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Diplomat Pharmacy

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Industry Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic
Employees 1001-5000
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FY2017 Annual Report · Diplomat Pharmacy
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26MAR201514573481

DIPLOMAT PHARMACY, INC.

2017 Annual Report

Letter From the CEO

Dear fellow shareholders: 

Diplomat  grew  with  purpose  in  2017,  bolstering  our  capabilities  to  thrive  in  the  changing 
healthcare  market.  Expanding  our  opportunity  for  2018  and  beyond,  we  made  strategic 
investments to address unmet market needs and deepen existing relationships. Weʼve built the 
foundation to solve the biggest challenges facing patients and partners across the continuum of 
care. 

This year, we will capitalize on several advantages: 

(cid:404)  Drug developers choose Diplomat. Many of the most promising drugs in the pipeline 
are  expected  to  have  limited-distribution  panels.  We  expect  to  be  among  the  few 
pharmacies selected to dispense them. 

(cid:404)  Benefit management opens new doors. By focusing on the underserved middle-market, 
we stand to capture significant growth opportunities. Working more closely with payers, 
we can serve more patients. We can also cross-sell to new and existing partners between 
complementary service areas. 

(cid:404)  Diplomat minimizes costs without sacrificing outcomes. With our industry partners, 
we  work  to  address  rising  healthcare  costs  and  ensure  patients  get  the  treatment  they 
need.  We  combine  technology,  innovation,  insight,  optimal  care  settings,  and  more  to 
deliver great care and avoid excess spend. 

(cid:404)  New leadersʼ expertise supports our growth. Weʼve added team members who spent 
years building careers in the areas above. Diplomat has the people in place to guide our 
strategy and support front-line staff. 

We appreciate the trust you place in us to achieve our goals. As I look forward, I am confident 
that our strategy—aligning our services to deliver the best access and patient care—has set us 
up to grow. 

As always, everything we do at Diplomat is with patients in mind—not just to make the most of 
the opportunities before us but also because it is the right thing to do. 

Sincerely, 

Jeff Park 
Interim CEO 

 
 
 
 
 
(This page has been left blank intentionally.)

UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
Washington, D.C. 20549  
_____________________ 
FORM 10-K 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF 
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934  

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 

Commission File Number: 001-36677 
_____________________ 
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)  

Michigan  
(State or other jurisdiction of 
incorporation or organization)  

38-2063100  
(I.R.S. Employer  
Identification Number) 

4100 S. Saginaw Street 
Flint, Michigan 48507 
(888) 720-4450 
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, 
including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices) 

Not Applicable 
(former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report) 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 

Title of Each Class 

      Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered  

Common Stock, no par value per share 

           New York Stock Exchange 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:   

None 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes (cid:2)   No (cid:3) 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes (cid:3)   No (cid:2) 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has 
been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes (cid:2)   No (cid:3) 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive 
Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 
months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes (cid:2)   No (cid:3) 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained 
herein,  and  will  not  be  contained,  to the  best  of  registrant's  knowledge,  in  definitive  proxy  or  information  statements  incorporated  by 
reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  (cid:3) 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting 
company, or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” 
and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. 

Large accelerated filer 
Emerging growth company  (cid:3)(cid:4)

(cid:2) 

Accelerated filer  (cid:3) 
  (cid:4)

Non-accelerated filer(cid:4)(cid:3) 

(cid:4)

Smaller reporting company  (cid:3) 
  (cid:4)

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying 
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. (cid:3) 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes (cid:3)   No (cid:2) 

The aggregate market value of the Registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was approximately $709 million as 
of June 30, 2017 based on the reported last sale price as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on that date. Shares of the registrant’s 
Common  Stock  held  by  executive  officers,  directors  and  holders  of  10  percent  or  more  of  the  Common  Stock  outstanding  have  been 
excluded  from  this  calculation  because  such  persons  may  be  deemed  affiliates  of  the  registrant;  such  exclusion  does  not  reflect  a 
determination that such persons are affiliates of the registrant for any other purpose. 

The Registrant had 74,069,226 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of February 27, 2018. 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 
Certain portions, as expressly described in this report, of the Registrant’s Proxy Statement for its 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed 
subsequently are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIPLOMAT PHARMACY, INC. 
2017 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K 
INDEX 

Forward-Looking Statements............................................................................................................... 

