Walgreens and VillageMD to open 29 primary care practices in Texas this year

Walgreens Boots Alliance and VillageMD have announced ideas to open 29 new Village Clinical at Walgreens tactics in Houston, Austin and El Paso this 12 months. 

The strategic partnership is on keep track of to satisfy its over-all intention of opening at the very least 600 Village Clinical at Walgreens in far more than 30 U.S. markets in excess of the following 4 decades, with the intent to construct hundreds far more, according to Walgreens. 

The enlargement is component of the $1 billion accelerated expense energy announced in January 2021 to combine Village Clinical principal care medical professionals and Walgreens pharmacy solutions.

Today’s news follows Walgreens’ strategic plan to market its wholesale pharmacy enterprise to AmerisourceBergen for $six.5 billion, a transaction accomplished in June, for the organization to use the income to speed up progress of its main retail pharmacy and healthcare corporations.

WHY THIS MATTERS 

Walgreens is continuing its enlargement into principal care as a result of an integrated care delivery product that combines the consumer benefit of a retail pharmacy with the profit of claims entry to enhance treatment adherence and lessen fees.

Doctors and pharmacists are situated under 1 roof.

“These positive aspects assist sufferers take the right treatment and the right doses at the right time, getting rid of the barriers to accessing principal care and pharmacy by acquiring it all in 1 put,” the organization claimed.

In Austin, El Paso and Houston, there are far more than 825,000 sufferers within just five miles of a new or prepared Village Clinical at Walgreens who are in excess of sixty five decades outdated, according to Walgreens.

Furthermore, the companies have expanded their coordinated care product to permit Village Clinical sufferers to entry the identical variety of pharmacy solutions – which includes amongst-go to refills, treatment substitutions and consultations – from decide on Walgreens web-sites that do not have a colocated Village Clinical. 

This program has released at all colocations and is launching at 9 non-colocations in the Houston and Phoenix regions. 

With Walgreens getting equipped to digitally entry data from Village Clinical, sufferers can acquire the identical variety of coordinated care as they would at colocations, which includes conserving time on prescription refills, navigating coverage coverage, locating a lot less pricey treatment choices and handling co-pay back fees, the organization claimed.

THE More substantial Development

A 12 months ago, Walgreens claimed it would open far more than five hundred Village MD principal care workplaces within just outlets. Walgreens has far more than 21,000 outlets.

It is competing in opposition to principal care suppliers and other big retail pharmacy chains, this kind of as CVS, which has HealthHubs.

VillageMD partners with medical professionals to offer tools, technological know-how, functions, staffing support and business interactions. The Village Clinical brand name provides principal care for sufferers at conventional freestanding clinics, at Village Clinical at Walgreens clinics, at dwelling and via digital visits. 

VillageMD claimed is also among the the premier participating sponsors of CMS’ new Direct Contracting program.

ON THE Report

“This strategic partnership amongst Walgreens and VillageMD demonstrates our continuing determination to the care and nicely-getting of our sufferers, and we’re energized to increase our principal care and pharmacy service offerings in Texas,” claimed Jamie Vortherms, vice president of healthcare solutions for Walgreens. 

“With Village Clinical principal care solutions and Walgreens pharmacy solutions sent as a result of an integrated care product, we’re facilitating standard and direct conversation with sufferers, aiding supply enhanced health and fitness outcomes and economical care,” claimed Dr. Clive Fields, cofounder and chief healthcare officer of VillageMD.

“We are happy to increase these offerings in Texas so residents can take care of their serious circumstances and concentration on getting balanced, active members of their community.”
 
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