Access, Walgreens broaden relationship to reach underserved populations

CHICAGO — Access Community Health Network and Walgreens have extended their relationship to co-develop an integrated program to provide accessible preventive and primary health care for underserved populations, Access said Monday.

As part of the partnership, Walgreens will work with Access on the following initiatives:

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  Create a pharmacy and therapeutics committee that will provide prescribing guidelines for all Access health centers to help every patient receive cost-effective, high-quality drug therapies;

  
  


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  Integrate a clinical pharmacy resident with Access' physicians and nurses at one of Access' health centers on Chicago's South Side; and

  
  


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  Open a pharmacy inside the Access Genesis Center for Health and Empowerment health center in Des Plaines, Ill., which predominantly cares for an underserved Hispanic population.

  
  

Walgreens currently performs pharmacy services for Access' more than 50 health centers that participate in the federal 340B program, which offers deep discounts on prescription medications to some of the nation's most vulnerable patient populations, Access said.

"We are working with Walgreens to co-develop an integrated program that will ease the transition of our patients from in-patient facilities to enjoying healthy lives in the community and preventing hospital readmissions," Access CEO Donna Thompson said. "Through all of these Walgreens initiatives, Access will be better able to meet the needs of patients who often have nowhere else to turn for treatment."