Being Innovative and Competitive Go Hand in Hand

This week, the Miller Center had the pleasure of having Tom Goden, the Director of Pharmacy and Retail Operations for Walgreens in the Northwest region of Florida. Tom talked about the relationship between innovation and competitiveness. In a competitive market like pharmacy/retail, he showed us some of the innovations that separate his company from others. Intending to be a Health Care Provider, Walgreens has partnered with VillageMD to have an actual primary care physician on-site to provide care for Walgreens customers. They are doing clinical trials and are offering vaccinations by pairing with the federal government to continue to provide shots for people. They also carry Covid tests in abundance so customers can come in and always have a way to test themselves. Interestingly, Walgreens and CVS come together on many projects to further the industry that will benefit both companies and their customers. As Tom explained, UPS and FedEx don’t do that, but it’s something that allows Walgreens to innovate and bring the industry into the future constantly. Serving the communities is a big way that Walgreens separates itself from its competition while continuing to provide the best care and help possible. The key to all of it is to have the talent and the people to provide innovation to the customers. “Without the people and the talent, your innovation doesn’t mean anything, you will lose every time,” Tom says this to say that taking care of his people is how he continues to keep and recruit good talent.