Walgreens is planning to close around 1,200 locations, as the drugstore chain and its rivals struggle to define their role for U.S. shoppers who no longer look to them first for convenience.

Walgreens agreed to pay $106 million to settle lawsuits that alleged it submitted false payment claims with government health care programs for prescriptions that were never dispensed.

America’s drugstores are testing smaller locations and more ways to offer care as more store closings loom.

A lawsuit has been filed in the case of a Massachusetts teen who died after participating in a spicy tortilla chip challenge on social media.

Walgreens is finalizing a plan to fix its business that could result in the closure of hundreds of additional stores in the next three years.

The man — identified as Juan Matos, 31 — had reportedly threatened a cashier and made sexual advancements on her, according to police.

Urban and rural communities have come to depend on pharmacies as a trusted care option and a place for advice.

The family of an east Orlando man is mourning after he was killed on Thursday night in a fatal hit-and-run car crash

Walmart is closing its health centers and virtual care service after struggling to find success with the offerings.

Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a store in Florida.

Drugstore chains CVS Health and Walgreens plan to start dispensing the abortion pill mifepristone in a few states.

Walgreens has agreed to pay $275,000 to settle allegations about service in some of the national pharmacy chain's Vermont stores during the coronavirus pandemic.

Many people may be considering using Ozempic, Wegovy or another popular drug to shed some pounds, but one local woman says all that demand could be putting her heart health at risk.

Walgreens is chopping its dividend nearly in half as the drugstore chain looks to strengthen its balance sheet.

Drugstore employees around the country have started calling in sick to highlight a lack of support from their employers.

Oh, Halloween candy. Isn’t it just the best?

Walgreens has named a new CEO as pharmacy staff walked off the job this week over concerns that working conditions are putting employees and patients at risk.

A man was shot early a Walgreens in Orlando, according to police.

CVS Pharmacy tells us many stores here in Central Florida have already begun rolling out the vaccine.

The CEO of Walgreens Boots is stepping down after less than three years at the helm of the drug store chain.

In a video posted to social media, police said that the officers arrived at the parking lot in the early hours of Sunday morning, where the mother was going into labor.

The state of Nevada has reached a $285 million settlement with Walgreens regarding the pharmacy chain’s role in the opioid epidemic.

Free 'Private' HIV screenings will be offered all month long in Orlando

San Francisco’s district attorney has released surveillance video of the shooting death of a suspected shoplifter by an on-duty Walgreens security guard.

California's Medicaid program will continue to pay Walgreens about $1.5 billion each year.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is withdrawing a $54 million contract with Walgreens.

Walgreens says it will not start selling an abortion pill in 20 states that had warned of legal consequences if it did that.

Walgreens says it won’t sell an abortion pill by mail in 20 conservative-led states.

Drugstore chains are still trying to find enough employees to put a stop to temporary pharmacy closures.

A huge opioid settlement dragged Walgreens to a $3.7 billion loss in its fiscal first quarter, but the drugstore chain still beat Wall Street forecasts.

CVS and Walgreens have finalized more than $10 billion in settlements of lawsuits nationwide over the toll of the opioids their pharmacies sold.

Walgreens extended its push into more comprehensive health care with its VillageMD unit acquiring another urgent and primary care chain, Summit Health-CityMD, in a deal worth close to $9 billion.

The Florida Department of Health announced a new opioid recovery initiative in observance of International Overdose Awareness Day, sending hundreds of naloxone kits to the health departments of 16 counties.

A federal judge in Cleveland has awarded $650 million in damages to two Ohio counties that sued CVS, Walgreens and Walmart over the way the national pharmacy chains distributed opioids to their communities.

A federal judge has ruled that Walgreens can be held responsible for contributing to San Francisco’s opioid crisis for over-dispensing opioids for years without proper oversight and failing to identify and report suspicious orders as required by law.

As Pfizer’s and Moderna’s lower-dose COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 are rolled out across the U.S., Lakeland-based supermarket chain Publix confirmed this week that it is not administering the shots to that age group “at this time,” offering little explanation.

The Walgreens pharmacy chain has reached a $683 million settlement with the state of Florida in a lawsuit accusing the company of improperly dispensing millions of painkillers that contributed to the opioid crisis.

A 77-year-man was killed after crashing into a tree near a Walgreens parking lot Tuesday afternoon in Leesburg, police said.

Trial opened Monday in Florida’s opioid epidemic lawsuit against the Walgreens pharmacy chain, which state officials accuse of prioritizing profits over health by improperly dispensing millions of powerful painkillers that caused tens of thousands of deaths.

Jurors in the fraud trial of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes returned to the courtroom Thursday to listen to a replay of audio recordings that captured her brash promises about a vaunted blood-testing technology the propelled her meteoric rise and scandalous downfall.

Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes spent another five hours on the witness stand Tuesday sparring with a federal prosecutor aiming to prove criminal allegations that she misled investors, customers, and patients about a flawed blood-testing technology that she spent years touting as a medical breakthrough.

Pharmacies have lost in a groundbreaking trial in Ohio over the toll of opioids, but there's no assurance the results will hold up on appeal.

CVS Health will close hundreds of drugstores over the next three years, as the health care giant adjusts to changing customer needs and converts to new store formats.

Cities and counties in the U.S. that want to hold pharmacies accountable for the opioid crisis are closely watching a federal trial that’s coming to a close.

Walgreens says it will close five more stores in San Francisco next month because of organized retail theft.

An arrest has been made months after the fatal shooting of a 34-year-old man outside an Orange County Walgreens, according to the sheriff’s office.

Appointments to receive a third shot of the COVID-19 vaccine for those who are immunocompromised are now available at CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

Three different Walgreens locations in Orlando will extend hours for COVID-19 vaccine shots.

Anyone looking to get vaccinated against COVID-19 this weekend will have plenty of options when it comes to places to get their shots.

A car crashed into a store in Ormond Beach.

For the first time in a year, Mexican school children have returned to classrooms — at least in the southern state of Campeche.

Police body cameras were rolling, as were cellphones, when a woman was detained following a racist rant inside a South Florida Walgreens.

A racist rant was caught on camera after a woman yelled obscenities at customers inside a Fort Lauderdale Walgreens.

Orange County deputies investigate a shooting that left a 34-year-old man dead.

This year, Red Nose Day will rise again.

In Virginia, state vaccine coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said the state could hit Biden’s goal earlier. But several governors cautioned it must come with a dramatic increase in vaccine supply. “It could be a delay for people to actually get a vaccine because of the operational constraints," she said. We can’t disappoint people who eagerly want a vaccine,” said Pat Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority. Elsewhere, governors met Biden's goal with enthusiasm.

The public’s worry about the virus has dropped to its lowest point since the fall, before the holidays brought skyrocketing cases into the new year. CasesThe Florida Department of Health reported 5,065 new cases on Thursday, bringing the state’s overall total to 1,962,651 cases since the virus was first detected on March 1, 2020. HospitalizationsAs of Thursday afternoon, there were currently 3,166 people with the virus hospitalized in Florida, according to the state Agency for Health Care Administration. VaccinationsThe Florida Department of Health began releasing a daily report in December on COVID-19 vaccines administered throughout the state. AdAs of Thursday afternoon, 3,895,656 people have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – Walgreens will begin offering COVID-19 vaccinations at two locations in Ocala this week. These will be the first Walgreens locations in Central Florida to offer the shots. The governor announced the first Walgreens locations to begin offering the vaccine Wednesday, during a news conference in Pasco County, where two locations began offering shots Friday. DeSantis said he is looking to get more Walgreens locations involved in vaccination, along with competing pharmacy chain CVS. “We’re going to be doing more with both Walgreens and with CVS, because I think it’s close to a lot of people.

Florida is seeing an increased supply of vaccine doses being allocated to the state. The governor also pointed to the more than 175,000 doses the state will receive “sometime this week” of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. However, DeSantis also said that supply of the J&J vaccine will be the only shipment for at least two weeks. And we are going to be able to do some announcements very soon involving the Johnson and Johnson vaccine,” he said. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter and go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.

Jim Thurman counts himself among the converts who recognize the importance of taking a COVID-19 vaccine. AdHealth authorities say first-generation COVID-19 vaccines still protect against variants of the virus that are emerging in different parts of the world. AdIn a separate announcement, Moderna also said it plans to manufacture 700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine globally this year, up from 600 million. Bosnia, a country of 3.3 million, expects 1.2 million vaccines through COVAX. On Wednesday, Ghana has become the first country to receive COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX.

All rights reserved)Vaccination record cards are shown before residents are inoculated, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, at the Isles of Vero Beach assisted and independent senior living community in Vero Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)The latest scam has to do with COVID-19 vaccine cards. Vaccination cards have personal information on them like your full name, your birthday and where you got your vaccine. AdScammers have been caught selling fake vaccination cards online in Great Britain. If you want to share the momentous occasion online, you can take a photo of your vaccine sticker or take a selfie at the clinic.

