Generic drugs
Generic drugs make up roughly half of all prescriptions written in the United States, but only about 10 percent of the dollar value. Generics typically become available when patents expire on expensive brand-name medicines.
Drug manufacturers have a variety of discounts for low-income patients who take their brand-name medicines. But Express Scripts said its program is the first of its kind for generics.
The company recently announced that its earnings for the third quarter were lower than anticipated, saying the decline was related to shareholder and fraud lawsuits.