CVS and Walgreen settle contract dispute, customers will not have to change pharmacies
CVS Caremark Co. and Walgreen Co. have settled a contract dispute, which, if left unresolved, would have prevented thousands of customers from getting their prescriptions filled at Walgreen. Walgreen has 7,500 outlets and is the largest U.S. drugstore chain operator. The two companies negotiated a multiyear deal but no terms were disclosed by either company. The partnership between CVS and Walgreen allows people whose prescription drugs benefits are handled by Caremark to be reimbursed for prescriptions filled at Walgreen’s pharmacies. Caremark contracts with employers and handles the drug benefit parts of their health plans, paying pharmacies to fill prescriptions. Caremark saves money by negotiating volume discounts. On June 7th, Walgreen stated that it planned to end their relationship with CVS gradually. However, on June 9th, CVS Caremark said the company would exclude Walgreen from its network in a month. If this happened to be the outcome, starting July 9th, Walgreen customers whose prescriptions were managed by Caremark would have had to fill their prescriptions at stores (such as CVS, Kroger, or Safeway) if they wanted to be reimbursed for their drug costs. The settled dispute between the two companies was a positive outcome. Kermit Crawford, executive vice president of pharmacy for Walgreen, said in a statement that, “the agreement makes good business sense … and assures choice and convenience [to customers].” Shares of both companies rose 3% the morning of June 18th. To read more details about the settled dispute see CVS and Walgreen negotiate contract dispute. If you are engaged in a contract dispute, contact Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A. to negotiate a contract dispute your business may be dealing with. It is important to seek legal counsel to protect your interest and ensure future business.
