On March 4, Walgreens announced the expansion of its digital health platform, Walgreens Find Care, to include 11 new and four expanded collaborations with service providers, offering easier access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new services span regional health systems and leaders in diabetes healthcare technology, hearing, vision, at-home COVID-19 testing, colon cancer screening, lab testing, mental health, musculoskeletal pain and non-surgical back and neck rehabilitation. With these additions, individuals can now access more than 45 national and local healthcare service providers through Walgreens Find Care.
“Walgreens Find Care addresses even more needs during the pandemic by connecting patients to care and helping customers think differently about how their pharmacy can become a resource for more of their healthcare needs,” said Giovanni Monti, senior vice president of healthcare services, Walgreens Boots Alliance. “In addition to adding new services, with this expansion we are connecting our millions of customers nationwide to a broader mix of health systems and service providers that now offer more than 65 services and treat more than 120 conditions.”
Walgreens Find Care Collaborations
As the U.S. approaches one year since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency, use of the Walgreens Find Care platform has rapidly increased to nearly 20 million visits, equal to a 13-fold rise in web traffic versus last year.
Expansion of these services is important as the pandemic continues and both patients and practitioners seek to reduce exposure to COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided continued guidance to healthcare facilities and providers to offer clinical services through telehealth to help address medical needs while supporting social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic1. According to the CDC, remote access to healthcare services may also better serve those who are medically or socially vulnerable or who do not have ready access to providers.
“Walgreens Find Care is the digital “front door” to an integrated healthcare and pharmacy experience, which helps patients access in-person and virtual healthcare expertise from the comfort of their own home. Through this online marketplace, patients can connect with local and national service providers they trust, all through the convenience of the Walgreens mobile app or online. Walgreens Find Care helps patients book appointments for a range of services like urgent care, telehealth, mental health, lab testing, physician house calls and even hearing and optical services,” – the company said.
Services Expansion
Since its initial launch in July 2018, Walgreens Find Care continues to expand to include new features and service providers, connecting patients and customers with more options to get convenient and affordable access to care from their computers and mobile devices.
New or Expanded Walgreens Find Care Collaborations:
- Abbott’s Diabetes Care business (new)
- AtlantiCare (new)
- BetterHelp (new)
- Children’s National Hospital (new)
- Clinical Reference Laboratory (new)
- Cologuard (new)
- For Eyes (expanded)
- Hinge Health (new)
- Labcorp (expanded)
- Lexie Hearing (new)
- McLaren Health Care (expanded)
- myPrivia Virtual Clinic (new)
- Novant Health (expanded)
- Sanvello (new)
- SpineZone (new)
Healthcare offerings are shown based on a user’s location, ensuring patients connect with service providers they know and trust. In addition, using the Walgreens app, patients can fill their prescriptions at Walgreens and choose their preferred delivery method from in-store pick up, drive-thru or delivery to their home. Patients can also connect with a Walgreens pharmacist 24/7 using Pharmacy Chat available online or through the Walgreens app.
