Privacy Questions Raised About New Type of Walgreen Store
Wall Street Journal
MARCH 20, 2014 | BY TIMOTHY W. MARTIN
A federal agency is probing whether pharmacists working at a new type of Walgreen Co. store are properly safeguarding sensitive patient information. To fulfill its goal of playing a bigger role in consumer health care, Walgreen, the nation’s largest pharmacy chain by number of stores, is starting to ask pharmacists to have consultations with patients, not just stay behind the counter. It has remodeled more than 600 of its 8,200 stores nationwide to encourage that new direction.
Advocates File Complaint With State Officials Over Walgreens’ New Pharmacy Format
WGCU
MARCH 19, 2014 | BY ASHELY LOPEZ
An advocacy group filed a complaint with state health officials Wednesday alleging Walgreens’ new pharmacy format is a public health and patient privacy risk to Floridians. The group said they are concerned about a new pharmacy layout in Walgreens stores called “Well Experience.” This new format removes a pharmacist from behind the counter and places them in a public part of the store.
Could Walgreen be the big loser in CVS’ cigarette ban?
Crain’s Chicago Business
FEBRUARY 6, 2014 | BY JOE CAHILL
Think CVS Caremark Corp.’s decision to stop selling cigarettes at its drugstores is just a feel-good PR move? Think again. It’s a smart strategic play that will advance the second-largest U.S. drugstore chain’s long-term goal of landing a bigger role in the country’s evolving health care delivery system.
Check Your Insurance Before Getting Flu Shot At Walgreens & Other Stores
Consumerist
NOVEMBER 26, 2013 | BY CHRIS MORRAN
Retail pharmacies are now responsible for around 1-in-5 flu shots given to Americans each year […] But a survey of Walgreens locations in New York City and Los Angeles finds that nearly half of the flu shot recipients at these stores are getting bad information about whether their insurance policies cover the cost of the shot.
Walgreens Accused Of Exposing Customer Health Data
Information Week
OCTOBER 24, 2013 | BY ALEX KANE RUDANSKY
“We don’t have a culture of privacy about health information,” said Deborah Peel, founder and chair of Patient Privacy Rights, a patient advocacy non-profit. “We’ve got a nightmarish mess on our hands in healthcare.”
Senator challenges Walgreens on alleged HIPAA violations
Drug Topics
OCTOBER 22, 2013 | BY MARK LOWERY
On the heels of a report alleging that Walgreens’ new Wellness pharmacy design is putting sensitive patient information at risk, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) has asked the drug chain to respond to issues of patient privacy, data security, and patient safety raised in the report.
Are some Walgreens’ pharmacies violating HIPAA laws?
Drug Topics
OCTOBER 7, 2013 | BY MARK LOWERY
A frequent Walgreens’ critic has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) alleging the chain’s new pharmacy design is putting sensitive patient information at risk.
Patient data at risk in redesigned Walgreens pharmacies, study says
South Florida Business Journal
SEPTEMBER 24, 2013 | BY BRIAN BANDELL
The study claims that patient privacy was breached in 90 percent of the Florida stores it observed. This included patient health information or labeled prescription medications left unattended at their desks within reach of customers.
Walgreens Shoppers May Be Overpaying By Up To 55 Percent: Study
The Huffington Post
SEPTEMBER 5, 2013| BY KIM BHASIN
A new consumer watchdog report shows customers at the nation’s largest drugstore chain may be overpaying by up to 55 percent on common items because prices differ significantly between different Walgreens stores, even in the same local area.
Koster sues Walgreen Co. for deceptive pricing
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
AUGUST 27, 2013| BY KAVITA KUMAR
After settling similar cases in other states, Walgreen Co. is now coming under fire in Missouri for allegedly charging customers higher prices at the register than the prices displayed on store shelves.
Walgreen misses 3Q expectations, shares slide
Chicago Tribune
JUNE 25, 2013| BY PETER FROST
Shares of Walgreen Co. opened sharply lower Tuesday after the Deerfield-based drug store retailer reported a softer-than-expected third quarter that missed analysts’ estimates.
Walgreen to Pay $80 Million Fine in D.E.A. Inquiry
The New York Times
JUNE 11, 2013| BY BARRY MEIER
The Walgreen Company, the nation’s biggest pharmacy operator, agreed on Tuesday to pay $80 million to resolve federal charges that it failed to properly control the sales of narcotic painkillers at some of its outlets.
