Pfizer Enters into Agreement with Walgreens to Help Eligible U.S. Adults Navigate Their Healthcare Journey

Winter is a busy time of year. The one thing you don’t want to let fall by the wayside is your health, especially with colder weather bringing an increase in COVID-19, flu, and other respiratory viruses.   

For some adults, keeping up with their health, including understanding which vaccines they may be eligible to receive, may feel like a daunting task. The agreement between Pfizer and Walgreens is intended to help make the process more connected and personal.  

We recently launched new initiatives designed to enhance and expand the patient experience by making health information more accessible and actionable. These improvements, combined with pharmacists’ clinical expertise in identifying immunization gaps, determining vaccine eligibility, and testing for respiratory illness, are helping improve the overall patient health journey. 

As part of this work, people can expect the following experience: 

Support for Vaccine Education: Pharmacists are among the most trusted healthcare partners, often engaging with patients on what vaccines may be right for them. For example, eligible patients who are due for a COVID-19 vaccine may receive a call reminding them of the importance of getting protected and to schedule an appointment.  

Pharmacists also provide human-to-human care, which means patients may connect with a pharmacist, not spam, not a robocall, not AI, but an actual human.  

Pharmacist are conducting vaccine education calls outreach to patients at highest risk for developing illness. The pharmacist will educate a patient on what immunizations they may need to keep them protected, assess patient eligibility for specific vaccinations (e.g., COVID-19, flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV and shingles), discuss any questions or concerns the patient may have around safety, and provide clinical information about new variants and risk of severe illness. The pharmacist may also help schedule a convenient appointment for the patient to receive the vaccination(s) and/or let the patient know what’s next on their personalized vaccination plan based on age, personal preference, and medical history.  

When a patient schedules an appointment, the digital pharmacy experience provides an additional opportunity to educate patients on additional immunizations that may help keep them healthy, focused on helping patients get protected against multiple viruses in one visit.   

Access to Testing: If a patient thinks they may have contracted COVID-19 or flu, Walgreens and Pfizer have partnered to make it easier to schedule an in-person test with a local pharmacist. Based on the results and individual circumstances, the pharmacist can advise on appropriate next steps, including potential treatment options.  

In a world that’s overloaded with automated messages and impersonal communication, Pfizer and Walgreens are working to bring a personal touch to healthcare. And with further innovations on the way – including improvements to the automated prescription process and enhancing the in-store pharmacy experience – we aim to simplify an increasingly complex and confusing immunization schedule, so patients can focus on what matters; protecting their health. Sometimes, real breakthroughs begin with breaking through the noise.