Giant Eagle selects EmpiRx Health to manage pharmacy benefits for employees
Giant Eagle has selected EmpiRx Health to manage the pharmacy benefits of its employees. EmpiRx Health is collaborating closely with Giant Eagle’s team of pharmacists to provide its employees with pharmacy care while partnering to control prescription drug costs.
Giant Eagle operates more than 200 pharmacies throughout Western Pennsylvania, North Central Ohio, Northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.
EmpiRx Health and Giant Eagle also announced that they are working together to create a national network of pharmacy chains and benefits plan sponsors who will collaborate on transforming pharmacy benefits care. The primary goals of the new network will be to improve patient health outcomes and help solve the national crisis of skyrocketing drug costs. Rising prescription drug costs pose a serious challenge to the healthcare system, especially the private benefits plans that more than 180 million Americans rely on for their health care, the companies noted.
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Prescription drug costs have been rising by more than 5% a year and are a primary driver of overall healthcare spending in the United States. The problem is especially acute in the specialty drugs category. From 1990 to 2024, the FDA has gone from approving just 10 specialty medications to nearly 400 that are available today. Currently, 80% of the new drugs being approved by the FDA are specialty medications, the company said.
“At Giant Eagle, we have always been laser focused on what’s best for our customers and Team Members,” said Janis Leigh, executive vice president and chief people officer at Giant Eagle. “EmpiRx Health’s patient-first operating approach ensures that our Team Members can receive the highest quality pharmacy benefits and care, ensuring their health and well-being and providing affordable prescription drug costs.”
"EmpiRx Health is an innovative partner that puts the pharmacist at the center of pharmacy care,” said Jim Tsipakis, Giant Eagle’s president, supermarkets & pharmacy. “We are excited not only for the benefits our Team Members will receive, but also for the unique opportunity ahead to bring together other pharmacy chains and benefits plan sponsors to improve health outcomes for all patients.”
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“We are thrilled to be Giant Eagle’s new PBM provider,” said Danny Sanchez, CEO of EmpiRx Health. “From our very first discussions with the Giant Eagle team, it was clear they were looking for a PBM partner that put their interests, and those of their employees, first. We do that by always staying focused on improving the health outcomes of Giant Eagle’s employees, while helping the company to significantly reduce its drug spending and costs through our unique pharmacist-led PBM model.”
EmpiRx Health said its benefits include:
• Guaranteed clinical savings – We guarantee clients a 3:1 ROI on clinical savings. If we fail to meet this clinical savings guarantee, we pay clients back dollar for dollar.
• Member Care Advocacy – EmpiRx Health’s Member Care Advocates proactively reach out before common issues arise, ensuring the members feel well cared for.
• Open Formulary – We offer one of the only open formularies in the PBM industry, meaning more coverage and less disruption for members.
• Best-in-Class Service – EmpiRx Health is widely known for its high-touch, leading-edge client service. That’s one reason why we have an industry-leading client retention rate.