Walgreens celebrates American Pharmacists Month

Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG), the nation’s largest drugstore chain, celebrates its pharmacists and their commitment to community as part of October’s American Pharmacists Month. Pharmacy and serving the needs of patients are at the heart of the company. From initiating the usage of child-resistant prescription containers in 1968 to providing seasonal flu shots as part of a nationwide flu prevention effort, Walgreens and its pharmacists are dedicated to the communities and patients they serve.

“Pharmacists go far beyond counting pills – they’re some of the most trusted health care professionals in the nation,” said Walgreens senior vice president of pharmacy services Kermit R. Crawford. “With our extensive network of more than 7,000 pharmacies, we are in local communities to make sure patients know what to do to stay healthy. This flu season is a great example of that. We have certified immunizing pharmacists available every day to provide seasonal flu shots, making it convenient for anyone to get protected against the seasonal flu. I am proud of our pharmacists and this rewarding career that allows us to spend time helping our patients every way we can.”

With more than 27,000 pharmacists, Walgreens serves a diverse base of communities. Nearly 20 percent of Walgreens stores have at least one bilingual pharmacist, and almost 4 million customers use Walgreens prescription label service that translates medication directions into 14 languages. If a bilingual pharmacist isn’t on duty at the store, patients can speak to a pharmacist in their native language through Walgreens Dial-A-Pharmacist program. The program allows staff to search Walgreens pharmacies nationwide for on-duty pharmacists fluent in the patient’s language and speak with them on the phone.

In 2008, Walgreens announced a donation campaign of more than $1 million annually to support initiatives dedicated to promoting diversity at all accredited pharmacy schools nationwide. Through this donation, students get an opportunity to apply their education by better understanding and serving different communities and needs.

Walgreens pharmacists also are taking on greater roles in specialty pharmacy, offering expertise in patient support services and medication management for these complex drug regimens.

“Our pharmacists are great sources for support and guidance,” said Crawford. “If we can improve compliance and adherence to medication therapy through one-on-one consultation, patients will become healthier and will help lower overall health care costs.”

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