ICON Blog

Keep up with the latest news, advice and industry insights.

The Dose: March 2018 Issue

The Dose a pharmacy staffing blog

 

How the Express Scripts Acquisition Will Change Pharmacy

Health insurance giant Cigna is about to buy Express Scripts in a $52 billion deal that will change the healthcare landscape. As America’s largest pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts accounts for the prescription plans of over 80 million Americans. The deal is an attempt to combat the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs. Cigna’s chief executive David Cordani confirms, “This step furthers our strategy to improve the affordability and value to the consumer in a more personalized way.” Get the full story here.

 

Walgreen Faces Uncertain Future

Despite this year’s deadly flu season, Walgreens reported that it didn’t receive much of a boost in prescription sales—news that came as a shock to analysts. This development comes in the wake of Amazon’s invasion of the retail space. Walgreen’s performance in the coming quarters will be a strong indication of where the industry is going. The most important thing retailers can do is to be vigilant to the signs and adapt when necessary.

 

Deaths from Infectious Disease Down 19 Percent

A recent study analyzing infectious disease deaths from 1980 to 2014 shows a 19 percent reduction. Interestingly, there’s a stark gender disparity in this finding: The drop was seen mostly in men, while women’s deaths declined only slightly over this period of time. In addition, this trend also applies only to non-diarrheal diseases. For more information, check out the article.

 

Get your monthly Dose of the latest in pharmacy news. We deliver industry highlights straight to your inbox, so you never feel out of the loop. Click here to sign up now!

 

 

SHARE IT
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email