Ever heard of the name Walgreens? Do you know the popular American drugstore which is always surrounded by controversies? Is Walmart still in function? Walgreens is the second largest American drugstore in the United States founded by Charles Rudolph Walgreen in 1901 and has completed 122 years since the day of its establishment.
Walgreens headquarters is located at 200 Wilmot Road, Illinois, United States. Walgreens has a net income of $ 2,091,000,000 as of 2010. The journey of the establishment of the pharmacy started back in 1901 when Charles Walgreen bought out his employer’s store in the prosperous South Side of Chicago.
Charles got registered as a pharmacist, and he started to mix his drugs to make them more affordable and have better quality. By the year 1913, Walgreens had successfully established 4 of its stores. 1920 was the year Walgreens came to fame as it started selling prescribed whiskey when alcohol got prohibited in the United States.
The company also introduced malted milkshakes and ice creams in 1922, which led to the establishment of an ice cream manufacturing unit. Walgreens purchased Sanborn in 1946, one of the biggest drugstores in the United States at the time.
Walgreens had established around 65 stores by the year 1925. The Walgreens store in New Jersey doesn’t sell alcohol, and the Massachusetts store doesn’t sell tobacco. There are twenty-six brands, including Be Jolly, Botanics, Big Roll, Dashing, CYO, etc., in alliance with Walgreens Boots.
Even though malted milkshakes have been around from long before Walgreens introduced them, the company takes credit for popularizing them. On December 31, 2014, Walgreens merged with Alliance Boots to form a new holding company Walgreens Boot Alliance.
You May Also Like: Nicolas Cage’s Net Worth
Walgreens Recent Controversy
Walgreens has again managed to surround itself with controversy. This time it surrounds the ban on selling abortion pills in some of the states in the United States. The company is facing severe backlash after its decision to stop the sale of Mifepristone, an abortion pill, in the twenty GOP states.
The company revealed to have taken this decision after being threatened with legal action by twenty attorneys in these twenty states. Women have taken to Twitter and other social media platforms to express their hatred for the company and have asked others to boycott it.
The company has not made a comment in public to date, but according to some people, the company took a strategic decision as they don’t know the upcoming parliament and their beliefs.
The company is still trying to get FDA approval to continue selling abortion pills in other states. Women are also saying that Walgreens is doing something unethical as they shouldn’t have bent over backward over fascists threatening legal action.
Walgreens History Of Controversies
1. Allegations Of Discrimination
The first controversy was that the company was part of them discriminating against its workers based on their race. The company settled a lawsuit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for $24M. The EEOC alleged the company had discriminated against African-American employees.
2. Drug Fraud
Walgreens was accused and sued for drug fraud in 2008 when they switched the dosages of three drugs without a doctor’s approval to boost their sales and profits. After being sued, the company put a stop to this malpractice.
3. Illegal Disposal
In 2012, Walgreens was asked by a judge to pay $16.57 million to settle a lawsuit accusing them of unlawfully disposing and dumping hazardous wastes. The company was also accused of disposing of customer records that contained confidential information related to their medication.
4. Pricing And Advertising
The United States Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection fined Walgreens in 2012 for the difference between Shelf and Scanned prices. Walgreens had to pay a fine of $29 241 in 2013. Walgreens was also charged with using misleading advertisements and overcharging their customers and had to pay a fine of $500,000 in penalties.
5. Selling Expired Products
The company was also alleged of selling expired baby food, formula, and over-the-shelf drugs and had to pay a fine of $2.25M for resolving a consumer protection lawsuit.
6. Medication Denied based on Religious Beliefs
It also came into controversy in June 2018 when an employee of the company denied a woman an abortion pill even after it was prescribed by the doctor based on her religious belief. The woman felt humiliated by the actions of the employee, and Walgreens didn’t take any action against the employee after a complaint was filed.
There are several other controversies, including wage theft violations, Opioid Sales in Tennessee, Opioid Sales in Ohio, Over-billing governments, etc. The company has received mixed reactions from the public on its recent decision to stop the sale of abortion pills in the twenty states, including the states which still have permission for legal abortion. Women took to Twitter to attack the company for its decision.
Several women wrote that Walgreens doesn’t have the courage to face fascism to fight for women’s rights. Women are also saying that we are half of the country and have a right to safe abortions. The women also wrote they are not paying a penny more toward the company. Several women have canceled their Walgreens subscription stating the same reason.
Also Read: What Is Rachel Bilson’s Dating History? Everything to Know
