Baptist Health and Walgreens announced Wednesday that starting in early January, Baptist’s retail pharmacy operations will be under Walgreens ownership at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville.
Pharmacies at the Baptist Health system’s six other locations will close, with access continuing at the 50 or so Walgreens pharmacies in the Jacksonville area.
Baptist Health’s inpatient pharmacies and infusion therapy pharmacy will remain owned and operated by Baptist.
“This is a strategic relationship between the most comprehensive health care system in the region and a long-standing, trusted provider of pharmacy services throughout the community,” said Baptist Health President and CEO Hugh Greene in a news release.
In addition, Baptist Health said it will own the clinical practice and operations management of retail health clinics at three Walgreens stores in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida.
Those Walgreens Healthcare Clinics are expected to transition to Baptist in May, becoming an extension of Baptist Health.
They will operate as Baptist Health Clinic at Walgreens. Walgreens will continue to manage the existing Healthcare Clinics at those locations until that time.
Baptist Health said the retail clinics will complement Baptist’s primary care network and urgent care partnership with CareSpot.
The release said Baptist Health Clinic at Walgreens is designed to give consumers improved access to care provided by Baptist with extended walk-in hours, online scheduling and the option to access health care services without an appointment.
Baptist Health and Walgreens also plan to use digital tools and incentives to help people manage their health.
Walgreens and Baptist will plan several community initiatives soon, the release said.
Baptist Health is based in Jacksonville and Walgreens is headquartered in Deerfield, Ill.