AARP/Walgreens Wellness Tour kicks off in the Big Apple

NEW YORK Walgreens and AARP have kicked off a national tour with nine buses traveling to 3,000 communities across the country and offering free health screenings.

The AARP/Walgreens Wellness Tour started Tuesday at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza, and Drug Store News got a first-hand look.

The bus had a table outside with free reusable tote bags and pamphlets on chronic diseases, along with forms visitors could use to sign up for the screenings. Inside, the bus featured a small area where visitors could wait before getting screenings in curtained booths for blood glucose, blood pressure, body mass index and bone density. After completing the screenings, visitors were instructed to talk to one of the on-site pharmacists outside, who could discuss whatever conditions the visitors may have had.

This is the fifth year in which Walgreens has offered a health screening tour. Of people screened last year, 72.8% had high blood pressure levels, 13.3% had high blood glucose and 65.9% had low bone density.

To see photos of the AARP/Walgreens Wellness Tour kickoff, click here.