Walgreens Launches Gene and Cell Services as Part of Newly Integrated Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy Business

Walgreens is expanding its specialty pharmacy services and investing in its capabilities as the company further grows its core pharmacy business to improve patient outcomes and provide greater value to payers and partners. The company today introduced Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy, a holistic offering that expands access to care for patients with complex, chronic conditions and enables partnerships that drive profitability for Walgreens’ pharmacy business. The company is also making investments that will transform its specialty pharmacy offerings, including gene and cell therapy services.

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Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy has more than 1,500 specialty-trained pharmacists, 5,000 patient advocacy support team members and ten dedicated Specialty360 teams that support all specialty conditions and therapies. (Photo: Business Wire)

Under the new business, Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy has an unmatched offering and is the only specialty pharmacy in the market with the following services and assets at scale:

• Gene and Cell Services Pharmacy and Innovation Center – a dedicated 18,000-square-foot center in Pittsburgh, PA, with services and capabilities for these emerging therapies, including innovative solutions for managing the complexity of the supply chain, logistics and financing as well as clinical and social needs management to ensure success for patients and partners.
• Four central specialty pharmacies – each holding several national pharmacy accreditations – where pharmacists and care teams across the country work together to dispense highly complex medications and help patients manage chronic or rare diseases and conditions. These pharmacies hold distinctions in oncology and rare/orphan conditions and offer patients and caregivers clinical services that drive engagement, adherence and outcomes.
• Nearly 300 community-based specialty pharmacies across the nation – more than any other pharmacy. These specialty pharmacies are strategically located near medical office buildings and health systems, closely aligning care provision with local physicians, offering patients access to specialty medications faster than the industry average, as well as services like injection training, medication side-effect management and financial assistance coordination for medications.
• More than 1,500 specialty-trained pharmacists, 5,000 patient advocacy support team members and dedicated Specialty360 teams that support all specialty condition and therapies.
• A growing roster of 240 limited distribution drugs, including 40 narrow networks and 12 exclusive limited distribution drugs.

Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy is focused on breaking through healthcare system silos, bringing convenient access to hard-to-find medications and critical adherence support. Building upon the deep, trusted relationships Walgreens pharmacists have with providers and communities, the model enables more comprehensive care to ultimately help payers better manage specialty costs.