DEERFIELD, Ill., September 18, 2018 - Walgreens is supporting relief efforts in North Carolina and South Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence through a number of measures, including an initial $200,000 donation to the American Red Cross relief efforts. The company has also donated non-perishable food items to the American Red Cross to support emergency shelters in the region.
“Our hearts go out to those who have been impacted by Hurricane Florence, and we’re working to do our part to help support these communities during this difficult time. We are thankful to our team members who continue to work diligently to restore pharmacy services and operations in the region as quickly as possible,” said Richard Ashworth, Walgreens president of operations. “Walgreens has a long history of being there for our communities in times of need and we will continue to support our customers and team members.”
The company’s first priority is the safety of its team members and customers. Throughout the storm, Walgreens has conducted wellness checks on all field and store team members in impacted areas. The company is also making disaster support services available to team members who have been displaced or are in need of additional support. Walgreens has also continued to provide updates on store locations across its social media platforms and through the mobile app.
Walgreens Emergency Operations Center in its Deerfield, Illinois support office has a dedicated team working with field leaders to restore pharmacy services at stores in the region as quickly as possible, and as of September 18 at 8 am ET, approximately 190 of the company’s 235 stores in the impacted regions have reopened. Updates on store status are available on the store locator section of Walgreens.com and Walgreens mobile app. The company recommends customers call the store before traveling, as some services may not be fully available.
The company is working to deploy mobile power generators to locations without power, and as store operations begin to resume, many Walgreens locations in the Carolinas are offering charging stations where customers can charge cell phones or medical devices at no cost. A list of locations offering charging stations are available on the Walgreens newsroom.
The company has also staged mobile pharmacies that can be deployed to locations that may be heavily damaged and unable to reopen in a timely manner.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (walgreens.com), one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. Approximately 8 million customers interact with Walgreens in stores and online each day, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. As of June 28, 2018, Walgreens operates approximately 9,800 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel business, Walgreens.com. Approximately 400 Walgreens stores offer Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail clinic services.
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