3 

Page No. 

PART I 

Item 1 – Business ................................................................................................................................. 
Item 1A – Risk Factors ........................................................................................................................ 
Item 1B – Unresolved Staff Comments ............................................................................................... 
Item 2 – Properties ............................................................................................................................... 
Item 3 – Legal Proceedings ................................................................................................................. 
Item 4 – Mine Safety Disclosures ........................................................................................................ 

PART II 

Item 5 – Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer 

Purchases of Equity Securities .............................................................................................. 
Item 6 – Selected Financial Data ......................................................................................................... 
Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of 

Operations ............................................................................................................................. 
Item 7A – Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk ............................................ 
Item 8 – Financial Statements and Supplementary Data ...................................................................... 
Item 9 – Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial 

Disclosure ............................................................................................................................. 
Item 9A – Controls and Procedures ..................................................................................................... 
Item 9B – Other Information ............................................................................................................... 

PART III 

Item 10 – Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance ................................................... 
Item 11 – Executive Compensation ..................................................................................................... 
Item 12 – Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related 

Stockholders Matters .......................................................................................................... 
Item 13 – Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence ..................... 
Item 14 – Principal Accountant Fees and Services ..............................................................................  

PART IV 

Item 15 – Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules  ...................................................................... 

Item 16 – Form 10-K Summary ........................................................................................................... 

Signatures ............................................................................................................................................ 

Exhibits 

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22 
41 
42 
42 
43 

44 
46 

48 
61 
62 

102 
102 
103 

104 
104 

104 
104 
104 

105 

109 

110 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 

Unless  the  context  suggests  otherwise,  references  in  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  to  “Diplomat,”  the 
“Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. 

Certain  statements  contained  or  incorporated  in  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  which  are  not  statements  of 
historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform 
Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are included throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including 
under the headings entitled  “Business,”  “Risk Factors,”  and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial 
Condition  and  Results  of  Operations,”  and  relate  to  matters  such  as  our  industry,  business  strategy,  goals  and 
expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, capital expenditures, liquidity 
and capital resources, and other financial and operating information. Words such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” 
“continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” 
“should,” “will,” and similar terms and phrases, or the negative thereof, utilized in discussions of future operating or 
financial performance signify forward-looking statements. 

The forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are based on management’s good-faith 
belief and reasonable judgment based on current information, and these statements are qualified by important factors, 
many  of  which  are  beyond  our  control,  that  could  cause  our  actual  results  to  differ  materially  from  those  in  the 
forward-looking statements, including changes in global, regional or local economic, business, competitive, market, 
regulatory and other factors, including those described in “Risk Factors.” Any forward-looking statement made by us 
speaks only as of the date of this report or the date specified in such forward-looking statement. We undertake no 
obligation  to  publicly  update  any  forward-looking  statement,  whether  as  a  result  of  new  information,  future 
developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable laws or regulations. 

The following risks related to our business, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those 
described in the forward-looking statements: 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

our ability to adapt to changes or trends within the specialty pharmacy industry; 

significant and increasing pricing pressure from third-party payers, including any reductions in reimbursement 
rates; 

competition within the prescription benefit management marketplace, and an inability to effectively differentiate 
our products and services from those of our competitors; 

the  amount  of  direct  and  indirect  remuneration  fees,  as  well  as  the  timing  of  assessing  such  fees  and  the 
methodology used to calculate such fees;  

our relationships with key pharmaceutical manufacturers; 

revenue concentration of the top specialty drugs we dispense; 

bad publicity about, or market withdrawal of, specialty drugs we dispense; 

a significant increase in competition from a variety of companies in the healthcare industry; 

our ability to expand the number of specialty drugs we dispense and related services; 

declining gross margins in the prescription benefit management industry; 

client losses and/or the failure to win new business; 

significant changes occurring within the pharmacy provider marketplace or arising with respect to our pharmacy 
networks, including the loss of or adverse change in our relationship with one or more key pharmacy providers; 

3

 
 
 
 
 
(cid:2) 

our ability to effectively execute our acquisition strategy or successfully integrate acquired businesses, including 
difficulty, cost and time spent integrating acquired companies or a failure to realize anticipated benefits; 

