Cardinal Health, Prime Therapeutics Renew Primary Distribution Agreement

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Nov 26, 2013, 08:30 ET

DUBLIN, Ohio and ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardinal Health today announced that it has renewed a three-year agreement with Prime Therapeutics (Prime) to continue serving as primary pharmaceutical supplier for Prime's pharmacy home delivery service, PrimeMail^®, and for Prime Therapeutics Specialty Pharmacy^™.

Prime is collectively owned by a number of Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. The company manages more than $15 billion in prescription drug spend annually and serves nearly 23 million members. Its specialty pharmacy is designed to help improve the health of members living with conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis C and multiple sclerosis, through personalized care management programs.

"We're pleased to continue our relationship with Prime by serving the distribution needs of both its pharmacy home delivery and specialty pharmacies," said Jon Giacomin, president of Cardinal Health's U.S. Pharmaceutical Distribution business. "This renewed agreement is a great example of our commitment to building mutually beneficial customer relationships that enable us to grow our pharmaceutical distribution business while also improving the cost-effectiveness of health care."

Cardinal Health will also continue to offer Prime additional supply chain optimization services to help improve its operational efficiency.

"Cardinal Health consistently delivers a high level of experience and services that enable our purpose of helping people get the medicine they need to feel better and live well," said Peter Wickersham, Prime's senior vice president of cost of care. "We're very pleased to extend our ongoing relationship."

About Prime Therapeutics
Prime Therapeutics LLC (Prime) helps people get the medicine they need to feel better and live well. Prime manages pharmacy benefits for health plans, employers, and government programs including Medicare and Medicaid. The company processes claims and delivers medicine to members, offering clinical services for people with complex medical conditions. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., Prime serves nearly 23 million people. It is collectively owned by 13 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, subsidiaries or affiliates of those plans. Prime has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of "healthcare's hottest companies for 2013." For more information, visit www.primetherapeutics.com or follow @Prime_PBM on Twitter.

About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a $101 billion healthcare services company that improves the cost-effectiveness of health care. As the business behind health care, Cardinal Health helps pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices focus on patient care while reducing costs, enhancing efficiency and improving quality. Cardinal Health is an essential link in the health care supply chain, providing pharmaceuticals and medical products to more than 100,000 locations each day. The company is also a leading manufacturer of medical and surgical products, including gloves, surgical apparel and fluid management products. In addition, the company supports the growing diagnostic industry by supplying medical products to clinical laboratories and operating the nation's largest network of radiopharmacies that dispense products to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ranked #19 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 34,000 people worldwide. More information about the company may be found at cardinalhealth.com and @CardinalHealth on Twitter.