That includes both nursing homes, where residents get 24-hour-a-day medical care; assisted living facilities, where people generally need less help; and other types of group homes. In many places, home operators and residents' relatives have watched with frustration as states opened vaccine eligibility to other populations before the work in long-term care homes was finished. The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care locations in nearly every state. Severine Petras watched a COVID-19 outbreak develop at a Pennsylvania assisted living home her company operates a couple weeks before the first vaccines arrived. As of Sunday morning, 3.5 million doses have been given in long-term care facilities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency Thursday for Tokyo and three other prefectures to ramp up defenses against the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)How many variants of the coronavirus are there? One of the three main variants experts are watching was discovered in the United Kingdom late last year and has been detected in dozens of countries since. Data so far suggests current vaccines should still protect against these variants, though there’s some concern their effectiveness may be slightly diminished. The emergence of variants is linked to ongoing surges since infections give viruses the chance to mutate and spread.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla – CEO of CDR Health Tina Vidal-Duart says they will be finished with vaccinating all leftover assisted living facilities in the state of Florida by the end of this week. [TRENDING: Video shows officer slamming student | Man shoots at ex-girlfriend’s current boyfriend 94 times | These men are paying $55M to go to space station]“We started the process with only 10% of assisted living facilities had been vaccinated and as of this morning about 75% of assisted living facilities have been vaccinated,” Vidal-Duart said. However, the company moved so fast that it caused chaos and confusion for some assisted living facilities like Golden Pond in Winter Garden. As for assisted living facilities, we’ve completed all first doses of the vaccine. We are still administering vaccinations in the vast majority of these long-term care facilities, including 189 skilled nursing facilities and over 1,100 assisted living facilities that scheduled their clinics by Jan. 23.

FILE - Starbucks COO Roz Brewer talks about the proposed redesign of a Starbucks store in New Jersey as she speaks Wednesday, March 20, 2019, during the company's annual shareholders meeting in Seattle. Walgreens has tapped Roz Brewer as its new CEO, which will make her the only Black woman currently leading a Fortune 500 company. Brewer will take over as Walgreens CEO on March 15, 2021 after a little more than three years as Starbucks' chief operating officer. At Starbucks, Brewer revamped stores, taking out clutter and cutting down on administrative work so employees could focus on customers and speed up service. Prior to joining Starbucks, Brewer served as president and CEO of Sam’s Club, the members-only warehouse channel of Walmart Inc. She also grew membership and improved merchandise there.

All rights reserved)FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2021, file photo, Walgreens pharmacist Chris McLaurin prepares to vaccinate Lakandra McNealy, a Harmony Court Assisted Living employee, with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Jackson, Miss. According to recent CNN data, women are taking the lead in the vaccine race. | Florida begins statewide COVID-19 vaccine appointment system]A CNN analysis found that roughly twice as many women are getting vaccinated for COVID-19. In at least three of these states, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Nebraska, records that include gender say women account for more than seven in 10 people vaccinated. Experts say this may reflect more on eligibility, being that healthcare workers and seniors are vaccinated first.

“CVS Health expects to complete its long-term care facility vaccination effort in approximately 12 weeks. Ron DeSantis said in a tweet Walgreens began inoculating staff and residents at Jacksonville long-term care facilities on Dec. 18, ahead of schedule. This week, Walgreens will ramp up visits to 800 long-term care facilities in 12 states. Orange County has more than 9,000 individuals and employees in long-term care facilities. Some include memory care facilities with individuals suffering from dementia.

Kristen Knapp is the communications director for the Florida Healthcare Association that represents many nursing homes statewide. “The vaccine gives us a sense of hope and gives us the opportunity to hopefully return to that place that our residents return to their home,” Knapp said. She said the residents and staff who choose to get the vaccine may get it as early as next week. “We’re hoping with the vaccine it’s really able to be effective and keep COVID out of our buildings,” Brown said. Brown said that thankfully since the pandemic began, no resident has tested positive for COVID-19 at any of their three Winter Park properties.

Locally, officials in Orange County say, if allowed, they’re willing and able to help speed up the vaccinations of those residents. “What I can tell you is that Orange County is ready. And we have expressed our desire.”Pino said he expects the vaccine to arrive in Orange County between Dec. 14 and Dec. 20. If you have the ability and the time, we may need your help to quickly vaccinate all our county,” Pino said. We anticipate perhaps only into the 10s of 1,000s, maybe low 10s of 1000s to really come to Orange County on that first wave,” Banks said.

In October, a panel advising the federal government suggested setting aside 10% of the vaccine supply to distribute as an extra boost to the states with greater shares of disadvantaged groups. Vulnerable people will face more rationing in states such as New Mexico that have higher shares of vulnerable people. The analysis shows 15 states and Washington, D.C., have the largest shares of vulnerable, low-income minorities. A federal set-aside is not the only way to get vaccine to vulnerable neighborhoods. In their vaccination plans, 18 states have said they will consider race and income as they map out vaccine distribution.

