WALGREENS

NEW YORK — Regional chain Kinney Drugs is the latest to offer prescriptions at no upfront cost to some customers who have enrolled in Obamacare, according to published reports.

The Syracuse, N.Y., Post-Standard reported Friday that the Gouverneur, N.Y.-based chain would offer 30-day prescriptions to customers who have enrolled, but have not received an identification number. The offer is good through the month of January. Kinney operates 99 stores in central and northern New York and adjacent areas of Vermont.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Patients who have enrolled in the new healthcare insurance marketplaces but haven't received an identification number from their insurers can receive up to a 30-day supply of prescription drugs at no upfront cost at Walgreens, the retail pharmacy chain said.

 NEW YORK — A story that appeared in the Dec. 21 edition of DSN AM, "Walgreens firing on all cylinders as chain realizes a total comp sales increase of 5.4% for its first quarter," incorrectly stated that Walgreens had administered an increase of 3.4% in flu shots in the first quarter. 

CHICAGO — Young musicians competed in the 18th annual Walgreens Youth National Solo Concerto Competition this weekend, ABC7Chicago reported Sunday. 

The students were competing for scholarships to the Midwest Young Artists School and Camps and a feature as a soloist on the "From the Top" radio program.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — A national gay-rights organization has given Walgreens top marks for its practices related to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

In its 2014 Corporate Equality Index, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation gave the Deerfield, Ill.-based retail pharmacy chain a "perfect" score of 100. 2014 is the ninth year that Walgreens has won a perfect score.

Walgreens posted a first-quarter sales increase of 5.9% to a record $18.3 billion. Front-end comparable store sales for the quarter increased 2.4% in the first quarter, customer traffic in comparable stores increased 0.2% and basket size increased 2.2%, while total sales in comparable stores increased 5.4%. Prescription sales, which accounted for 64.7% of sales in the quarter ended Nov. 30, increased 7.3%, while prescription sales in comparable stores increased 7.2%.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — With the announcement of its first-quarter results, Walgreens continues to fire on all cylinders of its straight-three engine, including advancements across its Well Experience store base, the continued transformation of its pharmacy operations to better meet the needs of today's evolving healthcare system and the further establishment of a global supply chain to drive economies of scale. 

CHICAGO — GoHealth and Walgreens are ramping up their shared efforts to let Americans know GoHealthInsurance.com is a viable solution for people seeking coverage and exploring marketplace options under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the companies announced Wednesday.