DEERFIELD, Ill., Feb. 11, 2009 – The Walgreens at Poplar Springs Road and North Hills Street in Meridian will open at 8 a.m. Friday. Employees are busy putting the finishing touches on the new drugstore.

Manager Derrick Singleton said the store’s ideal corner location at the busiest intersection of Meridian will help it thrive.

“This is a growing and prosperous area of Meridian and we’re located right in the heart of it,” said Singleton, who last worked as a store manager for a Walgreens in downtown Meridian. “We’ve hired an outstanding staff whose focus will be delivering exceptional customer service to this community. We believe customers will appreciate the level of convenience they’ll find in features like our drive-thru pharmacy, automatic prescription refills and nationwide network of pharmacies.”

The new Walgreens will carry thousands of everyday items, including medications, health and beauty aids, toiletries, designer fragrances, greeting cards, small electronics, housewares, soft drinks, dairy products, frozen foods and snacks.

Walgreens advanced pharmacy system links all its pharmacies, making it possible for Meridian customers to refill prescriptions at any of the thousands of Walgreens across the country. Walgreens customers can also take advantage of Auto Prefills, a service that marks monthly medications to be refilled automatically, then calls or sends an e-mail to remind you the prescription is ready for pickup. Walgreens is the only pharmacy that offers pharmacist counseling and prescription labels in 14 languages and large-type drug information sheets for the visually impaired.

“This store will continue the tradition of trust that has guided Walgreens for 108 years,” Singleton said. “We are committed to providing the most convenient access to high quality pharmacy services and basic needs.”

Walgreens will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Pharmacy hours will be from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Walgreens is the nation’s largest drugstore chain, with 6,658 stores in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. For more information go to Walgreens.com