Walgreens pursuing Rx contract with Delta Air Lines, report says

NEW YORK Walgreens is reported to be negotiating with Delta Air Lines on a contract to provide pharmacy services and contracted prescription pricing directly to employees of the airline, rather than working through a pharmacy benefit manager.

Dow Jones Newswires reported Wednesday that Walgreens and Delta are in talks to craft a prescription-provider agreement, similar to the deal Walgreens struck last summer with Caterpillar Inc. Under terms of that pact, the heavy equipment maker gained access to Walgreens’ Pharmacy Management Excellence program, which provides transparent prescription drug pricing and discounts to employers that offer prescription benefits to their employees, dependents and retirees. Health plan members covered by Caterpillar obtain their medicines via a Walgreens proprietary price list displaying the cost Walgreens pays drug manufacturers.

The deal, which took effect in January, also provides health plan members a “significant” discount on all Walgreens branded and non-branded products. Presumably, the drug chain is pursuing a similar arrangement with Delta.

Walgreens, for its part, is neither confirming nor denying the report. "We're really not quite sure where that came from, but it hasn't been confirmed by either side," Walgreens spokeswoman Tiffani Washington told Drug Store News. "We've said for a while that we do have some interest from various companies, but we haven't made any announcement."