2008-08-28 20:41:03 -

www.walgreens.com/about/press/default.jsp - As Tropical Storm Gustav moves toward the Gulf of Mexico and threatens to develop into a hurricane, Walgreens is offering Gulf Coast residents tips on refilling their prescription medications should they need to evacuate.

To help pharmacy patients prepare for any potential evacuations, Walgreens suggests the following:

1. If you evacuate, get

to a safe location first and refill your medication at a pharmacy there. This allows you to avoid potentially long lines at your local pharmacy, and you won't needlessly delay your evacuation. Walgreens has more than 6,300 locations nationwide, and all pharmacies can access your patient record, making any Walgreens your neighborhood Walgreens. Patients can find the nearest store by calling 1-800-WALGREENS or going to Walgreens.com.

2. Take a waterproof bag with your current medication - even if the bottle is empty. The information on the bottle label will help the pharmacist refill your medicine once you arrive at your destination. Heat, humidity and sunlight can degrade the effectiveness of medicine, so try to protect it from extreme weather conditions.

3. Keep a written record of your current prescriptions in your valuable papers file. If you're taking several prescription drugs, it's an especially good idea to keep a record of your current dosage and doctor's contact information. Walgreens patients can register online at Walgreens.com and print out this information directly from their patient profile.

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2007 sales of $53.8 billion. The company operates 6,356 drugstores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Walgreens provides the most convenient access to consumer goods and cost-effective health care services in America through its retail drugstores, Walgreens Health Services division and Walgreens Health and Wellness division. Walgreens Health Services assists pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives Inc. (a pharmacy benefit manager), Walgreens Mail Service Inc., Walgreens Home Care Inc., Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy LLC and SeniorMed LLC (a pharmacy provider to long-term care facilities). Walgreens Health and Wellness division includes Take Care Health Systems, which is comprised of: Take Care Consumer Solutions, managers of 191 convenient care clinics at Walgreens drugstores, and Take Care Employer Solutions, managers of worksite-based health and wellness services at 364 employer campuses.

Walgreens
Tiffani Bruce, 847-914-2962
news.walgreens.com