The renewed multi-year deal with Express Scripts came into effect mid-September and the resulting improved prescription count should have a positive impact on the margins for Q1.
Xyrem will be distributed from a single mail-order pharmacy run by Express Scripts (nasdaq: ESRX - news - people ).
Louis-based pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts (nasdaq: ESRX - news - people ), a company that makes money by keeping drug costs down.
This could be accentuated by the fact that the new PBM will have only two large competitors: Medco Health Solutions (nyse: MHS - news - people ) and Express Scripts (nadsaq: ESRX - news - people ).
The primary reason for the decline in the number of prescriptions filled was the loss of Express Scripts user-base.
FORBES: Walgreen Can Reach $38 As Express Scripts Customers Return
The primary reason for the slide was the lost Express Scripts user-base though the loss was partially offset by higher incidence of flu and calendar day shifts within the period.
FORBES: Walgreen Still Wrangles Will Express Scripts Fallout In Friday's Earnings
The dispute between Walgreen and pharmacy-benefits manager Express Scripts, which ended only last month, weighed heavily on Walgreen in 2012.
The Internet will make it just a little easier for patients with chronic conditions to order re-fills by e-mail -- and save Express Scripts money on trying to decipher all those prescriptions.
On Wednesday, the company announced that it would regain access to Walgreen Co. ( WAG) by mid-September, through pharmacy-benefits manager Express Scripts Holding Co. ( ESRX), who recently reached a deal with the pharmacy after breaking ties with it in January.
Toan believes PBMs like Express Scripts provide a much-needed check on drug prices.
Express Scripts, a pharmacy-benefits manager, recently removed Lipitor from its formulary.
But what if insurers like Wellpoint or pharmacy-benefit managers such as Express Scripts don't want to listen?
But what if insurers like Wellpoint (nasdaq: WLP - news - people ) or pharmacy-benefit managers such as Express Scripts don't want to listen?
For a few days in March, Barrett Toan, the scholarly ex-Missouri welfare official who runs Express Scripts, Inc.
Express Scripts (nasdaq: EXPR - news - people ), a pharmacy-benefits manager, recently removed Lipitor from its formulary.
Express Scripts (nasdaq: ESRX - news - people ) is what is known as a pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM.
Prescription managers like Express Scripts (nasdaq: ESRX - news - people ) and insurance firms like Wellpoint will continue to push for cheaper prices on Lipitor and other medicines.
The few health care properties that sell at premiums are mid-teens growers like Celgene, Gilead, Express Scripts and Medco.
The dip in net income was related in part to the loss of business from the Express Scripts contract dispute, which negatively impacted fourth-quarter results by 6 cents a share.
FORBES: Walgreen's New Battle: Winning Back Express Scripts Customers
The acquisitions boost Express Scripts to 36 million customers and make it the third-largest in this business.
Karey Barker, manager of the Wasatch Mid-Cap Fund and an investor since 1993, thinks Express Scripts can continue to increase earnings at a 30% annual clip without any more acquisitions.
Express Scripts quickly gave up most of its premium as the dot-com crowd moved on to other flavors-of-the-week.
Express Scripts quickly gave up most of its premium as the dot-com crowd moved on to other flavors of the week.
But for cheap generics, which have already had their prices whittled down by cut-rate competition, sometimes there is only so much more Express Scripts can cut.
"That's nuts, " said Toan to his chief financial officer, George Paz, as he watched his company's stock price jump 40% on news that Express Scripts planned to open an Internet drugstore to compete with much-hyped startups such as drugstore.com and PlanetRx.
While the company has yet to regain customers it lost to competitors like CVS, Rite Aid and Wal-Mart due to its now resolved conflict with pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts, the expectations from the earnings are low.
FORBES: Walgreen Still Wrangles Will Express Scripts Fallout In Friday's Earnings
While the company has yet to regain customers it lost to competitors like CVS, Rite Aid and Wal-Mart due to its now resolved conflict with pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts, it has successfully arrested the decline in prescriptions filled.
But Express Scripts knows all the drugs a patient is taking, so its on-line advice will be more complete.
Express Scripts negotiates with the drugmaker, a company like Merck or Pfizer (nyse: PFE - news - people ).
Express Scripts is a pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, that works as a middleman between drug-makers and employers when it comes to buying drugs.
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