Radar on Specialty Pharmacy

As independent specialty pharmacies and infusion providers continue to be squeezed by various market pressures, 2019 saw an end to two long-time industry presences. In August, BioScrip, Inc. and Option Care Enterprises, Inc. finalized a merger. And in December, Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. said that it had agreed to be acquired by UnitedHealth Group unit OptumRx, putting an end to its struggles over the past couple of years.

On Dec. 9, Diplomat and OptumRx unveiled a deal by which OptumRx would acquire Diplomat’s outstanding common stock for $4 per share — well under the $5.81 per share at which it was valued when the markets closed before that weekend. Diplomat’s board unanimously approved the deal, through which OptumRx gains locations in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The transaction is expected to close early this year.