Giant Eagle Selects EmpiRx Health to Manage Pharmacy Benefits of Employees
Giant Eagle Inc. has selected EmpiRx Health, a clinically driven pharmacy benefits management (PBM) company, to oversee the pharmacy benefits of the food retailer’s employees. According to EmpiRx Health, it’s collaborating closely with Giant Eagle’s team of pharmacists to provide its employees with the highest-quality pharmacy care while partnering to control prescription drug costs.
“At Giant Eagle, we have always been laser focused on what’s best for our customers and team members,” said Janis Leigh, EVP and chief people officer at Giant Eagle. “EmpiRx Health’s patient-first operating approach ensures that our team members can receive the highest-quality pharmacy benefits and care, ensuring their health and well-being and providing affordable prescription drug costs.”
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“We are thrilled to be Giant Eagle’s new PBM provider,” added Danny Sanchez, CEO of EmpiRx Health, which has major offices in Montvale, N.J., and Orlando, Fla. “From our very first discussions with the Giant Eagle team, it was clear they were looking for a PBM partner that put their interests, and those of their employees, first. We do that by always staying focused on improving the health outcomes of Giant Eagle’s employees while helping the company to significantly reduce its drug spending and costs through our unique pharmacist-led PBM model.”
EmpiRx Health and Giant Eagle are also working together to create a national network of pharmacy chains and benefits plan sponsors who will collaborate on transforming pharmacy benefits care. The new network aims to improve patient health outcomes and help solve the national crisis of skyrocketing drug costs.
“EmpiRx Health is an innovative partner that puts the pharmacist at the center of pharmacy care,” said Jim Tsipakis, Giant Eagle’s president, supermarkets and pharmacy. “We are excited not only for the benefits our team members will receive, but also for the unique opportunity ahead to bring together other pharmacy chains and benefits plan sponsors to improve health outcomes for all patients.”
As reported by Bain & Co., mass merchants and grocers are predicted to increase their pharmacy market share to approximately 40% by 2029 as many large chains are closing stores.
Through its AI-powered pharmacy care platform, EmpiRx Health allows plan sponsors to measurably improve their member health outcomes while reducing prescription drug costs.
Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle has more than 470 stores throughout western Pennsylvania, north central Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. The food retailer is No. 42 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
