DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. and Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) have entered into an agreement designed to discover new methods to improve outcomes for patients with chronic diseases and reduce costs.

Through their development of new models for improving care, the two plan to create new educational and training programs for Walgreens’ 70,000 health care service providers.

The agreement provides JHM with the opportunity to develop innovative population-based research ideas with Walgreens, leveraging the retailer’s advanced data systems and large patient base, which are considered prerequisites for such large-scale studies. The patient information that is used for these studies will be kept anonymous.

JHM, the entire medical enterprise of Johns Hopkins University, is recognized for its expertise in the health care industry. For example, its Center for Innovation in Quality Patient Care has been creating new models of health care delivery that improve patient safety, quality and efficiency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and in hundreds of other hospitals worldwide.

“By collaborating with Johns Hopkins Medicine, we will access some of the best expertise in health care to develop research, protocols and training programs designed to improve patient outcomes through our nationwide network of community pharmacists, nurse practitioners, physicians and other clinicians,” comments Kermit Crawford, Walgreens’ president of pharmacy, health and wellness.

Dr. Fred Brancati, professor of medicine and director of the division of general internal medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, notes that improving the care of people with such chronic conditions as asthma, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease is a central goal of health professionals.

“It makes sense medically, and under health care reform,it makes sense financially too,” he asserts. “It’s a part of the Hopkins mission that Walgreens can help us ­advance.

“Combining our clinical expertise and research know-how with their nationwide resources — including pharmacies, clinics, work-site health centers, information systems and health care service providers — will generate new approaches to improving population health.”

Under the agreement, JHM experts, in conjunction with Walgreens’ research team, will develop ideas for research in disease management and for screening and prevention that they will spin off into proposals for funding. In addition, Johns Hopkins faculty will work closely with Walgreens experts to review and improve care.

Furthermore, by leveraging the capabilities within JHM in the area of on-site and distance education for physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and others, JHM hopes to develop a program to expand and enhance the ongoing professional education of the professionals within the Walgreens network.

JHM and Walgreens will also explore the possibility of jointly developing lifestyle, chronic care and disease-specific programs.