Walgreens takes action due to Washington state reimb cuts

As a result of extreme reimbursement cuts in the US State of Washington Medicaid program, drug store chain Walgreens says it will withdraw 44 of  its pharmacies from the state's Medicaid program as of May 1. These  represent more than 60% of the company's total Medicaid business in the  state and are found in both large and small communities. Walgreens  operates 111 pharmacies throughout Washington.

Under a new Medicaid reimbursement rule set to take effect on April 1,  the State of Washington will significantly reduce the price it will pay  for brand name medications, severely impacting the economic viability of  doing business in Washington.

Kermit Crawford, Walgreens senior vice president of pharmacy, said: "we  have made the decision to stop filling Medicaid prescriptions in these  pharmacies after long and careful deliberations. Walgreens is the market  leader in Washington and provides cost-effective pharmacy service  across the state. We have thousands of loyal patients who appreciate and  trust our pharmacists, and we are absolutely committed to patient care."