NACDS and NCPA Respond to Ruling about Express Scripts-Medco Lawsuit

News provided by

National Community Pharmacists Association

Aug 28, 2012, 12:22 ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Yesterday U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon issued a ruling in the case brought by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), National Community Pharmacists Association and nine retail pharmacies from the state of Pennsylvania seeking to block the merger between Express Scripts and Medco Health Solutions, two of the three largest pharmacy benefit managers. NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE and NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA, issued the following statement:

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"NACDS and NCPA appreciate that the Judge has maintained several claims in this lawsuit. We are reviewing the decision to determine our next steps with regards to the case."

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) represents traditional drug stores, supermarkets, and mass merchants with pharmacies – from regional chains with four stores to national companies. Chains operate more than 40,000 pharmacies and employ more than 3.5 million employees, including 130,000 pharmacists. They fill over 2.6 billion prescriptions annually, which is more than 72 percent of annual prescriptions in the United States. The total economic impact of all retail stores with pharmacies transcends their $900 billion in annual sales. Every $1 spent in these stores creates a ripple effect of $1.81 in other industries, for a total economic impact of $1.76 trillion, equal to 12 percent of GDP. For more information about NACDS, visit www.NACDS.org.

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA®) represents the interests of America's community pharmacists, including the owners of more than 23,000 independent community pharmacies. Together they represent a $93 billion health care marketplace, dispense nearly 40% of all retail prescriptions, and employ more than 315,000 people, including 62,400 pharmacists. Independent community pharmacists are readily accessible medication experts who can help lower health care spending. They are committed to maximizing the appropriate use of lower-cost generic drugs and reducing the estimated $290 billion that is wasted annually by improper medication use. To learn more go to www.ncpanet.org or read NCPA's blog, The Dose, at http://ncpanet.wordpress.com.

SOURCE National Community Pharmacists Association