Walgreens pushes stronger primary care role for pharmacists

Chicago Breaking Business: Walgreens will "step up investments in services to help Americans manage chronic diseases," the drugstore chain's CEO announced, because "the company wants to capitalize on what he called the 'retailization' of the nation's health care system." The pharmacy giant "increasingly has been lobbying to give pharmacists a greater role in medical care such as providing immunizations in its stores as well as establishing retail health clinics staffed by nurse practitioners." Walgreens' health professionals could help "provide certain primary medical care service amid a national shortage of primary care doctors" and assist patients in managing chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol, the company's CEO said (Japsen, 11/4).