How Walgreens is Re-Imagining Localized Healthcare

Face to face time with a primary care physician is invaluable. However, it isn’t always easy to get - that’s where pharmacists come in. During the height of the pandemic, pharmacists provided care that acted as the first line of defense. Pharmacists are more accessible, and while they’re not here to replace primary care providers, they can support your healthcare needs. So how is one company utilizing their pharmacists’ skills to provide more localized community care?

On today’s episode of the Healthcare ReThink podcast, host Brian Urban chats with Walgreens’ own Falguni Shah, Director of Health Corners Product and Clinical Services, and Adam Samson, Head of Clinical Delivery Operations, to explore community health and clinical trial diversity. The three examine…

• How Walgreens is re-imagining community, localized healthcare in the United States through health corner clinical trials
• The areas in which Walgreens is exploring expansion, particularly in offerings of health services
• How pharmacies are changing the game when it comes to building diversity in clinical trials

“We need to be much more thoughtful and the FDA is really starting to increase their vigilance; there’s new guidance and even some policy…that says…you need a diversity plan and I think that’s where Walgreens is, you know, really uniquely positioned,” said Samson.

“We’re not here to replace primary care. We’re here to support the primary care and be a partner with the primary care physician,” explained Shah.

Shah has over seven years’ tenure with Walgreens, where she has served in multiple directorial roles. Prior to this, Shah worked with Rush University Medical Center as a manager for over a decade. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and earned her MBA in Health/Healthcare Management from Loyola University Chicago.

Samson joins Walgreens having designed and conducted multiple clinical trials across a diverse array of therapeutic areas, including academia, tech, and pharma. Prior to this, Samson served as Adjunct Faculty at George Washington University and was the VP of Clinical Operations for Curebase. Samson earned a BS in Dietetics and Nutrition from Florida International University and a MS in Clinical Research Administration from George Washington University.