The American Hospital Association Awards Exclusive Endorsement to Walgreens WellTransitions® Program for Medication Adherence

PRESS RELEASE

Chicago, IL, Sept. 16, 2013 — The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced its exclusive endorsement of Walgreens WellTransitions®, recognizing the program for medication adherence. The innovative, coordinated care program aimed at improving medication adherence has demonstrated reductions in hospital readmission rates by helping patients better understand prescription therapies during and after discharge.

AHA Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of the association, awards the exclusive AHA Endorsement to products and services that best support hospitals and health care organizations. After conducting the proprietary AHA Signature Due Diligence Process^TM, AHA Solutions selected Walgreens WellTransitions program for its leadership in assisting hospitals in reducing avoidable readmissions by improving patients’ adherence to medication treatment plans after they are discharged. This is critical, as hospitals are working to improve outcomes by reducing avoidable patient readmission rates.

WellTransitions takes a comprehensive approach to reducing readmission rates by working with patients from the time they are admitted to the hospital through their discharge and return home. The program supports patient recovery through several hospital-to-home transition steps designed to improve wellness and reduce readmission rates while increasing patient satisfaction and lowering overall care costs.

“The Walgreens WellTransitions program will serve as another tool for hospitals seeking to reduce readmissions and support overall community wellness,” said Anthony J. Burke, president and CEO of AHA Solutions. “We have endorsed this program for the broad scope of services that are provided through Walgreens extensive network of pharmacies and pharmacy services. Walgreens has consistently demonstrated its long-term commitment to supporting hospitals’ efforts to extend patient care further into their communities.”

“Through WellTransitions, Walgreens pharmacy staff works closely with the hospital team to improve the transition of patients to their homes by educating and encouraging them to take their medications as prescribed,” said Joel Wright, Walgreens group vice president, enterprise specialty. “We’re proud to be recognized by the AHA for the program’s overall success, and the impact WellTransitions is having on overall patient health. Medication non-adherence is a significant contributor to preventable readmissions, and by providing this level of personalized care, we can play an important role in helping more people get, stay and live well.”

Early results indicate that WellTransitions has been instrumental in helping to reduce patient readmissions. Within the first six months after the program’s implementation at five hospitals, WellTransitions patients had a 9.4 percent unadjusted rate of 30-day readmission, compared to a 14.3 percent 30-day readmission rate for patients eligible for but not participating in the program.¹ A formal research study is planned to systematically evaluate the program’s effect on hospital readmissions rates.

To date, more than 15 hospitals have implemented the WellTransitions program since its inception in 2012. It is currently being rolled out at a growing number of other facilities throughout the U.S., including a growing number of the more than 170 hospitals where Walgreens operates an outpatient pharmacy.

¹Walgreens clients’ data on file