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This month, we are pleased to spotlight Brad McElya, Director of Clinical Pharmacy Strategy at Walgreens

Please share a brief description of your current role:

I am currently a director of Clinical Pharmacy Strategy at Walgreens. I have been with Walgreens for over 20 years and am a licensed pharmacist. I have held several field positions within the company prior to joining the corporate offices where I am responsible for clinical product and solutions development in HIV treatment and prevention, gastroenterology and chronic inflammatory specialty conditions. I create and implement strategies to optimize both business operations and collaborative relationships, while maintaining a diversified disease state portfolio and concentrated focus on patient care. I am particularly passionate about helping to end the HIV epidemic and work extensively both internally and externally to advance the National HIV Strategy.

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Why do you believe it's important for businesses to play a role in our nation's efforts to end the HIV epidemic?

People living with HIV can live long and healthy lives—if they’re connected to care and take their medications as prescribed. These treatments can also greatly reduce HIV transmission to those who are HIV-negative. In addition, there is considerable effort needed to raise awareness of the need for HIV testing and medications used to prevent the acquisition of HIV (PrEP or Pre-exposure prophylaxis). 

At Walgreens, we have historically tried to ease the burden of healthcare costs through proactive care, working closely with payors, prescribers, and other partners to lower overall costs and to raise the awareness of the needs within the communities we serve. We have also provided services that reduce financial burden, such as identifying lower-cost medication alternatives and connections to financial assistance programs.

Additionally, the U.S. Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative is working to reduce new HIV transmissions by 75 percent by 2025 and by 90 percent by 2030. Having other businesses act and play a role in our nation’s efforts will help meet these goals and end the HIV epidemic.

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What is Walgreens most proud of so far regarding your work to address HIV?

I think my work with National HIV Testing Day, aligning our clinical services with the National HIV Strategy, and becoming a founding member of the US Business Action to End HIV coalition are sources of pride.

National HIV Testing Day (NHTD)
‍Since we began in 2011, the partnership between KFF’s Greater Than HIV and Walgreens National HIV Community Partnership has provided more than 82,000 free HIV tests (through 2023) through the in-store NHTD program, including over 15,000 self-tests distributed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the 14th year of the partnership and marked the highest level of participation – both in terms of testing partners and stores – in the program’s history. And, to address the rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), we offered free rapid syphilis and/or hepatitis C testing this year in many locations.

Aligning clinical services with the four pillars of the National HIV Strategy
‍Walgreens began to align its clinical products and services for patients living with HIV and those at risk of acquiring HIV to help ensure we were helping to support the National HIV Strategy. This helped us inform our team members of how they were part of something as great as ending an epidemic.

Becoming a founding member of the U.S. Business Action to End HIV coalition.
‍This was important to make sure we were collaborating with other organizations in the public and private sectors to help end the HIV epidemic. We believe we play a critical part in advancing the National HIV Strategy while understanding that we cannot do it alone. Collaboration is the key!

Also noteworthy was increasing access to critical patient care services through the expansion of AIDS Drug Assistance Plan (ADAP) coverage in additional states where we were not able to service ADAP patients. 

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Why is it important for Walgreens to be part of the U.S. Business Action to End HIV coalition?

Walgreens has supported people living with HIV and AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic more than 40 years ago. In 1997, Walgreens opened a first-of-its-kind HIV specialty pharmacy. Today, Walgreens has more than 300 specialty pharmacies across the country and many of them offer specialized services for HIV and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications.

Further, Walgreens has supported those impacted by HIV/AIDS with a variety of national and local initiatives. Most recently, Walgreens became a founding member of the U.S. Business Action to End HIV.

This has been an important step for us because it helps further collaboration in this fight to end the HIV epidemic.  We have been encouraged and able to roll out additional critical services through collaboration because of the relationships established in the coalition.

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Walgreens has a long-standing partnership with KFF's Greater Than HIV, along with health departments and community organizations, to offer free HIV testing at select stores across the nation on National HIV Testing Day. Can you share why this partnership is so important to Walgreens?

Since 2011, KFF’s Greater Than HIV and Walgreens National HIV Community Partnership have provided more than 82,000 free HIV tests through the in-store National HIV Testing Day program, including over 15,000 self-tests distributed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the 14th year of the partnership and marks the highest level of participation – both in terms of testing partners and stores – in the program’s history. This program is instrumental in reaching people in community settings, making HIV prevention and treatment options more equitable, accessible and convenient.  

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Walgreens has done a lot of work to support the expansion of HIV services in community pharmacies. What role do you hope pharmacists can play in our nation's efforts to end the HIV epidemic?

Pharmacists serve as trusted healthcare professionals in many communities in the United States.  Because of this, pharmacists can play a unique role in helping ensure critical HIV testing, treatment and prevention services. My hope is one day an expanded scope of practice for pharmacists exists in every state, as well as payment parity to ensure the service is sustainable. Unfortunately, I do not believe we can achieve the goals to end the HIV epidemic without a new and innovative approach – and pharmacists should be at the center of this.

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What advice would you give to other corporate leaders considering taking action on HIV?

Get involved! Start with what you do as a company and think strategically about how you may use your strengths in the fight to end the HIV epidemic. Raise awareness and ask questions as a way of shining the spotlight on the need to advance the National HIV Strategy. 

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What personally motivated you to become involved in working to address HIV? 

I’ve always wanted to use my passion to help people for the greater good whether personally or professionally. I believe we can all make a difference and I have been fortunate enough to do this for many years for patients living with or at risk of acquiring HIV. Relationships are also important to me, and these are critical in doing something as large as ending the HIV epidemic. I have been and continue to be motivated because the need still exists.

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Is there anything else you would like to share about your company's journey in addressing HIV?

At Walgreens, while we have accomplished a lot and are proud of the progress we have made as a company, we are not finished. There is still a need, and we are willing to do what we can to help bring an end to this epidemic!

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