RxNews
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jan Shulman
Amendola Communications for McKesson Specialty
jshulman@ACmarketingPR.com
(480) 664-8412 ext. 12
Angela Hult
The Regence Group
(503) 412-7902
aehult@regence.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Regence Group Selects McKesson Specialty as Primary
Specialty Pharmacy Provider
Scottsdale, Ariz. – April 4, 2006 – McKesson Specialty, a subsidiary of McKesson Corporation, announced today it has been selected by The Regence Group as the primary specialty pharmacy provider for its nearly 3 million covered lives. Under the three-year, renewable agreement McKesson Specialty will facilitate the cost-effective procurement and dispensing of specialty pharmaceuticals to improve care for health plan members with chronic, complex or genetic medical conditions such as hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. Program implementation will be completed by May 1, 2006.
The Regence Group, based in Portland, Oregon is the largest affiliation of BlueCross BlueShield plans in the Pacific Northwest/Mountain State region. “We appreciate the depth of experience, size, and track record of McKesson, “explained David L Clark, RPh, MBA for The Regence Group. “The company’s independence, specifically, lack of affiliation with any Pharmacy Benefit Manager was important to us. McKesson’s implementation and management with other BlueCross BlueShield plans, high satisfaction ratings, clinical expertise, cost management strategies, data analysis abilities and services made McKesson Specialty an excellent choice.”
With nearly 800 drugs in the biotech pipeline and a growth rate of 22.5 percent in 2005, specialty medications are the fastest growing pharmaceutical market segment.“The Regence Group has a history of promoting the health of its members and the many communities it serves,” states McKesson Specialty President Brian Tyler. “As the organization’s specialty pharmacy provider, McKesson Specialty is committed to meeting the high standards of quality and service of The Regence Group, while reducing the cost of providing specialty medications.”
About The Regence Group
Created in 1996, The Regence Group is the largest health insurance company in the Pacific Northwest/Mountain State region. Regence is comprised of Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (in Washington). Through these plans, Regence provides health, life, vision, dental and long-term care insurance to nearly three million members. The Regence Group and its affiliate plans are not-for-profit, independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. More than one in three Americans have coverage from the Blues. For more information, visit www.regence.com.
About McKesson
McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK), is a Fortune 15 healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 170-year history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payers; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payers designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit us at www.mckesson.com.
About McKesson Specialty
McKesson Specialty is a subsidiary of McKesson Corporation. McKesson Specialty delivers the services manufacturers, payers and providers need to ensure pharmaceutical products, coordinated reimbursement, and clinical services are available to patients with complex diseases.
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