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Medmark, a Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy Selected As One of Two Preferred Providers By the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Fee-for-Service Medical Assistance Program

Posted on: Monday, 27 October 2008, 12:00 CDT

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) has selected Medmark, A Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy as one of two preferred providers of specialty pharmacy services, Walgreens (NYSE:WAG)(NASDAQ:WAG) announced today. The contract allows Medmark to provide specialty pharmacy services to the nearly 400,000 participants in DPW's medical assistance program. Specialty medications are used for chronic or complex health conditions including cancer, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Medmark, A Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy will provide DPW with medication fulfillment, patient education and clinical support services. Its pharmacists and nurses will counsel patients on the importance of medication adherence and the management of side effects.

"With our Pittsburgh location, we believe our strong community ties and history of providing specialty pharmacy services for many years to Pennsylvania residents were important factors in DPW's decision," said Stanley B. Blaylock, president of Walgreens Health Services. "We're a force in local economic development through job creation. As we continue to aggressively grow our business, we expect to create jobs at our Pittsburgh full-service specialty pharmacy facility, lower specialty pharmacy costs for the Commonwealth and improve patient care for individuals participating in DPW's program."

"We have an excellent reputation for providing integrated, patient-focused, comprehensive care across a wide range of complex medical and chronic health conditions," said Michael A. Nameth, R.Ph., executive vice president of specialty pharmacy for Walgreens Health Services. "Our strong focus on clinical programs and therapy management is a key advantage for serving the medical assistance consumers for specialty drugs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreen Co. operated by its managed care division, Walgreens Health Services, is a national provider of injectable and biopharmaceutical medications dedicated to serving the needs of patients living with complex, chronic health and medical conditions. Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy provides personalized care and services through dedicated fulfillment centers across the country and more than 6,400 electronically linked Walgreens pharmacies, including locations in academic medical centers, community hospitals and physician office buildings. Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy assists patients in obtaining medications, coordinates insurance benefits and provides individualized therapy management and clinical support.

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2008 sales of $59 billion. The company operates 6,479 drugstores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides the most convenient access to consumer goods and cost-effective health care services in America through its retail drugstores, Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and Wellness division. In addition to specialty pharmacy services, Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc. and SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities). Walgreens Health and Wellness division includes Take Care Health Systems, which is comprised of: Take Care Consumer Solutions, managers of 247 convenient care clinics at Walgreens drugstores, and Take Care Employer Solutions, managers of worksite-based health and wellness services at 364 employer campuses.

Source: Business Wire

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