DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreens Home Care announced last week that it will purchase Home Pharmacy of California. The nearly 20-year-old company, which operates pharmacies in Burbank, Corona and Ventura, provides home infusion, hospice and nutrition therapies, as well as specialty pharmacy services. The acquisition is expected to close later this year, pending regulatory approval.

"We are excited to make this announcement because of the new opportunities it creates to expand our services to the California marketplace," said Ron Allen, Walgreens vice president of home care services.

Walgreens Home Care, a division of Walgreens Health Initiatives, operates more than 40 branches in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. WHI is a subsidiary of Walgreen Co., with fiscal 2005 sales of $42.2 billion and more than 5,000 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.