Drugstore Giant Partners to Offer Telehealth

Walgreens Boots Alliance, the merged drugstore and health retailer, is rolling out a new mobile app.  The latest app goes beyond facilitating Rx refills and a pharmacist chat to enable shoppers to consult with a doctor virtually via smartphone.  (MDLive, a telehealth provider, is Walgreens' partner.)

Already tested in California and Michigan, the app will go live for Illinois Walgreens' shoppers at the end of May.  The virtual doctor app is expected to roll out to 25 states by the end of 2015.  >>Read more

Home Infusion Therapy Leader Acquires CarePoint

BioScrip, recently announced the completion of its acquisition of CarePoint Partners.  With 30 years of infusion therapy expertise, BioScrip's coverage area encompasses 46 states, including 40 specialty infusion pharmacies, and 33 nursing locations.  The BioScrip and CarePoint consolidation will provide home infusion services to over 100,000 patients annually.
The home infusion industry has experienced healthy growth over the past few years and is estimated at $9-11B, according to Russell Bodoff, president and CEO of the National Home Infusion Association.  Since 2011, the industry has seen M&A activity resulting in the acquisition of Crescent Healthcare by Walgreens; Pediatric Health Choices's home infusion, enteral divisions acquired by CarePoint.  >>Read more

COMING SOON: Diagnoses and Drugs at a Walgreens Near You

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Walgreens  and its Take Care Clinic is taking another step into the primary care doctor’s space.  The network of retail store clinics will “expand its health care services to include diagnosing and treating patients for chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and high cholesterol.” 
Nurse practitioners teamed with physician assistants will conduct tests, make diagnoses and referrals (more tests and doctors, as needed) and help patient manage their conditions. 

The initial reaction from several of the professional physician organizations is “Thumbs Down”.   A key concern is patient safety – with the addition of another primary care provider, can continuity of care be assured?  According to a Walgreens executive, Take Care Clinic staff will be able to transmit test results and info electronically to a patient's primary care physician.  Read more

What do you think...Is Walgreens overstepping the retail clinic’s boundary of care?

Source:  Kaiser Health News