Walgreens, VillageMD to open up to 700 full-service doctor offices within next 5 years

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Walgreens plans to open 500 to 700 full-service doctor offices across the U.S. in partnership with VillageMD, the company announced Wednesday.

The offices will be co-located at Walgreens locations throughout 30 different U.S. markets over the next five years, the company said in a press release.

"This rollout is a major advancement of one of Walgreens Boots Alliance's four key strategic priorities, Creating Neighborhood Health Destinations," said Stefano Pessina, executive vice chairman and CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance. "These clinics at our conveniently located stores are a significant step forward in creating the pharmacy of the future, meeting many essential health needs all under one roof as well as through other channels."

According to the press release, "Village Medical at Walgreens" will be physician-led primary care clinics integrated with the pharmacy department to deliver the best healthcare to patients.

Clinics will be staffed by more than 3,600 primary care providers, who will be recruited by VillageMD.

The clinics will accept a wide range of health insurance options, and offer comprehensive primary care across a broad range of physician services, the press release said.

24/7 care will also be available via telehealth and at-home visits.

"In the U.S., we spend $4 trillion per year on healthcare, over 85 percent of that is tied to patients with chronic diseases. To improve our healthcare system and reverse the trajectory of health spending, we must meet the needs of all patients. This partnership allows us to unleash the power of primary care doctors and pharmacists, enabling them to work in a coordinated way to enhance the patient experience," said Tim Barry, chairman and CEO, VillageMD. "The results of our initial pilot clinics highlight that these outcomes are infinitely achievable."

Walgreens said more than 50% of the clinics will be located in areas designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as medically underserved with an intent to increase the number of clinics over time.

This rollout follows a trial with five in-store clinics in the Houston, Texas area, which produced very strong results after opening last November including high patient satisfaction.

The clinics will optimize existing space in the store and most will be approximately 3,300 square feet each, with some as large as 9,000 square feet.

VillageMD and Walgreens also recently announced the availability of Village Medical telehealth providers on Walgreens Find Care, which is an online platform that connects patients with a wide range of health services.