One Million Patients Treated at Take Care Clinics Nationwide

Take Care Health Systems, the largest and most comprehensive provider of convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers in the country and a wholly owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG), treated its one millionth Take Care Clinic patient in December. Take Care Clinics, walk-in clinics open seven days a week, are located at select Walgreens drugstores throughout the country.

Take Care Clinics provide an attractive option for insured and uninsured families looking to stay healthy while controlling their health care spending in a challenging economy. Company data captured from Take Care Clinics’ 1 million patient visits show:

• Had it not been for a Take Care Clinic, nearly 30 percent of patients would have gone to a more costly site of service – the ER or Urgent Care and 11 percent would not have sought treatment at all.
• Approximately 20 percent of patients either are uninsured or pay cash for these services (suggesting they may be uninsured or underinsured).
• Roughly 30 percent of patients that visit Take Care Clinics do not have a health care home (a primary care provider they see routinely for ongoing health care needs) and are subsequently referred to a local primary care physician.
• Patients are thrilled with their experience; recent results illustrate 92 percent overall patient satisfaction.

"The retail clinic model clearly fills an unmet need in the health care market. Overall, patients have widely embraced this new option for care, with visits nearly quadrupling since 2006 and more than doubling in the last year,” said Carl Doty, research director at Forrester Research. "Looking forward, this widespread consumer adoption will only continue to drive growth for the sector, and research projects that a year from now about one out of four people will have visited a retail clinic at least once.”

In December, Take Care Health Systems surpassed its 300^th clinic mark, opening 185 sites in the last year. The company currently has 322 Take Care Clinics in 35 markets and 18 states, and will continue to grow during the year.

In addition, 2008 saw Take Care Health Systems expand into worksite-based health and wellness when in May Walgreens formed the Health and Wellness division and acquired I-trax/CHD Meridian Healthcare and Whole Health Management, two leading operators of employer on-site health and wellness centers.

"2008 was a landmark year for us as the marketplace embraced our approach to high-quality, accessible and convenient health care, making continued expansion of our retail clinics and worksite health and wellness centers possible,” said Peter Miller, President and CEO of Take Care Health Systems. "Throughout 2009, Take Care Health Systems will continue to add locations, services and offerings to meet the needs of patients, clients and employee populations.”

Take Care Clinics are staffed by board-certified family nurse practitioners and physician assistants who treat patients 18 months and older for common illnesses such as strep throat, ear and sinus infections, pink eye and poison ivy, and are licensed to write prescriptions that can be filled at the patient’s pharmacy of choice. Take Care Health Providers also provide diagnostic screenings; school, sports and camp physicals; men’s and women’s health evaluations and offer vaccinations for chickenpox, flu, hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), meningitis, pneumonia, tetanus and human papillomavirus (HPV).

Many national health plans cover visits to a Take Care Clinic such as Aetna, CIGNA, Coventry, Great West, Humana, MultiPlan, UnitedHealthcare and WellPoint, as well as many regional plans, Medicare and Medicaid in some markets. In Take Care Health’s most established markets, 85 percent of insured individuals are covered at a Take Care Clinic. If insured by a plan accepted at the clinic, patients pay their regular co-pay. For the uninsured or cash payers, prices average $59-$80.

Take Care Health Systems, the foundation of Walgreens Health and Wellness division, is comprised of in-store clinics and worksite health and wellness centers. Take Care Health’s employer health centers offer complete pharmacy and health care services ranging from acute to primary care, occupational health and disease management and are staffed by a combination of clinicians including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals. Combined with Take Care Clinics, Walgreens has nearly 700 worksite and in-store clinics, the most under one company.

About Take Care Health Systems

Take Care Health Systems (www.takecarehealthsystem.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of Walgreens and part of Walgreens Health and Wellness division, is the largest and most comprehensive provider of worksite health and wellness centers and convenient care clinics in the country. TCHS is comprised of Take Care Consumer Solutions (www.takecarehealth.com) and Take Care Health Employer Solutions (www.takecareemployersolutions.com). Take Care Consumer Solutions manages Take Care Clinics at select Walgreens drugstores throughout the country. Patient care at each of the Take Care Clinics is provided by Take Care Health Services, an independently owned state professional corporation established in each market. Take Care Health Employer Solutions manages primary care, health and wellness, occupational health, pharmacy and fitness centers at large employer campuses. Combined, Take Care Health Systems operates nearly 700 worksite and retail health care centers.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2008 sales of $59 billion. The company operates 6,636 drugstores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides the most convenient access to consumer goods and services and cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services in America through its retail drugstores, Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and Wellness division. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC and SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities). Walgreens Health and Wellness division includes Take Care Health Systems (www.takecarehealthsystem.com), the largest and most comprehensive provider of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with nearly 700 locations throughout the country.