Express Scripts to buy Medco for $29 billion

By Lewis KrauskopfPosted 2011/07/21 at 2:47 pm EDT

NEW YORK, July 21, 2011 (Reuters) — Express Scripts Inc will buy rival Medco Health Solutions Inc for $29.1 billion, creating a U.S. powerhouse in managing prescription drug benefits that is sure to draw antitrust scrutiny.


Express Scripts would gain much more leverage for negotiating drug prices for employers and other clients who must reduce their exposure to spiraling healthcare costs. Such expertise has made the industry's services all the more attractive and lured new competitors.

The deal would give the combined company greater clout against drugstore chains like Walgreen Co and increase competition with the likes of CVS Caremark Corp.

"This combined entity is a much better entity than the individual parts," Jefferies & Co analyst Arthur Henderson said. "This combination, from a growth standpoint, really improves the outlook. Once integrated, the growth is going to slow to some extent, but that may be several years away."
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Our plan used Medco for several years and they were just great. Now it is Express-Scripts and they are awful. I receive insulin and requested that it be sent to my work address during the business week. They could not get that straight and would ship it with Saturday delivery when there was no one to receive it.

The worst was they put me on something they called auto-process and shipped by a 90 day supply of a non generic drug at a cost of $100.00. They billed my credit card and would not make good. I gave up on them and use my local pharmacy. Express-Scripts is a "stupid is as stupid does" company.

have never had a problem.

Never had an issue. My prescription has to be refrigerated and it's always packed well. I had a delivery yesterday and even with this 100 degree heat it was still cool in the package.

... for a script company could be part of the problem. Ya think?