer regardless of what their needs may be,” Albertsons chairman and chief executive officer Bob Miller said in a statement. “We’ve worked with McKesson for several years, and they’ve consistently proven to us that they are a partner who can respond quickly to the wide variety of prescriptions we receive. We’re excited that our expanded relationship with McKesson will allow us to continue delivering convenient solutions for every customer’s prescription needs across every neighborhood we serve.”

Under the agreement, Albertsons will benefit from the scale and strength of McKesson’s OneStop generics program and the efficiency of the distributor’s daily direct-to-store service model for pharmaceuticals, the companies said.

“We are extremely excited about our expanded relationship with Albertsons,” stated John Hammergren, chairman and CEO of McKesson. “We have great confidence in the exceptional value we provide to our customers as a global leader in pharmaceutical supply chain solutions, and I appreciate the opportunity to work with Albertsons as partners in ensuring the highest levels of pharmaceutical product availability and service to its customers.”