Walgreens CEO Roz Brewer plans to reshape the healthcare industry by incorporating coordinated patient care into the pharmacy's primary care strategy, FastCompany reported March 8.
The pandemic, which revealed drastic inequities in healthcare, became the inspiration behind Walgreens' primary care aspirations, according to Ms. Brewer. She said if the company could dispense medication, administer vaccines and have a pharmacist talking to a patient, it could deliver primary care to more localized communities.
These are the steps the pharmacy company is making toward prioritizing primary care in 2022:
- In 2022, Ms. Brewer said Walgreens looks to expand VillageMD, the company's primary care clinics, from 80 clinics across 10 markets to 200 clinics by the end of 2022.
- With this model, the retailer will devote 3,000 square feet of store space into an eight-room physician's office with a lab testing unit.
- Rather than serving as in-store urgent care clinics, these clinics will offer coordinated care with Walgreens pharmacists.
- Walgreens will partner with insurers to open Walgreens Health Corners, in-store spaces staffed by nurses or pharmacists who will provide healthcare services including preventative screenings to members of certain health plans.
- The company is also building its support capabilities for patients on medication for complex conditions and branching into post-acute care.