Walgreens teams with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to better serve cancer patients

 

 

DEERFIELD, Ill. - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Walgreens on Wednesday announced the launch of a collaboration designed to further advance cancer therapies and address the changing treatment model facing patients with blood and other cancers. 

 

"We are proud to team up with LLS on this transformational approach to empowering and supporting patients through our expert oncology specialized pharmacies across the country," stated Richard Ashworth, president, pharmacy and retail operations for Walgreens. "With our aligned missions and commitment to serving patients and families, LLS and Walgreens will make an even greater impact on the health and care of the nearly 1.2 million people in the U.S. living with or in remission from a blood cancer."

 

As new blood cancer therapies come to market and patients are able to manage their disease with oral medications at home, Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy pharmacists are well-positioned on the front lines of patient care to help facilitate this treatment transition and play a significant role in providing access to these new therapies.  

 

This collaboration will help patients, families and caregivers in three key ways:

 

 

"Today, new treatments for blood cancers are entering the healthcare arena at an unprecedented rate. And these treatments are extending patients' lives by years, even decades," noted Louis DeGennaro, LLS president and CEO. "Our collaboration with industry leader, Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy, assures that patients and their caregivers have timely access to high-quality, up-to-date information to best manage their disease."

 

LLS has played a role in a significant number of the treatments that have been developed for blood cancers. In fact, since 2000 more than 40% of new cancer therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration were first approved to treat blood cancer patients.  And, many of these treatments are now being used effectively to treat other cancers and chronic diseases.

 

As part of the healthcare support team serving blood cancer patients, LLS will bring to Walgreens its expertise as a leading global source of information for blood cancer patients with educational programs to raise pharmacist level of care and improve outcomes. 

 

And through LLS's Information Resource Center, Walgreens and LLS can help Walgreens blood cancer patients across the country access quality, affordable, coordinated care. Staffed by master's degree-level healthcare specialists, LLS's IRC currently responds to over 60,000 annual inquiries from patients, caregivers and health care professionals in need of guidance regarding treatments, supportive care, financial support and clinical trials. Walgreens patients will have unique access to a dedicated healthcare specialist.

 

LLS also has established its leadership with a series of comprehensive blood cancer conferences – attended by thousands of patients and caregivers at no charge. As a national sponsor of these educational conferences, Walgreens pharmacy experts will interact with patients directly in their communities, alongside LLS, to provide the latest information about disease and treatment breakthroughs. 

 

Walgreens has been a longstanding supporter of LLS and is currently the tenth largest LLS Light The Night Walk team in the U.S. Walgreens intends to accelerate this support and strengthen relationships within cancer communities.