Walgreens Implementing Additional Safety Measures to Protect Employees and Customers

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ensuring the health and safety of its team members, customers and communities is Walgreens top priority, now more than ever. The company is committed to providing a safe environment in stores chain-wide, and is taking additional measures for team members on the frontlines of care, as well as those across its supply chain, as part of Walgreens broader efforts to support the communities it serves throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Walgreens has implemented the following safety measures:

• Face Covers: The company will be providing face covers to pharmacy staff and other store team members, as well as distribution centers as another preventive measure to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. Walgreens remains in close collaboration with the CDC and other health officials, and while the CDC has not updated its guidance for retail pharmacies and face covers, the company is providing them to team members based on ongoing COVID-19 disease prevalence and progression and feedback from health officials.

• Plexiglass Shields: Protective plexiglass shields are currently being installed in Walgreens stores in select markets, and the company is working as quickly as possible to bring to all stores chain-wide. These are located at point-of-sale at the pharmacy and front of store.

• Social Distancing Cues: All stores have in-store signage and other markings that begin six feet away from checkout and pharmacy counters, and are spaced in six-foot increments to indicate where customers should stand while waiting.

• Store Cleaning and Sanitizing: Stores have continually increased the frequency of daily cleaning procedures, with additional deep cleaning at all stores. Additional hand sanitizer for team members, as well as customers, is also being provided.

• Adjusted Store Hours: Walgreens stores continue to operate on adjusted hours to allow teams to spend the necessary time stocking shelves, cleaning and sanitizing and resting.

• Health Screenings: Health screenings, including temperature checks, are being conducted for team members at Walgreens distribution centers, centralized facilities and other select locations.

“Our pharmacists and team members are playing a critical role in supporting Walgreens customers and patients at an unprecedented time of need in our country,” said Walgreens President, Richard Ashworth. “We’re committed to doing everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our customers and employees, while creating a safe environment in our stores to help meet the product and prescription drug needs of our communities.”

Walgreens has introduced a number of other service offerings to provide our customers greater convenience while practicing social distancing. These include:

• Postmates Expansion: Walgreens and Postmates have expanded on-demand delivery to now service consumers nationwide*. With this expansion, consumers can get health and wellness items and other household essentials and convenience products they need delivered to them.

• Expanded Drive-Thru Offerings: More than 60 front-end products are currently available for purchase at Walgreens pharmacy drive-thru locations nationwide, including prescriptions and medical supplies, cleaning supplies and sanitizers, select over the counter products such as cough/cold, pain/fever and immunity support, select grocery items, infant formula/adult nutrition, first aid items and paper goods.

• No Delivery Fees on Online Orders and Eligible Prescriptions: Walgreens has waived delivery fees for all eligible prescriptions on next-day delivery at this time. Same-day prescription delivery is also available in many cities across the nation. Walgreens is also offering free delivery on any purchase on Walgreens.com, with no minimum purchase required.

• Senior Services: Walgreens is committed to supporting our most vulnerable patients, including seniors. Health outcomes pharmacists are reaching out to senior patients to ensure they have the prescription medications and product supplies they need. On Tuesdays, Walgreens stores open at 8 a.m., with the full hour from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. dedicated to senior citizens and their families. Customers age 55 and older receive discounts on products on these days.

*Postmates delivery service from Walgreens stores is not available in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (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), a global leader in retail and wholesale pharmacy. Walgreens is proud to be a neighborhood health, beauty and retail destination supporting communities across the country, and was named to FORTUNE* magazine’s 2019 Companies that Change the World list. Approximately 8 million customers interact with Walgreens in stores and online each day. As of August 31, 2019, Walgreens operates 9,277 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel business, Walgreens.com. Walgreens also provides specialty pharmacy and mail services and offers in-store clinics and other health care services throughout the United States, most of which are operated by our health care strategic partners.

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