SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Courtman has been appointed president of Health Mart, the drug store franchise network of McKesson Corp.
The company also said Monday that Health Mart reached a milestone this month with the opening of its 3,000th member pharmacy. The network started from a base of some 250 members in 2004 and has continued to pursue further expansion.
Courtman joins Health Mart from Medco Health Solutions Inc. (now part of Express Scripts Inc.), where he served as senior vice president of retail markets and oversaw contracting with independent and chain pharmacies and the creation of pharmacy networks for plan sponsors.
The Health Mart president post had been vacant for over year. Tim Canning, the previous president of Health Mart, left the company and joined Omnicare Inc. as senior vice president and chief marketing officer in late June 2011.
As Health Mart president, Courtman will focus on delivering value to independent pharmacy members and shaping the future of the franchise, according to McKesson. To that end, he will work with Health Mart members and McKesson’s leadership to spur operational efficiencies, technology innovation and expanded clinical capabilities, with the goal of driving business success for member pharmacies and enabling them to focus on delivering high-quality patient care, the company said.
"Health Mart owners and pharmacists are passionate about the success of independent pharmacy and delivering exceptional customer service, and Steve shares that commitment," Brian Tyler, president of McKesson U.S. Pharmaceutical, said in a statement. "Through his deep understanding of retail pharmacy and the changing reimbursement landscape, he is uniquely qualified to lead Health Mart’s continued success — especially as Health Mart has reached 3,000 stores."
Courtman brings 25 years of industry experience, with a track record for delivering business growth through technology, product innovation and sound leadership, McKesson noted. Under his leadership at Medco, the pharmacy benefit manager invested in technology and infrastructure to support aggressive growth and respond to the industry’s changing business model.
Before Medco, Courtman served in various capacities in the aerospace, automotive, healthcare and restaurant-franchise industries.
"Rapidly growing from a few hundred pharmacies to 3,000, Health Mart has been a compelling success story in retail pharmacy over the past several years," Courtman stated. "I look forward to collaborating with our Health Mart members to bring forth innovative solutions that can help them address their most pressing needs — ultimately fueling their growth and success."
McKesson has stepped up its efforts to provide Health Mart pharmacy owners with capabilities that they couldn’t replicate on their own and help them benefit from the power of a strong national brand.
For example, at McKesson’s recent ideaShare conference in Las Vegas, a mock-up of Health Mart’s newest store prototype was on display. And during the past year the company has revamped the Health Mart Marketing Tool Kit, launched a consumer-facing online platform and deployed a line of private label over-the-counter health care products, now numbering about 330 items.
