OptumRx and Walgreens are partnering to create a new pharmacy solution to meet consumers’ changing prescription drug needs and help employers, health plans and their members achieve better health outcomes and greater cost savings. OptumRx is UnitedHealth Group’s [NYSE: UNH] free-standing pharmacy care services business, managing more than one billion prescriptions annually. Walgreens is one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains and part of the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boot Alliance, Inc. [Nasdaq: WBA].
Through a more convenient, accessible and connected pharmacy experience, the companies will collaborate to deliver clients and members enrolled in the program an integrated pharmacy care offering that:
- Provides eligible OptumRx members the option to fill 90-day prescriptions at home delivery copay levels at any of Walgreens nearly 8,200 pharmacies nationwide or through OptumRx home delivery.
- Produces higher treatment adherence rates and better patient outcomes by giving patients the choice of how to receive their medications along with 24/7 pharmacist availability.
- Connects members to clinical guidance that addresses specific disease classes, such as diabetes, and increases drug adherence.
- Enables OptumRx and Walgreens systems to better connect and communicate health data and analytics to ensure members receive the most effective prescription drugs at the right cost.
“By integrating Walgreens industry-leading in-store pharmacy capabilities and convenient retail locations with OptumRx’s advanced pharmacy care services, we expect to create significant value for our clients and members,” said Larry Renfro, chief executive officer of Optum. “We are excited to be working with Walgreens to create a new pharmacy solution that provides convenience and cost savings, and goes beyond filling prescriptions to deliver a more valuable pharmacy and health management experience for consumers.”
“OptumRx’s differentiated pharmacy care services model creating smarter health care connections will be a strong fit with the more than 27,000 Walgreens pharmacists who interact with and support millions of patients on a daily basis,” said Alex Gourlay, president of Walgreens. “Together, we will build upon our complementary capabilities and shared vision to offer this new pharmacy solution delivering true value to the customers that we serve.”
The joint pharmacy care offering is also designed to meet the goals of payers and health care sponsors seeking to better manage drug benefits and address the rising cost of care. By providing members with the choice of how to fill their 90-day maintenance medications, Walgreens and OptumRx can offer better access and prescription drug cost management to clients to help improve adherence rates for eligible members, resulting in better health outcomes and total health care cost savings.
OptumRx and Walgreens expect the new pharmacy solution to be available to commercial clients implementing new 90-day prescription benefit designs, beginning January 1, 2017.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,173 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com. Walgreens also manages more than 400 Healthcare Clinic and provider practice locations around the country.
About OptumRx
OptumRx is a pharmacy care services company helping clients and more than 66 million members achieve better health outcomes and lower overall costs through innovative prescription drug benefits management services, including network claims processing, clinical programs, formulary management and specialty pharmacy care. Leveraging expertise, flexible technology and a network of over 67,000 community pharmacies and state-of-the-art home delivery pharmacies, OptumRx is putting patients at the center of the pharmacy experience and making health care more connected and less fragmented - ensuring patients get the right medication at the right time at the best cost. OptumRx is part of Optum, a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to making the health system work better for everyone. For more information, visit www.optum.com/optumrx.
About Optum
Optum is a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone. With more than 100,000 people worldwide, Optum delivers intelligent, integrated solutions that help to modernize the health system and improve overall population health. Optum is part of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH). For more information, visit www.optum.com.
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