The proposed no-premium, merger-of-equals combining CVS Corp. and Caremark Rx Inc. landed with a thud when it was announced November 1. The deal to "create a powerful force for change in pharmacy services" sparked a sell-off in shares of both companies. And that opened up an opportunity for Express Scripts Inc. to step in with a more straightforward $26 billion cash-and-stock takeover bid for Caremark, promising to create "the world’s preeminent pharmacy benefit management company."
The angst this tussle has generated in the distribution world has had little impact on drug companies. But there is an important implication for pricing. One way or another, retail pharmacy is going to have to adapt to the new market forces unleashed by Medicare Part D – CVS wants to use Caremark to help it get higher payments for providing pharmacy services