Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth Kicks Off Health Care Leader Webinar Series

Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth discussed innovation, cost and the future of health care in HRPA’s inaugural health care leader webinar, the first in a series developed in collaboration with the Health Transformation Alliance (HTA). 

In a compelling conversation with Rob Andrews, HTA CEO, Wentworth reflected on how his background in HR and employee benefits continues to shape his perspectives on talent and culture.

Principles-Based Approach to Talent and Culture: Mr. Wentworth described the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) position as “the most strategic and challenging” in the C-suite. 

• With respect to talent, he stressed the need to dig behind written profiles when evaluating employees. Ensuring a match with employee expectations of the work culture is just as important as pursuing a skills match.

• By embodying the two top values of Walgreens, honesty and respect, company leaders strive to be objective in evaluations and decisions that impact employees.

Benefits as the best workplace value-add: New medical advances promise better health but require careful management due to costs.

• On GLP-1s, Mr. Wentworth observed that their broad use is a “cultural moment” but that “GLP-1 does not pay for itself.” For that reason, he would manage costs by limiting their use to the treatment of diabetes but would seek to provide others interested in the drug with the employer discount, until a generic is available.

• Like IVF, however, there is likely to be a bifurcation in industries with employees in higher income fields expecting GLP-1 coverage, making it important to evaluate your individual workforce’s expectations and needs.

Managing increasing longevity: Mr. Wentworth commented on health disparities by highlighting a study finding a life expectancy difference of nearly two decades between two zip codes in St. Louis, a mere ten miles apart. Coupled with a shortage of doctors and the difficulty of getting an appointment with your primary care physician, Mr. Wentworth identified several strategies to help improve health care outcomes and better reach those in need.

• Emphasize generics as an acceptable choice. In addition to resocializing consumers to take advantage of lower-cost generic medication, Wentworth advised companies to ask their PBM about biosimilars for specific drugs.

• Expand the use of pharmacists. Pharmacists, as a group, rank high in trust. In the UK, he indicated pharmacists can test and treat common aliments like sinusitis, covid, UTIs, and strep. Using pharmacists in this way could free up 10 million primary care physician visits in the United States. When Walgreens pharmacists recommended Cologuard tests, for example, they achieved a 50% response rate, helping people self-test for cancer.

• Prescription drug adherence. In seventy-five to eighty percent of all diseases, pharmaceuticals are the first line of defense. PBMs only know whether a person refilled their prescription, but not whether the individual actually took their medication. Community pharmacists can play a role in adherence.

Next big thing: “Behavioral health is not going away,” commented Mr. Wentworth. Exploring Medicare and Medicaid payment for talk therapy is one avenue for improvement. An AI coach could offer a cost-effective solution by meeting the mental health needs of most individuals through technology, while reserving the highest order of mental health for those with more acute needs.

Watch a recording of the conversation with Tim Wentworth.