[Nfbk] Walgreens Accessible R X Program

[slery]

It is a relief to hear this from others.
 
From: Nfbk [mailto:nfbk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Terrie Terlau via Nfbk
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2014 6:35 PM
To: 'NFB of Kentucky Internet Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Nfbk] Walgreens Accessible R X Program
 
Hi Cindy,
I am sorry you have had bad experiences with Walgreens pharmacies. I have had experiences like Tonia's; the Walgreens at Frankfort and Ewing provided braille labels on scripts long before the current initiative. I like the recorders, though they sometimes fall off of bottles and I hate the waste because Walgreens doesn't want to reuse them. Bruce, one of my most favorite pharmacists in the universe, worries that their batteries would wear out if reused.
I personally am delighted that Walgreens did this. My cynical side says they did it because they realized that they could get sued and wanted to  get good press instead of bad. But I am very glad they did it anyway.
Best,
Terrie Terlau
 
From: Nfbk [mailto:nfbk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gatton, Tonia (OFB-LV) via Nfbk
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2014 8:10 AM
To: NFB of Kentucky Internet Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Nfbk] Walgreens Accessible R X Program
 
Cindy, our experience has been just the opposite.  we have received excellent customer service for several years from the two Wall Greens near our house in the Lyndon area as well as from the one in Clifton when we lived off Frankfort avenue.  Both the pharmacy and store staff have all been great to work with.  The staff at the Westport location, which is the one we deal with most often, know us by name and go out of their way to assist and accommodate us.
 
Tonia       
 
Tonia Gatton
Assistive Technology Specialist
Kentucky career Center
KY Office for the Blind
Charles W. McDowell Center
8412 Westport Road
Louisville, KY 40242
(502) 429-4460 ext. 268
(502) 429-7101
tonia.gatton at ky.gov <mailto:tonia.gatton at ky.gov> 
 
From: Nfbk [mailto:nfbk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of slery via Nfbk
Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2014 3:09 AM
To: 'NFB of Kentucky Internet Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Nfbk] Walgreens Accessible R X Program
 
Okay, I don’t know about others, but the “praise Walgreen’s customer service” has got to be a joke, at least in the pharmacy department. We have personally used three different Walgreen’s and the service was equally bad at all of them. They no longer accept military insurance so we cannot go there and have found other options.
 
Cindy S.
 
From: Nfbk [mailto:nfbk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kevin Pearl via Nfbk
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2014 3:34 PM
To: NFBK
Subject: [Nfbk] Walgreens Accessible R X Program
 

Walgreens Launches Nationwide Program Offering Talking Prescription Devices for Customers with Visual Impairments

Initiative adds to Walgreens other accessible prescription information services; leadership of blindness organizations praise company’s program
June 03, 2014 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time
DEERFIELD, Ill.--( <http://www.businesswire.com/> BUSINESS WIRE)--Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain (NYSE: WAG) (Nasdaq: WAG), today announced the launch of a nationwide program offering talking prescription devices to customers with visual impairments. The initiative introduces a new service that complements other accessible prescription information Walgreens currently provides.
Walgreens is the first in the industry to offer this exclusive talking prescription device, called the Talking Pill Reminder, at its retail locations chainwide. The device attaches to prescription containers and will be provided free of charge with prescription medications that Walgreens dispenses to its pharmacy customers who are blind or who have visual impairments. The Talking Pill Reminder can be recorded to speak the information on the customer’s prescription medication label, and also has an audible alarm to remind patients when to take a medication.
The Talking Pill Reminder is available to customers of Walgreens retail pharmacies across the country and through Walgreens prescription mail service. The devices also are available in Walgreens drugstores for purchase for a retail price of $9.99.
“Adherence to medication can be critical in treating illness today, and this is an innovation that will help our visually impaired customers correctly identify and take medications as prescribed,” said Jeff Koziel, Walgreens group vice president of pharmacy operations. “As part of our mission to help customers get, stay and live well, we’re proud to have worked closely with other leading organizations to make the Talking Pill Reminder available across all of our more than 8,100 stores nationwide.”
The initiative is the result of a collaboration between Walgreens, The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the ACB affiliates in California and Illinois. All partnering organizations praised the Walgreens announcement.
“Accessible prescription information is critical to people who are blind, and with today’s announcement, Walgreens assumes a significant leadership role in serving its customers with visual impairments,” said ACB President Kim Charlson.
Illinois Council of the Blind representative Ray Campbell commended Walgreens initiative, saying, “So many of our members and ACB members across the country value Walgreens excellent customer service. The company’s rollout of the Talking Pill Reminder gives them yet another reason to make Walgreens their pharmacy of choice.”
California Council of the Blind President Donna Pomerantz said, “Standard prescription labels put customers who are blind at risk for mixing up medications or taking them incorrectly. For this reason, Walgreens initiative is a matter of basic safety, and we congratulate the company on its efforts in this important area.”
In addition to providing the Talking Pill Reminder, Walgreens also offers large print patient information sheets to customers who have visual impairments.
Walgreens accessibility initiative will help people with visual impairments who have difficulty or are unable to read a standard prescription medication label.
About Walgreens
As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2013 sales of $72 billion, Walgreens ( <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walgreens.com&esheet=50878763&newsitemid=20140603006347&lan=en-US&anchor=www.walgreens.com&index=1&md5=851a1caf48e7f6be9ff94688eef8e6a0> www.walgreens.com) vision is to be the first choice in health and daily living for everyone in America, and beyond. Each day, Walgreens provides more than 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The company operates 8,231 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers, provider practices, and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 750 locations throughout the country.
American Council of the Blind (ACB), the California Council of the Blind (CCB) and the Illinois Council of the Blind (ICB)
The American Council of the Blind is a national consumer-based advocacy organization working on behalf of blind and visually impaired Americans throughout the country, with members organized through seventy state and special interest affiliates. The California and Illinois Councils of the Blind are state affiliates of the ACB, with local chapters throughout those states. The ACB, ICB and CCB are dedicated to improving the quality of life, equality of opportunity, and independence of all people who have visual impairments. Their members and affiliated organizations have a long history of commitment to the advancement of policies and programs which will enhance independence for people who are blind and visually impaired. More information about the ACB, ICB and CCB can be found by visiting  <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acb.org&esheet=50878763&newsitemid=20140603006347&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acb.org&index=2&md5=1947483ab9344a684b6b6ea5aea5194f> http://www.acb.org, <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icbonline.org%2F&esheet=50878763&newsitemid=20140603006347&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.icbonline.org%2F&index=3&md5=9f2a0ea5f7188273e0f62a1ae6859245> http://www.icbonline.org/ and  <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ccbnet.org&esheet=50878763&newsitemid=20140603006347&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ccbnet.org&index=4&md5=ed8e71b6973b6343f13f74ac42bbd1ae> http://www.ccbnet.org.

Contacts

Walgreens
Jim Cohn,  <tel:847-315-2950> 847-315-2950
 <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.walgreens.com&esheet=50878763&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.walgreens.com&index=5&md5=44c703bbabfc26323f4849f6e68267ce> http://news.walgreens.com
 <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FWalgreensNews&esheet=50878763&lan=en-US&anchor=%40WalgreensNews&index=6&md5=398a9ce2fd57baa6dbde7a41175c777f> @WalgreensNews
 <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWalgreens&esheet=50878763&lan=en-US&anchor=facebook.com%2FWalgreens&index=7&md5=25bc9b0284a7160b1954fcc970a0da91> facebook.com/Walgreens
 
Kevin
 
---The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. NFB.ORG <http://NFB.ORG> 
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