Rite Aid announces deal with Georgia drug manager

<p>Rite Aid Corp., the nation's third-largest pharmacy chain, said Friday that it has finalized a deal to provide pharmacy benefit management services.</p><p>Rite Aid's contract is with ProCare RX, a Duluth, Ga.-based benefit manager.</p><p>Mark de Bruin, Rite Aid's senior vice president of pharmacy services, said the company will provide prescriptions through mail-order and retail pickup.</p><p>Walgreen Co. and CVS Corp., the first- and second-largest drugstore chains, already provide pharmacy benefit management services.</p><p>Rite Aid officials revealed last month they were working on such a contract. Any sales impact this year would be marginal, but the company could compete for contracts with health management organizations, insurance companies and employers, they said.</p><p>Rite Aid bought the pharmacy benefit management company, PCS Health Systems Inc., in 1999, but sold it the next year as the company's mounting debt threatened to drag it into bankruptcy.</p><p>___</p><p>On the Net:</p><p>HASH(0x1d09534)</p><p>HASH(0x1d095b8)</p>

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