Walgreen Co said sales at drugstores open at least a year rose 2 percent in June, better than the 1.1 percent rise expected by 5 analysts, according to Thomson Reuters data.

The top U.S. drugstore chain, which bought New York's Duane Reade drugstores earlier this year, said pharmacy same-store sales rose 1.8 percent, while same-store sales of general merchandise rose 2.2 percent.

Total June sales rose 8.4 percent to $5.67 billion.

The acquisition of Duane Reade added 3 percentage points to the rise in total sales. Results from those stores were not included in the same-store sales calculations.

As of June 30, Walgreens operated 8,038 drugstores.

(Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)