Annandale Walgreens is now open

The shelves are already stocked with Easter candy.

The long-awaited Walgreens in the heart of Annandale opened for business at 8 a.m. this morning. The store, in between Little River Turnpike, Columbia Pike, and Backlick Road, will be open 24 hours a day. The shelves are stocked with the usual items you’ll find in any large drug store: cosmetics, health supplies, snacks, wine, magazines, greeting cards, and other necessities.

Initially, the store was supposed to open last fall. Store manager David Hendricks blames the delay on construction and permit issues.

Walgreens offers several health services, says pharmacist James Lagasca, including free blood pressure checks and, for a charge, various immunizations, including pneumonia, shingles, hepatitis, influenza, tetanus/diptheria, meningococcal, measles/mumps/rubella, chicken pox, and HPV. You can also get vaccinations for traveling abroad, including polio, typhoid fever, Japanese encephalitis, and rabies.

Beginning in four to six weeks, the pharmacy will offer cholesterol tests ($35), body composition tests ($15), and blood glucose tests ($20)—or a wellness pack with all three for $65. Lagasca also says pharmacists will provide free medical therapy consultations. And there’s a discount program for people without health insurance offering access to thousands of generic medications—for pets, as well as people—for $20 a year. 

Unlike CVS, Walgreens will continue to stock tobacco products, says District Manager Rick Conner. “We’re trying to serve the community,” he says.

The cosmetics aisle.