Content about Medco Health Solutions

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions is implementing a program in New Mexico designed to close such medication-related gaps in health care as nonadherence among state employees with chronic conditions, the company said Wednesday.

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. — In a year and a half, patients taking statins to lower their cholesterol can save more than $900 when they take their medications as prescribed, according to a new study in the June 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.

The study, conducted by pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions’ research subsidiary, the Medco Research Institute, found that patients who adhered to their therapies saved as much as $944 over 18 months because they experienced fewer cardiovascular problems leading to hospitalization.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — In a major win for its pharmacy benefit management business, CVS Caremark will handle the $3 billion mail-order and specialty prescription drug benefit for the Federal Employee Program starting January 2012, which, for the last three years, had been handled by rival Medco Health Solutions.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Cancer drugs are expected to see sharp increases in spending and use by 2013, according to the latest drug trend report by pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions.

The overall drug trend for 2010 was 3.7%, lowered by higher rates of generic drug dispensing; more than 71% of drugs dispensed were generics. Specialty drugs, mostly branded biologics, accounted for 70.1% of the overall drug trend, with especially strong growth in cancer drugs, whose drug trend reached 21.2%.

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — A drug used to prevent stroke in patients with a form of atrial fibrillation has won preferred Tier 2 formulary status with pharmacy benefit managers Medco Health Solutions and CVS Caremark.

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals announced Monday that CVS Caremark and Medco had added Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) capsules to their commercial preferred drug lists, and Medco had added the drug to its Part D drug list.

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. — Sales at Medco Health Solutions increased to $16.9 billion during fourth quarter 2010 and to $66 billion for the fiscal year as a whole, representing respective 11.1% and 10.3% increases over the same periods the year before, the pharmacy benefit manager said Tuesday.

Profits for the quarter were $378.5 million, a 10.8% increase over fourth quarter 2009, while profits for the year were $1.4 billion, an 11.5% increase over fiscal year 2009.

NEW YORK — More than 25% of children and teens take at least one medication on a daily basis, and nearly 7% are on two or more drugs, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing 2009 data from Medco Health Solutions. Drawing additional data from IMS Health, the article noted that prescriptions for hypertension in people under the age of 20 years could reach 5.5 million for 2010 by the time year-end results are tabulated, which would mark a rise of 17% since 2007. 

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. Pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions had sales of $16.3 billion, including $2.9 billion from specialty pharmacy operations, the company said Tuesday.

BOSTON When a patient isn’t showing a response to a medication, a common tactic the doctor might use is to increase the dosage. According to a new study, however, the ineffectiveness might be happening because the patient isn’t properly taking the medication.