McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) today announced that its current
partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
has been expanded to include preparations for H1N1 flu vaccine
distribution. The CDC currently has a contract with McKesson for
distribution of its public-sector purchased adult and pediatric
vaccines, including those distributed through the Vaccines for Children
Program. Through this program, McKesson distributes 80 million doses to
more than 40,000 providers each year. Under the authority of Unusual and
Compelling Urgency (Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-2), the CDC is
expanding its existing contract with McKesson to include centralized
distribution of the H1N1 flu vaccine currently under development.
The H1N1 vaccine distribution effort will include the centralized
distribution of the H1N1 flu vaccine to as many as 90,000 sites across
the country, making it the largest public health initiative in the CDC’s
history. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the
CDC are working with state and local public health officials and vaccine
manufacturers to develop the timeline and plan for distribution and
administration of the H1N1 flu vaccine to the public. Preparations are
underway for McKesson to manage its part of the H1N1 flu vaccine
initiative. McKesson’s role will be to distribute the vaccine to sites
designated by state health departments across the country. Each state
will designate the providers who will receive and administer the vaccine.
As the CDC’s centralized vaccine distributor, McKesson has established a
track record of improving the consistency and reliability of the CDC’s
vaccine supply while reducing costs. McKesson also has access to a
network of thousands of CDC providers through technology systems that
link those providers to an existing distribution system and provide data
to the CDC on a daily basis.
“As the world’s largest healthcare services company, McKesson is pleased
to expand our partnership with the CDC, and we are committed to our role
in this unprecedented H1N1 preparedness effort,” said Paul Julian,
executive vice president and group president of McKesson Corporation.
“We look forward to continuing to support the CDC in meeting its public
health objectives.”
McKesson is committed to helping its customers, including the CDC,
deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining
processes and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson
utilizes electronic order processing, sophisticated asset management
tools, and Six Sigma methodology to provide safe, high-quality and
cost-effective pharmaceutical distribution services to providers across
every segment of healthcare, from retail pharmacies to large-scale
health systems.
About McKesson
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 15th on the FORTUNE 500, is a
healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to
helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs,
streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient
care. McKesson has been in continuous operation for more than 175 years,
making it the longest-operating company in healthcare today. Over the
course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical
and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care;
healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare
and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for
manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For
more information, visit www.mckesson.com.
McKesson Corporation
James Larkin, 415-983-8736
(Media)
James.Larkin@McKesson.com
Ana
Schrank, 415-983-7153 (Investors)
Ana.Schrank@McKesson.com
