My New Report on Drug Wholesalers

I want to let you know about my brand new 2009 Wholesale Distribution Economic Report on Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, which is now available for download from the non-profit NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence.

The report is part of a series that analyzes all major sectors of wholesale distribution in the U.S. economy. However, I added extra material to this particular report especially for Drug Channels readers, including a detailed review of five significant industry trends:

• Slowdown in U.S. Pharmaceutical Spending
  
• Consolidation of the Retail Pharmacy Industry
  
• Increasing pressure on profit margins from generic drugs
  
• The Effect of Manufacturer Consolidation on Fee-for-Service Agreements
  
• Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Regulation and Importation
  

The report is not free, but you are eligible for the "Member of NAW Member Assoc" discount if your company belongs to the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) or the Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA). Most manufacturers, distributors, and supply chain technology companies belong to one of these two organizations. (You do not have to be a member of these organizations to buy the report.)

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about the report.

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You can read my high-level thoughts on Express Scripts Inc.'s (ESRX) acquisition of WellPoint Inc.'s (WLP) in-house drug-benefits operation in Express Scripts' WellPoint PBM Buy Benefits Both Companies from The Wall Street Journal.

I state: "I think it's a very logical acquisition. I think it's a great deal for Express Scripts and really solidifies their place among the top three PBMs."

As always, just my $0.02.