DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens has announced its participation as a sponsor of Children with Diabetes (CWD) at their upcoming Friends for Life (FFL) conference. Walgreens will showcase several offerings and healthcare solutions for diabetes at the annual event, hosted July 9-14 in Orlando, Fla. FFL gathers dedicated experts, adults, children, and families with diabetes for a weekend geared toward inspiring and connecting the community.

“Roughly half of the U.S. population is living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Having access to resources and a supportive community pharmacist can have a great impact on managing their health,” said Tracey D. Brown, executive vice president and president, Walgreens Retail and chief customer officer. “Walgreens believes in CWD’s mission to empower families and all people living with diabetes to enjoy healthy, enriched lives. As a person living with diabetes for 20 years, I want to encourage others with this chronic condition not to give up – keep thriving.”

As a part of the booth experience, Walgreens and Instacart are offering a pop-up shop with Walgreens brand diabetes supplies like blood glucose meters and testing strips, at-home A1C test kits,, first-aid essentials, sun care items, and more. The pop-up shop will utilize Instacart’s Scan & Pay technology, where customers may simply use their mobile device’s camera to scan product barcodes in their cart, then check out quickly using digital payment.

As part of its commitment to the event’s mission, Tracey D. Brown, executive vice president and president, Walgreens Retail and chief customer officer, and Shauna Markes-Wilson, Walgreens director of pharmacy and retail operations for the Georgia/Florida North region, will be speaking at the conference. Furthermore, Walgreens will highlight how it is driving the next generation of clinical trials by addressing historic barriers to participation to help communities gain access in a more flexible and convenient manner.

Walgreens talent acquisition team will also be on-site to speak to fellows in endocrinology, recent Ph.D. graduates, and healthcare professionals to continue its commitment to embed itself into the diabetes community.