Kroger on Monday announced plans to sell its specialty pharmacy business to Careron RX, a subsidiary of Elevance Health.
The specialty pharmacy business is separate from regular pharmacy and Little Clinic stores and treats patients with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, growth hormone deficiency, multiple sclerosis and bleeding disorders, the grocer said. stated in a press release.
“Kroger Specialty Pharmacy has been a part of our company since 2012, and I would like to thank our management team and employees for their enduring dedication to patients,” Kroger Health President Colleen Lindholz said in a statement. I want to.'' “As part of our regular review of our assets, it became clear that our strong specialty pharmacy business unit could reach its full potential outside of our operations.”
In its press release, Kroger did not discuss any connection to its planned $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons, but in a MarketWatch.com news article, a Kroger spokesperson said The two transactions were said to be “unrelated.”
A Kroger spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
“One of our most important considerations was to continue operations with minimal disruption to our employees and patients. We believe this transaction will help us grow our business and deliver better outcomes for our patients. We are confident. We look forward to working towards a smooth transition for our employees and patients,” Lindholz said in a press release.
Kroger specified in its announcement that its in-store pharmacies and Little Clinics are not included in the deal.
Last August, the California Attorney General's Office expressed concern that a merger between Kroger and Albertsons could result in the closure of up to 650 Kroger and Albertsons stores, creating a pharmacy shortage.
At the time of this report, Kroger operated pharmacies in 2,254 stores and Albertsons operated approximately 1,700 stores.
The merger plan stalled in February when the Federal Trade Commission and nine states filed suit to block the merger, calling it “anticompetitive.” The attorneys general of Colorado and Washington have filed separate lawsuits seeking to block the merger.
