Joslin helps Walgreens develop innovative wellness program

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Based in part on pilot educational projects developed with Joslin Diabetes Center as part of the Joslin-Walgreens Alliance, Walgreens rolled out its new Walgreens Optimal Wellness™ program in January 2010.

Initially focused on people with type 2 diabetes, the innovative self-care educational program emphasizes individual health coaching and diabetes counseling personalized to meet patients’ needs.

The Walgreens Optimal Wellness™ program uses thousands of healthcare providers including community pharmacists and Walgreens Take CareTM nurse practitioners, each of whom will be trained through a program developed with Joslin and certified by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

“Educating type 2 diabetes patients on best practices and individualizing care are critical elements to combating this chronic disease, which continues to affect Americans at an increasingly rapid rate,” said Dr. Richard Jackson, Director of Medical Affairs, Healthcare Services at Joslin Diabetes Center.  “As we have seen in real-world examples, when communication between patients and healthcare providers improves, patient outcomes are more likely to be successful.”

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For more information on  consumer educational programs developed by Joslin’s Healthcare Services team, click here.

For more information on Dr. Richard Jackson and his work as an investigator in Joslin’s Section on Immunology and Immunogenetics, click here.

For more information on Walgreens’’ Optimal Wellness Program, click here.