Walgreens to use pharmacy patients’ data for new clinical trial business

Walgreens Boots Alliance has announced the launch of its new clinical trials business that aims to use patient data from its pharmacies to help drive up recruitment in studies conducted by drugmakers.

With patient recruitment and enrollment remain key challenges in clinical trials, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said it can proactively match diverse patient populations to trials across a range of disease areas based on race, gender, socioeconomic status and location with its patient reach and access to an extensive foundation of pharmacy and patient-authorized clinical data.

The Boots owner also believes that by leveraging a tech-enabled approach to patient identification and creating a large registry of clinical trial participants, the company will be able to reduce the time it takes to match eligible patients to clinical trials.

“Walgreens trusted community presence across the nation, combined with our enterprise-wide data and health capabilities, enables us to pioneer a comprehensive solution that makes health options, including clinical trials, more accessible, convenient and equitable,” said Ramita Tandon, chief clinical trials officer, Walgreens.

“Through the launch of our clinical trials services, we can provide another offering for patients with complex or chronic conditions in their care journey, while helping sponsors advance treatment options for the diverse communities we serve. This is yet another way we are building our next growth engine of consumer-centric healthcare solutions.”