DEERFIELD, Ill., October 06, 2014 - Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) (Nasdaq:WAG) is honoring its more than 27,000 community pharmacists as part of American Pharmacists Month, recognizing the important role they are playing in health care today, and in furthering the Walgreens purpose to champion everyone’s right to be happy and healthy.
Walgreens pharmacists, across more than 8,200 Walgreens and Duane Reade drugstores, have been central to the ongoing advancement of community pharmacy, providing a wider range of health care services and working more closely than ever before with other providers to ensure continuity of patient care. Walgreens pharmacists today provide a number of preventive services, including immunizations, health testing, chronic care and medication therapy management, patient counseling and more.
During fiscal year 2014, the company’s pharmacists helped to administer a total of 9.6 million immunizations chain-wide, including more than 7.7 million flu shots.
“As the most accessible, and among the most trusted health care providers in thousands of communities across America, our pharmacists have become a critical part of patients’ health care teams, and a valuable partner to many others within our health care system,” said Richard Ashworth, Walgreens president of retail and pharmacy operations. “This month is an opportunity to recognize the personalized care our pharmacists provide every day, as we continue to advance the role of community pharmacy to meet the changing needs of patients, payers and the health care system at large.”
With a greater need for access to health care services, the company has pharmacists with specialized training to help manage a growing number of chronic conditions such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. In addition, Walgreens pharmacists are working closely to coordinate care with hospitals, health systems and physician groups on medication adherence and transition of care programs such as WellTransitions.
About Walgreens
As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2014 sales of $76 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to be America’s most loved pharmacy-led health, wellbeing and beauty enterprise. Each day, in communities across America, more than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with online and mobile 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 8,207 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com. Walgreens also manages more than 400 Healthcare Clinic and provider practice locations around the country.
Walgreens
Markeisha Marshall, (847) 315-2923
http://news.walgreens.com
@WalgreensNews
facebook.com/Walgreens