WALGREENS

Walgreens Boots Alliance hopes to use the investment in the specialty pharmacy company as a means of speeding up the development of new healthcare models and creating a platform from which to build partnerships with health systems.

Walgreens Boots Alliance’s senior vice president of healthcare services talked to Drug Store News about how the company is making health care more accessible via its partnerships and offerings.

Kiio uses evidence-based clinical protocols and technology to deliver personalized therapeutic exercise, education and interactive coaching digitally.

The retailer is awarding new bonuses and rewards for pharmacy teams, as well as offering employees an incentive of $200 in myWalgreens cash to those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Focused in New York state, the agreement will examine the companies’ goals of developing innovative healthcare delivery models, offerings and services to improve population health and reduce costs via retail health services.

The companies said the partnership would initially focus on Walgreens Health Corner services, a personalized offering for Blue Shield commercial members.

Walgreens has been focusing its vaccine equity initiative on addressing vaccine hesitancy and removing barriers to immunization access in rural and medically underserved communities.

The companies have opened 18 Village Medical at Walgreens locations in Phoenix, with plans to open four more by the end of the year.