(cid:2)  CEO succession planning; 

(cid:2) 

fluctuations in operating results; 

(cid:2)  maintaining existing patients; 

(cid:2) 

increasing consolidation in the healthcare industry; 

(cid:2)  managing our growth effectively; 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

our ability to drive volume through a refreshed marketing strategy in traditional specialty pharmacy; 

our capability to penetrate the fragmented infusion market; 

the success of our strategy in the pharmacy benefit manager space; 

the ability to advance our specialty footprint by deepening our relationship with manufacturers through critical 
service solutions; 

our ability to maintain relationships with a specified wholesaler and two pharmaceutical manufacturers, or other 
pharmaceutical manufacturers that become material to our business over time; 

security  breaches  or  other  failures  or  disruptions  of  our  information  technology  and  security  systems,  and 
significant costs required to oversee, maintain and improve such systems; 

relationships with clinical experts and key thought leaders at physician groups and universities within the United 
States of America; 

disruptions at our facilities related to failures in infrastructure or catastrophic events; 

dependence  on  our  senior  management  and  key  employees,  and  effective  succession  planning  and  managing 
recent turnover among key employees; 

loss of management personnel and other key employees due to uncertainties related to acquisitions; 

primary reliance on a single shipping provider; 

debt service obligations; 

supply disruption of any of the specialty drugs we dispense; 

reductions of research, development and marketing of specialty drugs; 

adverse impacts from environmental regulations, and health and safety laws and regulations, applicable to our 
business; and 

other factors set forth under “Risk Factors.” 

4

 
 
ITEM 1.  BUSINESS 

Overview 

PART I 

We are the largest independent provider of specialty pharmacy services in the United States of America (“U.S.”). We 
are focused on improving the lives of patients with complex chronic diseases while delivering unique solutions for 
manufacturers, hospitals, payers and providers. Our patient-centric approach positions us at the center of the healthcare 
continuum for the treatment of complex chronic diseases. We offer a broad range of innovative solutions to address 
the dispensing, delivery, dosing, and reimbursement of clinically intensive, high-cost specialty drugs, and a wide range 
of applications and pharmacy benefit management (“PBM”) services designed to help our customers reduce the cost 
and manage the complexity of their prescription drug programs. Diplomat opened its doors in 1975 as a neighborhood 
pharmacy with one essential tenet: “Take good care of patients and the rest falls into place.” Today, that tradition 
continues—always focused on improving patient care and clinical adherence. 

Our revenues are derived from: (i) customized care management programs we deliver to our patients, including the 
dispensing of their specialty medications and (ii) PBM services (as described more fully below, see, Item 1. Business—
PBM Business), that we provide to our customers. Our specialty pharmacy services focus on offering specialty drugs 
that  are  typically  administered  on  a  recurring  basis  to  treat  patients  with  complex  chronic  diseases  that  require 
specialized handling and administration as part of their distribution process.  We offer a full array of  payer-centric 
PBM services that seek to deliver cost-containment strategies that help payers handle rising pharmacy cost. 

Our comprehensive, patient-focused specialty pharmacy services ensure that patients receive a superior standard of 
care,  including  assistance  with  complicated  medication  therapies,  refill  processing,  third-party  funding  support 
programs, side-effect management and adherence monitoring. We customize solutions for each patient based on the 
patient’s overall health, disease and family history, lifestyle and financial means. Our PBM services provide a broad 
range of pharmacy spend management solutions and information technology capabilities  that enable our clients to 
maximize quality of care and gain increased control of their pharmacy benefit dollars and cost control. 

We have grown our business in recent years by strengthening our clinical expertise in key therapeutic categories, such 
as  oncology,  immunology,  specialty  infusion  therapy,  hepatitis  and  multiple  sclerosis,  and  by  strengthening  our 
relationships  with  patients,  payers,  pharmaceutical  manufacturers  and  physicians.  In  addition,  our  business  has 
continued to evolve. We have broadened the scope of our services provided to hospitals and health systems, managed 
care organizations, self-insured employer groups, unions, and third-party healthcare plan administrators and worker’s 
compensation payers, including by diversifying our service offerings to include PBM services. While we will continue 
to focus on growing our business organically, we have completed several significant acquisitions in recent years and 
we may further enhance our competitive position through complementary acquisitions to expand existing services and 
provide additional services. 

