Table of Contents
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreen Co. is offering a discount on annual membership in its Prescription Savings Club (PSC) this month as well as other promotions to lure customers of Express Scripts Inc.
Walgreen Co. is offering a discount on annual membership in its Prescription Savings Club (PSC) this month as well as other promotions to lure customers of Express Scripts Inc.
The moves were unveiled after the retailer’s latest efforts in December to reach agreement with the pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) proved fruitless. The two companies’ contract expired at the end of 2012.
"We are frustrated with Express Scripts’ decision to reject our very serious offer in December in an effort to avoid patient disruption," said Kermit Crawford, Walgreens’ president of pharmacy, health and wellness solutions and services. "We apologize to our patients for the disruption caused by Express Scripts’ stance and are offering a discount in the cost of enrolling in our Prescription Savings Club."
The PSC program has nearly 2 million members and offers savings on more than 8,000 branded and all generic prescription drugs. The normal annual membership fee is $20 per person or $35 for a family, but during January the fee is being reduced to $5 per individual and $10 per family.
In addition to the discounted PSC membership, Walgreens is providing coupons for discounted health and wellness products and gift cards to eligible Express Scripts members. The chain is also providing additional pharmacist and staff consultations, beefed-up call center staffing and targeted communications to high-volume patients.
Walgreens has acknowledged that Express Scripts patients generated approximately 88 million of the 819 million prescriptions Walgreens filled during the year ended August 31, 2011, accounting for about $5.3 billion of the drug chain’s $72.2 billion in revenues.
