DEERFIELD, Ill.—In an effort to offer easier access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic, Walgreens said it will expand its digital health platform, Walgreens Find Care, to include 11 new and four expanded collaborations with service providers, including its current vision care partner For Eyes. In addition to vision, the new and expanded services span regional health systems and leaders in diabetes healthcare technology, hearing, at-home COVID-19 testing, colon cancer screening, lab testing, mental health, musculoskeletal pain and non-surgical back and neck rehabilitation, according to the announcement Thursday.

Walgreens and For Eyes initiated their partnership for vision care in late 2018, and then expanded the relationship the next year with a co-branded website, as VMAIL reported. For Eyes (a unit of international retailer GrandVision) also operates optical departments inside 10 Walgreens drugstores in the Chicago area, a Walgreens spokeswoman told VMAIL, which is the same number the companies initially debuted in 2019. For Eyes executives could not be reached Thursday to comment on the expansion of the collaboration.

“Now when customers visit Walgreens Find Care, they can enjoy the same easy and convenient experience of ordering prescription glasses and sunglasses online from the For Eyes at Walgreens website, which offers features such as Virtual Try-on, Live Chat, and PD Measurement Tool,” the spokeswoman said.

With the most recent additions to the Walgreens Find Care platform, individuals can now access more than 45 national and local healthcare service providers through the Find Care platform, the drugstore chain said.

“Walgreens Find Care addresses even more needs during the pandemic by connecting patients to care and helping customers think differently about how their pharmacy can become a resource for more of their healthcare needs,” Giovanni Monti, senior vice president of health care services, Walgreens Boots Alliance, said in the announcement.

“In addition to adding new services, with this expansion we are connecting our millions of customers nationwide to a broader mix of health systems and service providers that now offer more than 65 services and treat more than 120 conditions,” he added.

As the U.S. approaches one year since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency, use of the Walgreens Find Care platform has rapidly increased to nearly 20 million visits, equal to a 13-fold rise in web traffic versus last year, the announcement noted.

Walgreens Find Care is the digital “front door” to an integrated healthcare and pharmacy experience, which helps patients access in-person and virtual healthcare expertise from the comfort of their own home. Through this online marketplace, patients can connect with local and national service providers they trust, all through the convenience of the Walgreens mobile app or online.

Walgreens Find Care helps patients book appointments for a range of services like urgent care, telehealth, mental health, lab testing, physician house calls and hearing and optical services.

Expansion of these services is important as the pandemic continues and both patients and practitioners seek to reduce exposure to COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided continued guidance to health care facilities and providers to offer clinical services through telehealth to help address medical needs while supporting social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.