Walgreens, ALA Spearhead Health Initiative

The American Library Association(ALA) and Walgreens have launched a Well Informed @ your library initiative, anational health information program tohelp American adults, especially olderAmericans, who have difficulty understandingand using health information.

The program will focus on suchnational health topics as Medicaredrug discount cards, new medications,and rising health care costs.

Another benefit of the program isthat it will bring pharmacists into thecommunity through a series of healthseminars led by Walgreens pharmacistsand hosted by public libraries in 10 citiesacross the United States from November2004 through November 2005. Becausenearly half of American consumers usethe library as a resource to seek healt-relatedinformation, the seminar curriculumcontents will be made availableon-line to all 16,400 libraries and 4400Walgreens stores nationwide.

"Health information on the Internetis sometimes unreliable and most of alloverwhelming," said Walgreens PresidentJeff Rein. "Pharmacists are a personal,trusted source of health informationwho don't require an appointment."