DEERFIELD, Ill., Jan. 12, 2011 - Walgreens (NYSE: WAG)(NASDAQ: WAG) today released a new national research study showing that nearly half of patients currently using mail order pharmacy for 90-day supplies of prescription medications are unaware that their community pharmacy is an option, despite an overwhelming majority’s desire for face-to-face interaction with their pharmacist and for the choice of where their prescriptions are filled.
In response, Walgreens is launching an initiative to educate eligible prescription customers about their options to get a 90-day supply of medication at their local Walgreens pharmacy.
While many pharmacy benefit plans allow for a 90-day medication supply from local community pharmacies, plan members often aren’t aware of this option. In the research, prescription customers also expressed a strong desire to have the ability to receive 90-day supplies of their chronic medications at their community pharmacy:
- Nearly half of mail order pharmacy users believe that mail is their only option for 90-day prescriptions.
- Two-thirds of 30-day chronic medication users would be extremely or very likely to switch to 90-day supplies at their community pharmacy if given the option.
“One way to improve medication adherence and compliance is by allowing patients to receive 90-day supplies of chronic medications at their community pharmacy,” said Walgreens President and CEO Greg Wasson. “Today, some patients still are only able to receive a 90-day supply through a mail-order option designed by their prescription plan administrator. We are out to change that with our ‘Go 90’ program, which will inform eligible patients that they can receive a 90-day medication supply from their trusted community pharmacist. We also will be encouraging all prescription plan administrators to adopt this design to help both their clients and individuals save money, while improving patient health through proper medication adherence and compliance.”
Walgreens, working with clients of Navitus Health Solutions, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), offers 90-day supplies of medications at retail through its store network. In only seven months, Navitus clients saved $3.3 million with Walgreens Go 90 program.
“By offering payers programs that leverage our 90-day supply at retail capability, which reduces overall health costs and improves health outcomes, we continue to demonstrate our unique set of pharmacy, health and wellness solutions,” said Walgreens Health and Wellness division President Hal Rosenbluth. “As we provide additional tangible savings results from our work with clients like Navitus, we are confident that more payers and employers will welcome the opportunity to provide their members and employees the option of 90-day supplies at their community pharmacy.”
Walgreens President of Pharmacy Services Kermit Crawford said, “The role of the pharmacist in the health care system has steadily evolved for some time, and it’s clear if people have questions or concerns about their medications, they want to be able to rely on the pharmacist they know, trust and are confident talking to about their health. We also know that an approximately 15 percent increase in adherence to medications occurs for consumers receiving a 90-day prescription versus those receiving a 30-day supply. So our Go 90 program can improve health outcomes and reduce overall costs to the health care system through better adherence while providing patients the choice they want.”
Walgreens pharmacists will be ready to help patients navigate their benefit plan options to take advantage of 90-day supplies when possible.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2010 sales of $67 billion. The company operates 7,655 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with pharmacy benefit solutions and respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
About the Research
Research was completed via telephone among a random sample of 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18+ who are the primary decision makers for prescription filling and have filled a prescription in the past 3 months. Interviewing was conducted by Echo Research between December 10 and 20, 2010. Overall, the results have a margin of error of +/-3.1% at the 95 percent level of confidence.
Statements regarding Walgreens in this release that are not historical are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of Walgreens most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, each of which is incorporated herein by reference, and in other documents that Walgreens files or furnishes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except to the extent required by law, Walgreens undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the distribution of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.