Walgreens Rewards Healthy Activities Through First Community Pharmacy Program To Include Behavior Change Training Based on Dr. B.J. Fogg's Methodology

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Walgreens WAG WAG today introduced its new “Balance Rewards for healthy choices™” initiative to help participants modify behavior risk factors associated with the nation's most urgent public health issues. This marks the first community pharmacy program that includes behavior change training based on noted psychologist Dr. B.J. Fogg's methodology. The initiative, one of the pillars of Walgreens 81 million active member Balance^® Rewards loyalty program, will incent adoption of healthy habits and reward those choices with Balance Rewards points.

To better support Balance Rewards participants to make healthy choices related to physical activity, smoking cessation and chronic disease management, select Walgreens pharmacists and Walgreens online Pharmacy Chat agents are receiving first-of-its-kind behavior change training led by Dr. Fogg. The training provides pharmacists and Walgreens online Pharmacy Chat agents with the knowledge and resources needed to provide wellness coaching using the Tiny Habits^® method – Fogg's approach to behavior change that encourages simple steps, or micro-habits, that lead to a healthier life.

“Adopting a consistently healthy action like practicing a balanced diet, exercising more or changing other lifestyle habits is typically not easy,” said Kermit Crawford, Walgreens president of pharmacy, health and wellness. “Through our Balance Rewards for healthy choices initiative, Walgreens encourages participants to adopt healthy actions with the added support and guidance of our pharmacists and Walgreens online Pharmacy Chat agents trained on Dr. Fogg's Tiny Habits approach. This is a perfect fit for a community pharmacy based program in which our pharmacists have frequent contact with consumers.”

Fogg said, “Pharmacists are respected and trusted sources for ongoing support and can help people recognize that they're succeeding on their health care journey with small steps. That feeling of making progress can help participants form healthy habits.”

To fuel the initiative, program members can earn Walgreens Balance Rewards loyalty program points by participating in various health-related programs and tracking progress toward a goal. The program makes this easy through the optional use of mobile devices and apps. Future program enhancements could include awarding points for adopting healthy eating habits.

Also, health plans and other payers will have the ability to define additional activities for their members to earn Balance Rewards points that help payers meet higher patient engagement, HEDIS and 5 Star goals.

Balance Rewards for healthy choices includes three key elements and a number of early initiatives, and it will expand over time.

Get Fit – exercise and activity

• Participants earn points for activities like walking, running and biking, and can automatically track activities by connecting their Balance Rewards account with fitness devices and apps such as MapMyFitness, Lose It!, MyFitnessPal and RunKeeper. Compatible health and fitness devices include Fitbit and Withings as well as more than 40 other devices.

Manage Health – adopting healthy habits

• Walgreens now offers Balance Rewards points for participants who track their blood pressure and glucose levels at home. Participants using iHealth blood pressure and glucose monitors can connect their Balance Rewards account to the device to automatically track their data.
• The program also offers Balance Rewards points through Walgreens new smoking cessation program launching in September. The program will include: smoking cessation content and tools on Walgreens.com; individual support through the Walgreens online Pharmacy Chat; and tools to enable participants to track their progress toward smoking cessation while earning Balance Rewards points. Additional program features will be added in the coming months.
  
  “Pharmacy Chat will support participants by helping them better understand the path to smoking cessation, including setting a quit date, optimally using over-the-counter and prescription medications, as well as utilizing other tools and supports,” said Harry Leider, M.D., Walgreens chief medical officer.

Eat Right – a healthy, balanced diet

• Using a digitally connected scale or logging their results manually, participants can earn points each time their weight is checked.
• A nutritional behavior change program is planned for addition to the Balance Rewards for healthy choices website in the coming months.

Click here to view or download additional resources related to Balance Rewards for healthy choices.

For more information about how to report and earn points on healthy activities and the complete terms and conditions of the program, please click here.

About Walgreens

As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2013 sales of $72 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to be the first choice in health and daily living for everyone in America, and beyond. Each day, in communities across America, more than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with online and mobile services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The company operates 8,215 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that manages more than 400 in-store convenient care clinics throughout the country.

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