Our specialty pharmacy services, together with our proactive engagement with pharmaceutical manufacturers early in 
the drug development process, have contributed to our current and growing access to limited-distribution drugs, which 
we define as drugs that are only available for distribution by a select network of specialty pharmacies. Our inclusion 
in limited-distribution  networks provides critical  sources of revenue  growth and provides a catalyst for our  future 
growth. 

As a part of our mission to improve patient care, we provide specialty pharmacy support services to  hospitals and 
health systems. Through many of these partners, we earn revenue by providing clinical and administrative support 
services on a fee-for-service basis to help them dispense specialty medications. 

Specialty Pharmacy Industry 
Specialty pharmacy  services  are a distinct  form of pharmacy services that coordinate  full-service patient care and 
complex disease management. Specialty pharmacy services are designed to take advantage of economies of scale by 
using standardized and efficient processes to deliver medications with customized handling, storage and distribution 
requirements.  Specialty  pharmacies  are  also  designed  to  improve  clinical,  adherence  and  economic  outcomes  for 

5

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
patients with complex, often chronic, or rare conditions through a wide range of oral, injectable, inhalable and infusible 
specialty pharmaceuticals. 

Less  acute,  chronic  conditions  are  generally  treated  with  self-administered,  oral,  injectable  or  inhalable  specialty 
pharmaceuticals,  but  may  also  be  administered  by  a  physician  or  nurse.  These  pharmaceuticals  can  be  distributed 
directly to the patient for at-home administration or to the patient’s physician  for in-office administration. Several 
chronic,  genetic  conditions  and  orphan  diseases  are  treated  with  infused  pharmaceuticals  via  a  more  complex 
intravenous  form  of  administration.  These  pharmaceuticals  are  dispensed  under  the  supervision  of  a  registered 
pharmacist, and the therapies are typically delivered to the patient for self-administration in the home or administration 
by  a  credentialed  home-healthcare  nurse  or  trained  caregiver  at  home  or  in  another  care  site.  Many  of  the 
pharmaceuticals handled by specialty pharmacies require refrigeration during shipping, as well as special handling to 
prevent  potency  degradation.  Patients  receiving  treatment  usually  require  personalized  counseling  and  education 
regarding their condition and treatment programs. 

Specialty  pharmacies  primarily  treat  serious  or  chronic  conditions  such  as  cancer,  hemophilia,  hepatitis,  immune 
deficiency  disorders,  multiple  sclerosis  and  neurological  conditions.  Retail  pharmacies  and  other  traditional 
distributors generally are designed to carry inventories of low-cost, high-volume products and therefore are not  as 
well  equipped  to  handle  the  high-cost,  low-volume  specialty  pharmaceuticals  that  have  specialized  handling  and 
administration  requirements.  In  addition,  those  entities  generally  lack  both  the  deep  clinical  expertise  and  the 
administrative and call center support functions necessary to effectively deliver specialty pharmacy services.  As a 
result, specialty pharmaceuticals generally are provided by pharmacies that focus primarily on filling, labeling and 
delivering oral, injectable, infusible or inhalable pharmaceuticals and related medication and support services. 

Segment Information 
Our chief operating decision maker reviews our financial results in total when evaluating financial performance and 
for purposes of allocating resources. Therefore, we have determined that we operate in a single reportable segment – 
specialty pharmacy services. 

Our Specialty Pharmacy Services 
We provide specialty pharmacy services dedicated to servicing the needs of patients, while also providing clinical 
expertise,  technology-driven  innovation  tools  and  administrative  efficiencies  that  support  physicians,  payers  and 
pharmaceutical  manufacturers.  We  purchase  specialty  pharmaceuticals  from  manufacturers  and  wholesale 
distributors, fill prescriptions, and label, package and deliver the pharmaceuticals to patients’ homes or physicians’ 
offices  through  contract  couriers.  We  utilize  our  main  Company-owned  distribution  facility  and  corporate 
headquarters, smaller owned or leased regional facilities, and centralized clinical call centers to provide such services 
to  all  U.S.  states  and  territories.  The  services  provided  to  our  patients  and  other  constituents  described  below  are 
integral to securing the relationships that drive our revenue and prescription volumes, and are a central focus of our 
specialty pharmacy business.  To successfully compete,  we  must provide value to each constituent in the specialty 
pharmacy industry. 