The retail colossus opened an online pharmacy Tuesday that allows customers to order medication or prescription refills, and have them delivered to their front door in a couple of days. All have upped online services and touted their abilities to deliver prescriptions and other goods as the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed more consumers to stay home. The company said its online pharmacy will offer commonly prescribed medications in the U.S., including creams, pills, as well as medications that need to stay refrigerated, like insulin. They can also get discounts at 50,000 physical pharmacies around the country at Costco, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and other stores. Two years ago, it spent $750 million to buy online pharmacy PillPack, which organizes medication in packets by what time and day they need to be taken.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – ***10:07 p.m. Nov. 6, 2020 Update***Volusia deputies said Bailee has been found. ***Original***Deputies with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said they are looking for a missing 11-year-old girl. Investigators said Bailee Vrban left Heritage Middle School in Deltona on Friday afternoon. VCSO said she left Heritage Middle School out a back exit. The county school district has also sent out a message to parents.

WINTER PARK, Fla. – Florida Blue and Walgreens are operating free flu shot clinics Wednesday in Winter Park and Winter Haven. The vaccines are available to anyone age 3 or older no matter their health insurance coverage or lack thereof. Everyone receiving a flu shot at the Florida Blue Center will receive a $10 Walgreens gift card, while supplies last. In addition to flu shots, vaccines also will be available for pneumonia, shingles, Tdap, Hepatitis A and B, and MMR (measles, mumps and rubella). Masks are required and participants are asked to wait in their car for the Walgreens pharmacist to come to them.

Under the voluntary program, trained staff from CVS and Walgreens would deliver the vaccines to each nursing home and administer shots. The nation has 15,000-16,000 nursing homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The use of retail chain pharmacies has prompted some concerns, because nursing homes typically deal with specialized pharmacies and not the big drugstores catering to consumers. Mango said the plan would accommodate nursing homes that want to continue to work with specialized pharmacies. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the program will “provide convenient and free vaccination to residents of nursing homes across America.”

It's never too early for tricks and treats, right? Hershey has joined forces with retailers to have their products available earlier than usual. Candy makers fear the COVID-19 pandemic might negatively affect sales during what is typically their biggest season. Target, Walmart and Walgreens told CNN Business they’re holding off on Halloween candy until early fall. A survey done for the Confectioners Association says fewer people plan to hand out candy on Oct. 31.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)CLEVELAND Lawsuits filed by two Ohio counties against retail pharmacy chains claiming their opioid dispensing practices flooded communities with pain pills and were a a public nuisance can continue, a federal judge in Cleveland has determined. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster rejected the pharmacy chains' motion to dismiss the suits, ruling Thursday that the Ohio law does indeed apply to Lake and Trumbull counties' nuisance claims. Polster is overseeing more than 2,000 lawsuits filed by local governments, tribal authorities and others against companies they blame for fueling an opioid epidemic that has killed 430,000 people since 2000. The two northeast Ohio counties' lawsuits against CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart and Giant Eagle were the first to target retail pharmacy chains as both distributors and dispensers of painkillers. Those claims seek damages from the retail chains as distributors of painkillers but not as dispensers.

Walgreens quarter ended May 31, encapsulating a three-month period in which consumer activity came to a screeching halt. Walgreens furloughed more than 16,000 employees at the peak of the pandemic in the United Kingdom. Sales at its Boots stores there dropped nearly 28% on a constant currency basis. Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. slumped 9%, close to a new low for the year. The pandemic accelerated changes planned for its Boots stores, which includes closing optician locations and reducing staff at the U.K. support office.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Publix, Walmart and Walgreens became the latest stores on Tuesday to launch special hours for seniors. “It’s nice to have the senior hours and we get up early anyways,” Phyllis Shaffer said. Currently, there are no plans to expand the store’s senior hour. Other businesses started senior hour last week like Dollar General, Winn-Dixie and The Fresh Market. Click here for a list of stores providing dedicated senior shopping hours.

Published: March 24, 2020, 9:26 am Updated: March 24, 2020, 9:34 amAnother retailer has announced it's hiring. Walgreens says it is looking to hire more than 9,500 full-time, part-time and temporary workers. The boost in hiring comes in response to the coronavirus and increased demand for supplies. It announced full-time employees will receive $300, while part-time hourly employees will receive $150. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.

If you haven’t gotten a flu shot yet, this might be a good time to get one. Florida Blue and Walgreens are offering free flu shots Tuesday at five locations across Central Florida. Regardless of what insurance you have, or if you don’t have insurance, the shot is free. Limited free shot vouchers will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. This year’s flu season looks to be severe, the CDC has warned.

Police say a woman intentionally locked herself inside a Walgreens after closing. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000.