The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) announced it has teamed up with Walgreen Co., though its specialty pharmacy division, to further develop cancer therapies and better address the many changes in treatment models for people with blood and other cancers.
LLS, founded 66 years ago, has raised over $1 billion for research aiming to advance blood cancer treatments and investigate cures. Walgreens is a longtime supporter of the society and its efforts.
“We are proud to team up with LLS on this transformational approach to empowering and supporting patients through our expert oncology specialized pharmacies across the country,” Richard Ashworth, Walgreens’ president of pharmacy and retail operations at Walgreens, said in a press release. “With our aligned missions and commitment to serving patients and families, LLS and Walgreens will make an even greater impact on the health and care of the nearly 1.2 million people in the U.S. living with or in remission from a blood cancer.”
The collaboration will support patients, their families and caregivers in three ways:
- By providing educational tools and learning resources, through
- The LLS Information Resource Center (IRC), whose master’s degree-level healthcare specialized staff currently responds to 60,000 inquiries every year. Walgreens patients will have access to specialists at the center;
- The LLS Blood Cancer Conferences, a national event sponsored by Walgreens that gathers thousands of patients and caregivers at no charge.
- Through programs like the “Blood Cancer Continuing Education for Walgreens Pharmacists/LLS, ” led by LLS, which provides training to company pharmacists in blood cancers. Specifically, the ‘Blood Cancer 101 and 201’ educational series covering a basic to advanced understanding of blood cancers and treatments, and offers a Walgreens pharmacy LLS certification.
- By supporting community engagement and promoting corporate backing of LLS’ annual Light the Night Walk nationwide fundraiser. Walgreens fields the 10th largest Light the Night Walk team in the country.
“Today, new treatments for blood cancers are entering the healthcare arena at an unprecedented rate. And these treatments are extending patients’ lives by years, even decades. Our collaboration with industry leader, Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy, assures that patients and their caregivers have timely access to high-quality, up-to-date information to best manage their disease,” said Louis J. DeGennaro, PhD, president and CEO of LLS.
