They manage members of the insurance companies, build the lists of approved drugs for manufacturersand reimburse the retail pharmacies for the difference between the true cost of a drug and the co-pay amount that a customer of a retail pharmacy plays.
If the end result is that Wal-Mart's wage and health insurance costs rise to the industry average, the retail giant's sway with suppliers andmanufacturers will most definitely keep it pumping out goods with the lowest customer price tags.
Take M-Farm, an app designed to offer Kenyan farmers information about the retail price of their products and allow them to buy crops directly from manufacturers.
There have been other manufacturers that have supplied a case in the retail packaging such as Nokia with the Lumia 800, and it does give a feeling that you have bought something special.