DaVita Announces Partnership with Fresenius Medical Care

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DaVita®, the kidney care division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, today announced an agreement to provide certain pharmacy services to Fresenius Medical Care (FMC).

“We are proud of our reputation for developing and supplying products that deliver the highest quality of therapy to patients”

FMC, a leading provider of dialysis services and maker of dialysis products, will use DaVita Rx® prescription drug services for its Medicare patients in the United States.

Congress required that beginning in 2011, some oral medications will be included in the bundled payment model. By 2016 all oral end stage renal disease medications will be included in the bundled payment. FMC’s contract with DaVita Rx will help implement that requirement by using DaVita Rx’s state-of–the-art pharmacy to fill and ship oral medications to FMC Medicare patients. DaVita Rx service for FMC will begin in late 2013.

“Fresenius Medical Care is committed to providing the best and most efficient care for renal patients,” said Ronald Kuerbitz, chief executive officer of Fresenius Medical Care North America. “The effectiveness and efficiency of our renal pharmacy management program is critical to meeting that commitment, by helping dialysis patients and physicians coordinate the dietary, pharmacy and dialysis components of their therapy, wherever they are. By accessing DaVita’s substantial investment in pharmacy capabilities, we can more efficiently use our resources to enhance other elements of our network and advance best practices in renal care.”

DaVita Rx is the first and largest full-service pharmacy created specifically for the unique needs of kidney patients. By delivering not only all renal-related medications, but also all other prescribed medications to patients’ homes or dialysis centers, DaVita Rx helps patients improve compliance with their required drug regimens, resulting in healthier patients and improved quality of life. DaVita Rx also partners with care providers to advocate for patients with insurance companies and has pharmacists trained in renal care available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. DaVita Rx has served the prescription drug needs of patients receiving dialysis from DaVita and other dialysis providers since 2005.

DaVita also announced as part of an unrelated transaction that it will be extending its long-standing vendor relationship with FMC for certain dialysis supplies including hemodialysis machines and disposable products.

“We are proud of our reputation for developing and supplying products that deliver the highest quality of therapy to patients,” said Kuerbitz. “We are pleased to continue our long relationship as a supplier to DaVita.”

For more information on DaVita please visit www.DaVita.com.

DaVita, DaVita Rx and DaVita HealthCare Partners are trademarks or registered trademarks of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

About DaVita

DaVita is the dialysis division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® company that, through its operating divisions, provides a variety of health care services to patient populations throughout the United States and abroad. A leading provider of kidney care in the United States, DaVita delivers dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita strives to improve patients’ quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and convenient health-management services. As of September 30, 2012, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,912 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 150,000 patients. The company also operated 24 outpatient dialysis centers located in five countries outside the United States. DaVita supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The company’s leadership development initiatives and social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please visit DaVita.com.

About DaVita Rx

DaVita Rx is the first and largest full-service pharmacy created specifically for the unique needs of kidney patients. DaVita Rx makes it easier for patients to get their medications and follow their drug regimens with services such as 24-hour access to specially trained pharmacists, refill reminders, flexible payment options, and no-cost delivery. DaVita Rx also helps patients and providers navigate the changing health care laws and rules. For more information, please visit http://www.davitarx.com.