Walgreens Presents Growth Strategy at 2013 Annual Shareholders Meeting

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Reviewing a challenging but strategically important year for Walgreens (WAG) (WAG), Chairman James A. Skinner, President and Chief Executive Officer Gregory D. Wasson and Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and President, International Wade D. Miquelon today outlined how the company is positioned for growth in fiscal year 2013 at Walgreens Annual Shareholders Meeting. Addressing more than 2,000 shareholders in Chicago, company leadership discussed the substantial progress Walgreens is making toward its vision to be the first choice in health and daily living in America and beyond.

Wasson said, With a strong foundation and the right strategies, structure and talent in place, and with many of last years headwinds becoming this years tailwinds, Walgreens is well-positioned to ensure its market leadership, growth and profitability well into the future on behalf of its customers and shareholders.

Having reached new, multi-year agreements with pharmacy benefit managers Express Scripts, Optum Health and others, Walgreens is focused on three areas of opportunity ahead:

We are taking a multi-pronged approach to delivering the Well Experience, Wasson said. We are combining leading-edge design with enhanced products and services, increased engagement with team members and customers, and an omni-channel approach that blends our brick-and-mortar stores with e-commerce and mobile commerce. We are deliberately blurring many retail channels to fit how consumers shop today.

To that end, Walgreens has continued to expand its product offerings, including:

Walgreens efforts to transform the role community pharmacy plays in health care begins with its pharmacists, who are seen more and more by patients as health care partners. Wasson said, Walgreens pharmacists have administered more than 5 million flu shots in each of the past four years and today we are the largest retail provider of immunizations and vaccinations in the country, which validates that the public appreciates, wants and values what community pharmacy can do to support their health.

Walgreens is expanding services available at its pharmacies and Take Care Clinics to include additional immunizations; chronic care management; primary care; Medicare wellness visits and member assessments; and health testing.

With nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population either without a primary care physician or not utilizing one, and more than 30 million people gaining insurance coverage in 2014 under health care reform, we are well-positioned to fill the void in care, Wasson said.

Throughout 2013 and beyond, Walgreens will be creating an unprecedented and efficient global platform through its strategic partnership with Alliance Boots. We are bringing together two iconic brands with a lot in common, Wasson said. Boots is to Europe as Walgreens is to the U.S. In addition, with Alliance Boots bringing an integrated wholesale business to the table, we believe there is significant opportunity for supply chain efficiencies. The global pharmaceutical market continues to grow, particularly in emerging markets where there is increased demand for vaccines and self-medications. Together we are well-positioned for growth as we create the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.

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Walgreens Presents Growth Strategy at 2013 Annual Shareholders Meeting