Medco now Express Scripts; no changes foreseen

Many UTU members obtain their prescription drugs through Medco, which has been acquired by Express Scripts following Federal Trade Commission approval of the corporate combination.

Notwithstanding the acquisition by Express Scripts of Medco, UTU members receiving mail order prescriptions through Medco will continue ordering and receiving their medications as they have in the past, without any changes.

All packaging and labels will remain the same, as will addresses and phone numbers for pharmacy-related questions and other information. Nor will there be a need to change retail pharmacies or alter home delivery orders in any manner.

The combined Express Scripts and Medco, known as pharmacy-benefit managers (PBMs), now control 40 percent of that market, according to the Economist magazine. PBMs, reported the Economist, encourage consumers to fill their prescriptions through the mail instead of going to a more costly pharmacy. 

Express Scripts recently launched a program, ScreenRx, which utilizes software to sift through hundreds of factors that affect patients and forecast who is most likely to forget a refill or simply stop taking their drugs. The company then plans to contact those patients to help them stick with their doctor’s orders.