Walgreen’s Quarterly Results

Walgreen’s reported good fiscal fourth quarter results, including a significant growth in prescriptions filled.  The Company also discussed its efforts to expand its services for chronic disease and for wellness programs, including use of its retail clinics.  Walgreen’s recently did a direct to employer arrangement with Caterpillar for prescription drugs, which it hopes to replicate.  It is also aggressively marketing 90 day prescriptions, usually used for chronic disease treatment, to better compete with mail order pharmacies and PBMs.  The Company indicated it might seek additional acquisitions to fill out its health services offerings.  Walgreen’s also plans to begin selling wine and beer in its stores, although its hard to figure out the health angle there.  Walgreen’s is worth tracking closely because not only is it a large pharmacy player but it has been innovative in trying to expand beyond its core to additional services for employers and payers, as well as consumers.  (Walgreen’s Transcript)