Walgreens Plans to Open Clinics in Hundreds of Stores

Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. staff / stæf / (v) – to supply people who will serve as workers of a company or organization
    Example:

    We will be hiring 50 people to staff the restaurant’s new branch.


  2. chronic / ˈkrɒn ɪk / (adj) – continuing over a long time
    Example:

    My grandfather has had a chronic liver disease since his 40s.


  3. trial run / traɪl rʌn / (n) – a test of a new system or product
    Example:

    My brother’s school had a trial run for online classes last week.


  4. prior / ˈpraɪ ər / (adj) – coming before something in time or order
    Example:

    Prior to the election, the candidates had to present their plans.


  5. underserved / ˌʌn dərˈsɜrvd / (adj) – not getting enough service
    Example:

    Volunteer doctors and nurses give free medical services to underserved communities.


Article

Read the text below.

US pharmacy chain Walgreens has announced its intent to open doctor offices in hundreds of its stores in the United States.


The company partnered with primary care provider VillageMD to add clinics to its drugstores. VillageMD has agreed to staff and operate 500 to 700 clinics in the next five years. The healthcare provider is aiming to hire over 3,500 medical personnel to fulfill its deal with Walgreens.


The clinics will offer numerous health services ranging from regular checkups to the management of chronic diseases. 


Walgreens will allot $1 billion to fund the partnership. The money will mostly be utilized by VillageMD to start operating the clinics and integrate its existing medical technology, such as its patient monitoring system, with Walgreens’.


According to Walgreens, offering medical care in its drugstores will be more convenient for customers and will result in better health services. The company believes it will help treat patients with chronic illnesses better, especially those requiring a lot of medications. Walgreens is also confident in its partnership with VillageMD, especially after a successful trial run conducted in some Houston stores several months prior to the announcement.


VillageMD will build the clinics by converting existing space in Walgreens drugstores. The clinics will be about 3,300 square feet, occupying approximately a quarter of the usual Walgreens store space. Each clinic will have a designated waiting area and examination rooms. They will also have medical staff led by a physician, who will coordinate closely with store pharmacists.


Although the exact locations of the facilities were not revealed, Walgreens said most of them will be in underserved areas that lack health facilities.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Who do you think is most likely to benefit from Walgreens’ plan to put clinics in their drugstores? Discuss.
• What do you think will be the pros and cons of building clinics within pharmacies (e.g. crowding)? Discuss.

Discussion B

• Do you think combined products and services are easier to market and promote to customers than standalone ones? Why or why not?
• What combined products or services do you think would be a hit among consumers in your country (e.g. housekeeping and laundry services)? Discuss.