Walgreens-Microsoft Alliance Puts More Pressure on Hospitals

The drugstore chain’s partnership with Microsoft is designed to close existing gaps in care in the traditional healthcare system, says Walgreens.

News that Walgreens Boots Alliance has formed a strategic partnership with Microsoft is more bad news for hospitals that a drugstore chain with more than 9,500 U.S. locations is looking for even more ways to keep the patient inside the drugstore.

Certainly, hospitals and health systems have their own information systems and partners like Cerner and Epic helping them with interoperability and communicating with other providers to make sure the care is being given in the right place, in the right amount, and at the right time.

But Walgreens says its partnership with Microsoft is more than improving...