Our value to constituents is based on our ability to provide broad specialty and limited-distribution product access, 
utilization  management,  high  patient  adherence  rates,  patient  funding  assistance,  data  management,  outstanding 
patient and prescriber satisfaction rates, and direct and indirect cost savings. Further,  we  manage the high cost of 
specialty  drugs  by  pursuing  cost  savings  through  channel  management,  utilization  management,  formulary 
management (i.e., the list of specialty drugs that will be reimbursed by a health plan or managed care organization), 
and waste minimization (including our split-fill program). Channel management is a strategy that includes targeting 
specialty medications covered under the medical benefit by payers and moving the coverage of these medications to 
the  pharmacy  benefit  to  take  advantage  of  deeper  discounts,  rebates  or  more  detailed  reporting  when  available. 
Utilization management is the evaluation of the appropriateness, medical need, and efficiency of healthcare services, 
procedures, drugs and facilities according to established criteria or guidelines and under the provisions of an applicable 
health  benefits  plan.  Formulary  management  is  an  integrated  patient  care  process  which  enables  physicians, 
pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to work together to promote clinically sound, cost-effective medication 
therapy and positive therapeutic effectiveness. A drug formulary, or preferred drug list, is a continually updated list 
of  medications  and  related  products  supported  by  current  evidence-based  medicine,  judgment  of  physicians, 
pharmacists and other experts in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and preservation of health. 

6

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our programs consist of the following business services: 

(cid:2)  Specialty Drug Dispensing – For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, we derived more than 
99  percent  of  our  revenue  from  the  dispensing  of  drugs  and  the  reporting  of  data  associated  with  those 
dispenses to pharmaceutical manufacturers and other outside companies. The other services described below 
are included in our specialty  business offerings and the overall  payer reimbursement for dispensed drugs, 
rather than as separately reimbursable events. We are licensed to dispense prescriptions in all U.S. states and 
territories. Our business processes and dispensing solutions are well established and can provide specialty 
prescriptions  to  patients  as  required  by  the  communicated  “need  by”  date.  All  specialty  prescriptions  are 
verified by registered pharmacists for accuracy and appropriateness at two separate points in the dispensing 
process  prior  to  shipping  to  the  patient.  Our  specialty  dispensing  and  distribution  capabilities  include 
package-tracking  through  contracted  couriers,  temperature  controls  and  signature  confirmation  upon 
delivery. 

Our physical footprint has enabled us to develop a centralized infrastructure that we have successfully scaled 
to dispense to all U.S. states and territories. We have an advanced distribution center that enables us to ship 
medications nationwide as well as centralized clinical call centers that help us deliver localized services on a 
national  scale.  We  are  fully  accredited  and  licensed  to  conduct  business  in  each  state  that  requires  such 
licensure. We primarily utilize UPS in the delivery of the specialty pharmaceutical products we dispense. 

Specialty  drug  dispensing  includes  our  specialty  infusion  pharmacy  services.  We  provide  individualized, 
patient-centric specialty infusion services to patients with bleeding disorders and other chronic conditions, 
while managing overall drug spend through factor utilization using dose management, assay management 
(which means ensuring that the prescribed amount is the dispensed amount), clinical and therapy education, 
intervention,  and  nursing  support  to  advance  better  clinical  effectiveness  for  patients.  Specialty  infusion 
drugs are high-cost, with intravenous or subcutaneous routes of administration, and can be managed at home 
or in a hospital or free-standing ambulatory infusion clinic, in a physician office, or through our extensive 
outsourced network of credentialed specialty nurses who administer medications in the patent’s home or at 
other sites of care. We estimate our drug reimbursement for specialty infusion patients is approximately 50 
percent medical benefit and 50 percent pharmacy benefit. 

