Walgreens gains national approval for fast-growing specialty Rx unit

DEERFIELD, Ill. The Accreditation Commission for Health Care has given its approval to Walgreens’ Specialty Pharmacy division, a unit of the company’s managed care subsidiary serving patients with special pharmaceutical needs.

ACHC, a private, nonprofit corporation, was developed by home care and community-based providers to help companies improve business operations and the quality of patient care. Accreditation is voluntary, and is based on a process by which healthcare organizations submit to peer review of internal policies, processes and patient care against national standards.

With the accreditation status, Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy locations in Beaverton, Ore.; Glenview, Ill.; Livingston, N.J.; and the Customer Care Center in Orlando, Fla., join Walgreens’ already accredited acquisitions, Medmark in Pittsburgh, Pa.; and OptionCare in Ann Arbor, Mich.?

“We are pleased that Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy is being awarded ACHC?accreditation,” said Michael Nameth, executive vice president of Walgreens?Health Services. “It shows payers, patients and prescribers that our focus on high-quality clinical programs and services is more than just words.”