Walgreens ramps up rollout of primary care clinics at its stores
Walgreens Boots Alliance is escalating the rollout of VillageMD health care clinics co-located at Walgreens’ stores.
The pharmacy retailer has accelerated its investment in VillageMD to support the opening of 600 to 700 Village Medical primary care clinics at Walgreens stores in more than 30 U.S. markets within the next four years. The plan is to build hundreds more thereafter.
In July of 2020, Walgreens and VillageMD said they were expanding their partnership with plans to open 500 to 700 clinics, supported by Walgreens’ investment in VillageMD over three years of $1 billion in equity and convertible debt, which included an initial $250 million equity investment. The two companies have re-negotiated the terms of their agreements to enable Walgreens to accelerate their investment to increase the pace and scale of the rollout of the clinics and to adjust certain other terms.
“Walgreens is focused on creating the pharmacy of the future, providing a broad and meaningful range of high-quality, affordable healthcare services to our patients and customers,” said Stefano Pessina, executive vice chairman and CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance. “Through these conveniently located clinics at our neighborhood stores, we will uniquely integrate the pharmacist as a critical member of VillageMD’s multi-disciplinary care team to provide patients with personalized and coordinated care.”
With many clinics in medically underserved areas, Village Medical at Walgreens will help meet the needs of patients, including those who may not have access to healthcare and are at greater risk of health disparities, Walgreens stated. The clinics accept a wide range of health insurance options and offer comprehensive primary care to meet the full continuum of healthcare needs. Healthcare services are offered through a variety of ways, providing access to Village Medical care and support through in-person, at home and Village Medical telehealth providers on Walgreens Find Care online platform, which connects patients with a wide range of health services.
“Together with Walgreens, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing accessible, coordinated primary care in more communities nationwide,” said Tim Barry, chairman and CEO at VillageMD. “Village Medical at Walgreens offers a full continuum of care to meet patients’ needs with a physician-led team of experienced providers. Our high-tech, high-touch model delivers exceptional and personal care to more patients at a time when coordinated primary care is most critical.”