DEERFIELD, Ill., October 29, 2012 - Walgreens is working to keep as many East Coast stores open as possible to continue serving the health and daily living needs of communities impacted by Hurricane Sandy, despite disruptions to transportation and power supplies in some areas.
Walgreens and Duane Reade store status information will be regularly updated online at news.walgreens.com.
Beginning last week, Walgreens took numerous proactive steps to best serve customers taking precautions, including stocking store shelves with additional supplies of water, batteries, flashlights, medications and both perishable and non-perishable consumables. Special transportation and lodging arrangements were made for employees who depend on public transit, and more than 160 portable electricity generators have been stationed for rapid deployment to stores along the East Coast as needed. Dry ice supplies were secured for medications that require refrigeration.
The company aims to keep as many of its 24-hour locations open as possible, while continuing to monitor the storm and take whatever precautions may be necessary to ensure the maximum safety of customers and employees.
About Walgreens
As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2012 sales of $72 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to become America’s first choice for health and daily living. Each day, Walgreens provides more than 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 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. The company operates 7,944 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
Walgreens
Jim Graham, (847) 315-2925
http://news.walgreens.com