Walgreens 2007 Annual Report Download - page 18

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Page 16 2007 Walgreens Annual Report
Technology makes customers’lives easier and
Walgreens operations more efficient. VISION
technology (left) in pharmacies lets us scan paper
prescriptions and store the images in our database.
Our three highly automated mail service facilities
(above) ship prescriptions to patients nationwide.
use
Sophisticated yet simple
Our 13 distribution centers (DCs) use some of the
most advanced logistics equipment and systems
available. At our newest DC in Anderson, South
Carolina(above), one of our top priorities was to
design easy-to-use workstations where people with
and without disabilities could work side by side.
Accurate and efficient
This Yuyama automatic pill dispenser is
an extra pair of accurate hands in our
busiest pharmacies. But while technology
helped us fill 583 million prescriptions
efficiently in 2007, the key to patient
service and safety is a pharmacist.
We are developing new systems that
will allow these professionals to spend
more one-on-one time helping patients
manage their health.
Road map with horsepower
Of the 4,106 stores opened in the past
decade, Walgreens has closed only six due
to poor sales. To determine future store
locations that are highly accessible and
potentially profitable, we use sophisticated
mapping software (above). This takes
into account detailed market share and
demographics, as well as the locations
of competitors, medical centers and
doctors’ offices.