Walgreens opens decked-out flagships
USA Today
JUNE 2, 2013| BY HADLEY MALCOLM
“The flagship stores are dependent on higher prices for consumers to be profitable because they have all these bells and whistles,” says Nell Geiser, research director for Walgreen Strategy Watch. “That’s a concern,” she says. “People are looking for value and convenience when they go to a drugstore, more than sushi.”
Report Claims Many Walgreens Sales Items Are Out Of Stock, Mislabeled
Consumerist
MAY 17, 2013| BY CHRIS MORRAN
Last fall, Walgreens launched Balance Rewards, which isn’t just a loyalty program, but is also the only way to access many of the store’s advertised discounts. However, a new report claims that Walgreens stores in four major cities are having a hard time making these discounted items available to shoppers, and that the items are frequently mislabeled anyway.
Walgreens not fully stocked, but stock soars
Crain’s New York
MAY 16, 2013| BY ADRIANNE PASQUARELLI
New Yorkers searching Walgreens for a special brand of deodorant or toothpaste might be out of luck, a recent survey found.
Walgreen’s Same-Store Sales Miss April Estimates
Associated Press
MAY 03, 2013| BY STAFF
Walgreen Co.’s revenue from established stores climbed 1.2 percent in April, but analysts expected more from the nation’s largest drugstore chain.
Walgreen’s 2nd-Quarter Sales Off 0.1%; Feb Down 4.3%
Wall Street Journal
MARCH 05, 2013| BY JOHN KELL
Walgreen Co.’s (WAG) same-store sales dropped 4.3% in February as last year’s results included an extra day due to leap year, while the drugstore retailer also reported slightly lower sales for the full fiscal second quarter.
Walgreen defends Express Scripts, Alliance Boots moves
Drug store chain takes heat from shareholders at annual meeting
Chicago Tribune
JANUARY 09, 2013| BY PETER FROST
Coming off a tumultuous year in which Walgreen lost millions of customers in a contract dispute with a pharmacy benefits manager, executives of the Deerfield-based pharmacy chain sought to reassure shareholders on Wednesday of better days ahead.
Walgreen’s Profit Falls 25%
Wall Street Journal
DECEMBER 21, 2012 | BY JOHN KELL
Walgreen Co. posted a 25% drop in fiscal-first-quarter earnings on weak sales and an accounting change related to its investment in European pharmacy operator Alliance Boots GmbH.
Walgreen’s same-store sales fall, miss expectations again
Crain’s Chicago Business
DECEMBER 5, 2012 | AP
Walgreen Co.’s revenue from established stores came in lower than Wall Street expected once again last month, as the introduction of generic drugs continued to squeeze revenue for the nation’s largest drugstore chain.
Walgreen’s Profit Slides 55%
Wall Street Journal
SEPTEMBER 28, 2012 | BY MELODIE WARNER
Walgreen Co.’s WAG +2.13% fiscal-fourth-quarter earnings fell 55% as less customer traffic at the drugstore chain contributed to a steeper-than-expected sales decline.
Walgreen pays $6.7 billion for Alliance Boots stake
Reuters
JUNE 19, 2012 | BY JAMES DAVEY AND PHIL WAHBA
U.S. drugstore chain Walgreen Co (WAG.N) is taking a 45 percent stake in European health and beauty group Alliance Boots Holdings Ltd ABN.UL for $6.7 billion in cash and stock, making a surprisingly big bet on Europe in the midst of the euro crisis.
Reconsidering Walgreen In Light Of Alliance Boots
Seeking Alpha
JUNE 26, 2012 | BY JEREMY JOHNSON
On Monday June 18th Walgreen Co. (WAG) announced a two-stage transaction to purchase Alliance Boots, a retail and wholesale pharmacy group in Europe, paying $6.6 billion for a 45% equity stake in the company, with an option to purchase of the remainder within the next three years.
Walgreen, Express Scripts sign new agreement
Associated Press
JULY 9, 2012 | MARLEY SEAMAN
The Walgreen pharmacy chain will begin filling prescriptions from customers in the Express Scripts network again starting in September under a new multiyear contract that ends a costly impasse between the companies.