DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. and its Take Care Clinics are offering free health testing for hemoglobin A1C and blood glucose at more than 3,000 locations through the end of this month.
Walgreens said Friday that the tests are being offered during November as part of American Diabetes Month and the Walgreens Way to Well Commitment, the drug chain’s multiyear wellness initiative.
The free A1C testing, sponsored in part by Bayer Healthcare, Diabetes Care and Novo Nordisk, is available with a coupon at select Walgreens drug stores and Take Care Clinic locations in 40 states and Washington, D.C. A coupon for the test, a $35 value, can be found in the current Walgreens weekly ad and is good through the end of this month.
Walgreens pharmacists and Take Care Clinic nurse practitioners and physician assistants conduct A1C and blood glucose tests with a quick finger stick. The tests are available to people age 18 and older during pharmacy hours daily on a walk-in basis. All customers getting a health test will receive a consultation to help them understand results and determine the next steps. Recipients are urged to share test results with their primary care doctor.
"Our pharmacists and Take Care Clinic nurse practitioners and physicians assistants are trusted clinicians that can help those living with diabetes understand and manage their condition," Kermit Crawford, president of pharmacy, health and wellness at Walgreens, said in a statement. "Diabetes is a serious health issue facing a growing number of Americans. Through preventive health and wellness services, education and support, we can help patients make healthy and informed decisions to get, stay and live well."
The blood glucose tests are being provided as part of the Walgreens Way to Well commitment, a four-year, $100 million health initiative aimed at disease prevention and improving everyday health via education and early detection of leading diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Walgreens said that over the past year, its pharmacists and Take Care Clinic nurse practitioners and physician assistants have administered more than 600,000 health tests for A1C, blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol and body composition.
