Content about Express Scripts

ST. LOUIS — Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts reported its third-quarter results for the period ended Sept. 30.

ESI said that its revenue grew from about $11.3 billion in the third quarter 2010 to nearly $11.6 billion. The company also reported that adjusted earnings per diluted share was 79 cents, representing a 22% increase over last year. Additionally, net income from continuing operations were $324.7 million, compared with $301.5 million in the year-ago period.

MANITOWOC, Wis. — A state pharmacy association here weighed in on the Walgreens and Express Scripts dispute in an editorial published online late Thursday by the Herald Times Reporter.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — According to a statement issued by Walgreens Wednesday morning, the arbitrator in the Express Scripts/Walgreens suit issued a ruling Sunday denying the parties’ requests for preliminary injunctive relief.

The arbitrator will consider the underlying merits of the parties’ claims at a future date, Walgreens reported.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — To date, Walgreens and Express Scripts in the past month have navigated three one-off deals that will keep Walgreens' more than 7,800 pharmacies in the ESI pharmacy network, but the U.S. Department of Defense's Tricare does not look likely to become one-off deal No. 4, according to published reports.

CHICAGO — Standard & Poor's cut its outlook on Walgreens to negative from stable, citing the lack of progress in the drug store chain's negotiations with Express Scripts, according to a MarketWatch report published Thursday.

S&P noted that the loss of the Express Scripts contract will result in a meaningful revenue and profit decline in fiscal 2012 in initiating its outlook adjustment.

However, S&P did affirm its ratings on the company, including an 'A' corporate credit rating, MarketWatch reported.

If Express Scripts and Medco are right about the projected closing of what their opponents are calling the “mega-merger,” then we might be looking at dozens of more weeks of this.

(THE NEWS: NACDS urges consumers to prevent super-PBM 'stranglehold' on medicines. For the full story, click here)

WASHINGTON — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores on Tuesday unveiled the print advertising component of its campaign to emphasize the anti-competitive and anti-consumer effects of the proposed merger of Express Scripts and Medco.

The new print ad was published in the Oct. 4 issue of the Washington Post (and can be seen by clicking here).

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens mitigated projected repercussions out of the chain's withdrawal from the Express Scripts pharmacy network come January, as the Walgreens/Express Scripts failed negotiations again dominated the pharmacy's quarterly analyst call Tuesday morning. All told, Express Scripts represents $5.3 billion in revenue to Walgreens, but the Chicago-based pharmacy is working toward retaining the prescription business from several employers and payers, "consistent with their contractual obligations," executives emphasized.

WASHINGTON — One day after the National Association of Chain Drug Stores launched a radio ad in the Washington, D.C., market that warned of the potential consequences of the merger between pharmacy benefit managers Express Scripts and Medco, the PBMs have debuted their own ad, which seeks to highlight the benefits of the deal.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Customers have higher expectations of shorter wait times and expect more from the pharmacist and pharmacy staff, according to a new survey released Tuesday by J.D. Power and Associates.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Round one between Walgreens and Express Scripts may have technically been a draw, but that still means Walgreens' appeals to benefit consultants and payers are still out there. Whatever the outcome, the Walgreens-ESI scorecard certainly has drawn plenty of eyes to a title bout that has become a very public battle for patients.

CHICAGO — U.S. District Court judge Marvin Aspen ruled in favor of Walgreens on Thursday; Express Scripts' federal suit against Walgreens will be halted pending arbitration.

The Express Scripts charges against Walgreens of breach of contract now will move to arbitration. Express Scripts originally had objected to arbitration because the process would be too slow. However, there may be some sense of urgency as Judge Aspen scheduled a status hearing for Dec. 8.