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NABP Awards DMEPOS Accreditation to Walgreen Co.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) announced today that Walgreen Co. received accreditation for its mail-order pharmacy services and its retail stores through the Association’s durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) accreditation program. The DMEPOS program ensures that pharmacies supplying DMEPOS products meet the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) quality and accreditation standards. Those pharmacies that are accredited through the program are doing their part to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries receive the appropriate products, services, and patient care associated with DMEPOS.
"We're glad to receive this important accreditation from NABP and continue helping Medicare beneficiaries with DME services," said Ric Leonardi, RPh, Walgreens director of Medicare Part B. "Previously, we worked well with NABP’s online pharmacy accreditation program, and the DMEPOS process also demonstrated professionalism and focused on quality for Medicare beneficiaries."
In November 2006, CMS named NABP an accrediting organization for pharmacies that supply DMEPOS products. NABP has more than 100 years of experience in pharmacy regulation, which provides for a thorough understanding of the complexities of pharmacy practice and regulation. The NABP DMEPOS accreditation program is best suited for pharmacies that provide a limited line of durable medical equipment.
“NABP congratulates Walgreen Co. on its efforts in meeting CMS’s new standards and its hard work in achieving accreditation. Walgreen is one of the first chains to receive DMEPOS accreditation through the NABP DMEPOS program,” states NABP Executive Committee Chairperson Lawrence H. “Larry” Mokhiber, MS, RPh. “In addition, Walgreen earned accreditation for its online pharmacy through the Association's Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites™ program and for three of its distribution centers through the Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors® program.”
Walgreen Co. is the nation’s largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2007 sales of $53.8 billion. The company operates more than 6,000 stores in 48 states and Puerto Rico, including 77 Happy Harry’s stores in Delaware and surrounding states. Walgreens is expanding its patient-first health care services beyond traditional pharmacy through Walgreens Health Services, its managed care division, and Take Care Health Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary that manages convenient care clinics inside drugstores. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc, Walgreens Home Care Inc and Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy Inc.
For more information about NABP or its DMEPOS accreditation program, please visit the NABP Web site. Or for more information on Walgreen Co., visit www.walgreens.com.
Larissa Doucette
