Medco achieves 10.7% profit growth in Q3

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. Pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions had sales of $16.3 billion, including $2.9 billion from specialty pharmacy operations, the company said Tuesday.

The sales resulted in a profit of $371.5 million, a 10.7% increase over third quarter 2009. Cash flows for the first three quarters of the year were $1.37 billion, a decrease of $1.18 billion compared with last year — the decrease resulting from reductions in inventory. The company expects cash flows for the year as a whole to total $2.4 billion. Earnings per share were 85 cents, which the company called record-breaking for third quarter.

Mail-order prescriptions were 27.3 million, a 7.1% increase over last year, with generic volumes increasing by 15.5%, to 17.1 million. The generic dispensing rate was 71.6%, a 3.9% increase over the same period last year.