Drugstore chain Walgreens Boots Alliance and Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday they have entered a seven-year agreement to research and develop new methods of delivering healthcare services through digital devices.
As a part of the deal, the companies will focus on virtually connecting people with Walgreens stores and provide services on therapeutic areas ranging from preventative self-care to chronic disease management.
Early last year, Amazon.com, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase & Co had said they will form a company that could eventually negotiate directly with drugmakers and healthcare providers and use their vast databases to get a better handle on costs.
Walgreens and Microsoft will also develop healthcare solutions to reduce emergency room visits and decrease hospital readmissions while lowering the cost of care, the companies said.
The drugstore chain said it will pilot up to 12 stores, which will sell select healthcare-related devices, in 2019.
Microsoft will become Walgreens' cloud provider through the agreement and the Microsoft 365 software will be rolled out to more than 380,000 Walgreens employees and stores globally.
© Thomson Reuters 2019
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.
Apple Watch Series 12
Starts from ₹56,900
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2
Starts from ₹62,479
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (44mm, LTE)
Starts from ₹41,999
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm, LTE)
Starts from ₹37,999
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm)
Starts from ₹36,999
Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (44mm)
Starts from ₹40,999
Rockstar Explains Why It Took Over 8 Years to Make GTA 6, Says It Will Make Its Next Game Faster
Facebook Introduces Your Algorithm Feature to Let Users Customise Feed and Reels