The typical flu season always coincides with the busiest travel period of the year, and last season that spelled trouble for more than 3 million U.S. vacationers whose trips were interrupted by flu-related illness, according to the Walgreens Flu Impact Report released Tuesday.

"The axis of the healthcare system is shifting toward more accessible and collaborative models,” and both pharmacists and nurse practitioners are “well-positioned to have a substantial impact in a post-reform environment.” That was a key message that Walgreens chief medical officer Cheryl Pegus had for attendees of Forum 11, the annual meeting of the Care Continuum Alliance in San Francisco on Friday.

Walgreens on Wednesday morning launched a national health initiative, Walk with Walgreens, at its flagship store in Times Square.

The evolving role of the pharmacist and the growing impact of pharmacist interventions on clinical outcomes were discussed Tuesday by Walgreens chief medical officer Cheryl Pegus at the 11th annual Population Health and Care Coordination Colloquium.

Walgreens on Friday joined the Care Continuum Alliance, an alliance of more than 200 stakeholders providing services across the continuum of care — from wellness and prevention to chronic condition management and complex care management.

Walgreens' chief medical officer will discuss the evidence-based medicine design and impact of a diabetes management program delivered by pharmacists at both workplace and community pharmacies during an upcoming conference, the drug store chain said.