WALGREENS

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The convenient care industry continues to hit noteworthy milestones as it grows and becomes an increasingly important player within the U.S. healthcare system. And now the fellowship of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia has elected its first nurse practitioner to its ranks: Sandy Ryan, chief nurse practitioner officer for Walgreens’ Take Care Health Systems.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Thursday added scannable coupons to its mobile applications, with exclusive discounts to its smartphone customers, beginning on Black Friday.

Coupons will range in value from 50 cents to $5 and will be good toward a variety of products, including beauty items, gifts, consumables and everyday essentials, such as diapers. Scannable coupons provide optimal convenience with no clipping or printing required. Cashiers simply scan a coupon straight from a user’s smartphone.

NEW YORK — EmblemHealth and Walgreens have reached an agreement that allows EmblemHealth and Connecticare members to continue to have access to the Walgreens pharmacy network in 2012, the companies announced Thursday.

EmblemHealth, through its companies Group Health Incorporated and HIP Health Plan of New York, provides healthcare coverage and administrative services to approximately 2.9 million people, the company said. 

ATLANTA — SoloHealth, a consumer-driven healthcare technology company, on Wednesday said Stanley Blaylock, former Walgreens SVP and former president of Walgreens Health Services, will join SoloHealth’s board of directors. The announcement comes as SoloHealth prepares for a nationwide rollout in 2012 of its next-generation, consumer health screening kiosk, the SoloHealth Station.

BOONTON, N.J. — Unigene Labs, a developer of peptide-based therapeutics, on Wednesday appointed Walgreens' Thomas Sabatino Jr. to its board of directors.

"[Sabatino's] extensive industry experience and impressive track record — specifically, his knowledge of the legal and regulatory landscape for pharmaceutical companies — will be invaluable as Unigene continues to execute against its business transformation," Unigene chairman Richard Levy said.

NEW YORK — Walgreens took to the road the week before Thanksgiving to talk turkey with analysts on why Walgreens is a good bet going into 2012, even if the pharmacy won't be participating in the Express Scripts pharmacy network this coming year.

BOISE, Idaho — Walgreens on Friday joined with three pharmacy benefit managers — Altius Health Plans, Coventry Health Care and HealthAmerica — for an awareness campaign to educate employers on the benefits of a pharmacy network that includes Walgreens.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Walgreens is running the ball straight down the middle of the field in its bid to mitigate any lost Express Scripts prescriptions once the retailer is removed from that benefit manager's pharmacy network at the end of the year — and that seems increasingly likely with each passing day. And if Walgreens achieves 97% to 99% of its 2011 prescription volume of 819 million prescriptons next year, as the pharmacy retailer maintains, then it will be the Chicago-based Walgreens doing an end-zone shuffle of sorts by the end of next year.