Innovation

CentralFill represents Walgreens’ response to the growing demands placed on retail pharmacy teams as healthcare delivery evolved — and the need to deliver faster, safer, and more accessible care to patients. Developed under the guidance of Walgreens’ national pharmacy operations leadership, CentralFill is a network of specialized fulfillment centers that automate the filling, labeling, and packaging of maintenance prescriptions at high volume. These centers use advanced robotics to complete tasks that once required multiple pharmacy technicians working manually, significantly speeding up prescription processing and improving medication accuracy for patients. By transferring these repetitive tasks away from store locations, CentralFill allows pharmacy teams to prioritize clinical services, including immunizations, medication therapy management, and personalized consultations. Each CentralFill center can process up to 50,000 prescriptions per day and fulfills approximately 30–35% of a participating store’s prescription volume.

The idea for CentralFill emerged as Walgreens pharmacy leadership recognized that traditional manual processes were no longer sustainable alongside growing healthcare expectations. Glen Giambrone, a Walgreens Pharmacist, explained,

"CentralFill uses robotics to fill maintenance prescriptions much faster and more accurately than humans could, so we can prioritize urgent care needs in the store." 

He added, "You shouldn’t have to wait for your blood pressure medicine to be filled while in front of somebody who's waiting on an antibiotic for their child — CentralFill helps us prioritize care for everyone more effectively."

This shift not only supports faster medication access but also enables pharmacy teams to engage more meaningfully in patient care. By centralizing fulfillment, Walgreens ensures more efficient use of pharmacy staff skills, enhances medication safety, and improves the overall patient experience.

Inspiration

Recognizing that traditional pharmacy roles could no longer meet modern healthcare demands, Walgreens leadership invested in CentralFill to enable a clinical transformation within community pharmacies. Heavy manual dispensing workloads made it difficult for pharmacy teams to grow into expanded clinical roles focused on improving health outcomes. To support this shift, Walgreens invested in CentralFill—a system designed to streamline prescription fulfillment and reduce the operational burden on retail pharmacy teams.

As Giambrone reflected, "Pharmacy has transitioned from what we used to call 'lick, stick, and pour'—basically just counting pills and labeling bottles—into more of a clinical role." He emphasized that the role of the pharmacist was changing rapidly, requiring deeper personal interaction with patients and greater involvement in healthcare delivery. CentralFill became a critical tool to support this transformation, allowing pharmacy teams to prioritize urgent needs, medication therapy management, and preventive care. "Pharmacies can’t survive just filling prescriptions anymore," Giambrone said. "We’re moving toward testing, prescribing, and offering real healthcare services inside the store."

Through CentralFill, Walgreens sought not only to solve operational challenges but also to empower pharmacy teams to become more integrated into primary healthcare, ultimately improving access to essential services and strengthening long-term health outcomes within local communities.

Overall impact

CentralFill has created significant short-term improvements in patient access to healthcare services at Walgreens pharmacies. By shifting the fulfillment of maintenance prescriptions to centralized centers, pharmacy teams at retail locations have been able to reduce wait times, especially for patients needing urgent medications after emergency room visits or hospital discharges. As Giambrone explained,

"We’re trying to focus more on acute care — so that when somebody comes in from the ER needing antibiotics for their kid, they aren’t waiting behind 20 maintenance scripts."

Automation through CentralFill has also improved the accuracy of medication dispensing, reducing the risk of quantity errors and ensuring patients receive the right medications at the right time. This reliability has directly supported patients by ensuring continuous access to their long-term medications, reducing gaps in treatment and improving health outcomes. Giambrone observed,

"Since maintenance prescriptions are automatically routed through CentralFill, patients are less likely to run out of critical medications for conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes."

Over the long term, CentralFill is helping to transform Walgreens pharmacies into stronger healthcare partners within their communities. By enabling faster service for urgent prescriptions and supporting better medication adherence, Walgreens is improving chronic disease management, strengthening patient trust, and reducing barriers to essential healthcare. This shift toward patient-centered services supports long-term public health outcomes while positioning Walgreens pharmacies to meet growing healthcare demands in the future.

Business benefit

Because Walgreens created CentralFill to centralize and automate the fulfillment of maintenance prescriptions, the business improved operational efficiency and expanded its ability to deliver healthcare services. By shifting manual dispensing tasks to specialized centers, Walgreens freed up pharmacy teams to focus on expanded clinical services, such as preventive care programs and personalized medication consultations. These services not only strengthened patient health outcomes but also opened new revenue streams, as clinical services are reimbursed differently from traditional prescription dispensing.

CentralFill also positioned Walgreens to meet growing healthcare demands more sustainably. By maintaining consistent medication availability even during supply chain disruptions, Walgreens reinforced customer loyalty and supported prescription volume growth at the store level. Shifting toward patient-centered services helped Walgreens compete more effectively with emerging healthcare providers and retail health clinics. Through CentralFill, Walgreens built a more resilient, scalable pharmacy model that strengthens its operational adaptability and positions it to better meet long-term healthcare demands in an evolving economy.

Social and environmental benefit

CentralFill has expanded healthcare access across Walgreens communities by making essential medications more reliably available and reducing delays in urgent care. Patients managing chronic conditions experience fewer treatment gaps, while individuals needing immediate prescriptions after hospital visits benefit from faster, more dependable service. These improvements directly support public health by strengthening medication adherence, preventing avoidable health complications, and reducing strain on emergency healthcare systems.

By enabling local pharmacies to better meet both routine and urgent healthcare needs, CentralFill strengthens Walgreens’ role as a trusted healthcare partner in the communities it serves. Through these impacts, Walgreens supports healthier communities and contributes to broader public health goals.

Interview

Glen Giambrone, Pharmacy Director