By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    health benefits of taking a vacation to reduce stress
    Relaxing European Destinations to Reduce Stress Risks to Health
    October 11, 2021
    pain management tips
    Managing Pain Differently: Alternative Pain Management Techniques
    January 12, 2022
    5 Ways to Promote Wellness in Your Home
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Hospital Training Using Virtual World and Avatars
    May 20, 2011
    Health Wonk Review: Mud Season Edition
    March 16, 2014
    Video: ICD-10 National Provider Call
    October 24, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Express Scripts-Medco Merger — Antitrust?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Express Scripts-Medco Merger — Antitrust?
Business

Express Scripts-Medco Merger — Antitrust?

gooznews
gooznews
Share
2 Min Read
SHARE

If this merger doesn’t draw fire from the antitrust division of the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission, then those agencies aren’t paying attention. Express Scripts and Medco combined accounted for 1.7 billion prescriptions in 2010, worth about $110 billion in revenue. That’s about a third of the total prescription drug market.

If this merger doesn’t draw fire from the antitrust division of the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission, then those agencies aren’t paying attention. Express Scripts and Medco combined accounted for 1.7 billion prescriptions in 2010, worth about $110 billion in revenue. That’s about a third of the total prescription drug market.

The companies claim this merger will give them increased clout to negotiate better deals with drug companies. In theory, yes. But as we’ve seen many times in the past, prescription drug benefit managers spend more time squeezing pharmacies with their slim retail margins than they do calling questionable drug industry practices into question. They too often act as pass-through agents for drug company price increases, the same kind of cozy relationship that dominates every other nook of the health care field. They’ve played a somewhat constructive role in the high generic substitution rate in recent years, but as Matt Herper at Forbes points out this morning on the Forbes website, that behavior is now pretty much baked into drug plan and health plan behavior. That leaves PBMs without a function (except to add another layer of cost) unless they rigorously go after the drug companies on price and unnecessary use.

The only guarantee that PBMs will do that job is by the government insisting there be rigorous competition in the industry for drug and health plan business.

More Read

What Colonoscopies Cost (and Why)
Healing Environments
How Social Media Can Boost Your Medical Site
MGMA 2011 Conference in Las Vegas
Is Fee-For-Service the Problem?
TAGGED:Express Scriptshealthcare businessMedcomergerpharma
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Free market for surgery: interview with Allevion CEO Arnon Krongrad, MD

January 7, 2016
health data concerns
BusinessMedical RecordsPolicy & Law

Rewards Help Majority of Consumers Overcome Health Data Concerns

January 21, 2015

Health Care Buzz Today

August 8, 2011
The impact of US healthcare spending
BusinessFinanceGlobal HealthcareHealth ReformPublic Health

The Impact of US Healthcare Spending [INFOGRAPHIC]

February 19, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?