Walgreens becomes founding partner of Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance
DEERFIELD, Ill. Walgreens is reaffirming its commitment to diabetes prevention by becoming the founding partner of the Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance, a program designed to treat and manage diabetes, along with the YMCA of the USA.
Walgreens was selected by the managed care titan UnitedHealth Group to participate in the alliance. In its role as a founding partner, Walgreens will offer personalized coaching and counseling by trained pharmacists to help patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes manage their condition and improve adherence to their physicians’ treatment plans. Walgreens pharmacists or, in selected markets, Take Care Health Systems nurse practitioners, will provide diabetes education and behavioral intervention, risk-factor reduction, health promotion and regular examinations for early signs of complications, all in the convenient setting of a local pharmacy. UnitedHealth Group will cover these services at no charge to plan participants enrolled in employer-provided health insurance plans, marking the first time in the country that a health plan will pay for evidence-based diabetes prevention and control programs.
Walgreens hopes the partnership will advance the treatment of chronic self-care management by enhancing pharmacy's role in Type 2 diabetes care through the individualiziation of patient care.
“Walgreens is proud to be selected by UnitedHealth Group alongside the YMCA of the USA, in their formation of this comprehensive diabetes treatment and self-care management program,” said Colin Watts, Walgreens chief innovation officer. “For years, Walgreens has been committed to serving the needs of people with diabetes. For this alliance, we are customizing many of the program elements of our recently launched Walgreens Optimal Wellness program, a national program designed to capitalize on the power of face-to-face interaction with a trusted Walgreens pharmacist or nurse practitioner in treating diabetes. Walgreens is excited to be part of this new program and looks forward to collaborating with such strong and innovative partners. We believe the Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance is the right approach for treating one of the most pervasive chronic diseases in the country.”