Our specialty drug dispensing services include: 

o  Patient  Care  Coordination:  Our  proprietary  patient  care  system  coordinates  and  tracks  patient 
adherence and safety. It is designed to accommodate specific drug therapies and disease states for 
greater consistency of care using clinical algorithms. Each step of the patient’s treatment regimen is 
extensively researched based on various disease guideline publications. Our system automatically 
tracks all clinical interventions and activities and provides real-time access to patient information. 
Using  this  system,  our  patient  care  coordinators,  including  pharmacists,  work  with  patients  and 
prescribers  to  identify  potential  adherence  failures  and  implement  proactive  plans  to  optimize 
treatment effectiveness. 

o  Clinical Services: Our pharmacists and nurses,  with the assistance of our pharmacy technicians, 
provide clinically based drug therapy management programs for clients and patients. Our Clinical 
Help  Desk  includes  pharmacists,  nurses  and  pharmacy  technicians.  A  pharmacist  is  available  to 
counsel patients and consult with prescribers 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and nurses are 
available during regular business hours. Clinical pharmacists are responsible for high-level clinical 
interaction with patients and healthcare practitioners, including medication counseling and clinical 
advice.  Our  clinicians  work  with  patients’  prescribers  to  identify  adherence  failures  and  to 
implement a proactive plan to achieve intended effectiveness. Our broader clinical and operations 
team has deep clinical expertise and includes more than 180 licensed pharmacists as of December 
31, 2017. 

o  Compliance and Persistency Programs: Our compliance and persistency programs support the 
needs of patients based on their therapy regimen. In some cases, a dedicated nurse contacts patients 
at  specific  intervals  of  therapy  to  discuss  precautions,  side-effect  management,  medication 

7

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
administration and refill procedures. Prior to every refill, we call patients to: verify the dose, dosing 
regimen  and  shipping  address;  discuss  side  effects;  and  confirm  that  the  patient  is  taking  the 
medication appropriately. 

o  Patient Financial Assistance: Our funding specialists help patients navigate their benefits and find 
third-party  financial  assistance  to  address  coverage  deficiencies.  We  provide  services  to  help 
patients  understand  and  receive  reimbursement  benefits  and  we  work  with  available  co-pay 
assistance programs, including co-pay card enrollment and program management. We work with 
substantially  all  major  commercial  co-pay  card  programs.  Our  team  also  coordinates  with  many 
external  charitable  foundations  and  research  grant  organizations  that  help  subsidize  the  cost  of 
medications for patients. These programs result in increased access to specialty drug therapies for 
patients and increased revenues for us. 

o  Specialty Pharmacy Training (Diplomat University): Diplomat University is our education and 
training  department  that  educates  our  employees  on  topics  unique  to  the  specialty  pharmacy 
industry.  Our  in-depth,  ongoing  training  program  promotes  clinical  competence  and  builds  new 
skills, enabling employees to provide high-level care for our patients and improve overall business 
performance. Diplomat University also houses our quality assurance department, which focuses on 
programs  that  promote  quality  and  patient  safety.  Diplomat  University-produced  materials  have 
been used in trade conference materials,  magazine articles and  business  meetings, to explain the 
specialty pharmacy industry generally and the broad range of solutions we can provide. 

o  Benefits Investigation: Our standard procedures require that we conduct a benefits investigation 
for each patient we work with. In addition to processing test claims, our benefit specialists contact 
the appropriate pharmacy or medical benefit plan to verify coverage, deductibles, coinsurance and 
out-of-pocket maximums. Our specialists provide all necessary coding for the prescribed therapy or 
service.  Any  prior  authorization  or  predetermination  requirements  are  defined  at  the  time  of  the 
benefits investigation. Our standard procedures require an initial test adjudication upon receipt of 
the referral and require subsequent investigations under certain circumstances. 

o  Prior  Authorization:  Our  prior  authorization  specialists,  in  coordination  with  the  prescribing 
physician  and  their  staff,  contact  the  patient’s  insurance  plan  and  collect  all  necessary  patient 
specific information, together with supporting documentation, to provide to the  appropriate third 
party to support reimbursement for the prescribed medication. If the required therapy is not listed 
on  the  third-party  payer’s  formulary,  we  compile  the  necessary  information  to  file a  formulary 
exception on behalf of the patient. 

o  Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”): Our employees administer REMS protocols 
on all levels of risk  mitigation,  which is required by  many pharmaceutical  manufacturers due to 
regulatory requirements. The  U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) requires REMS from 
certain manufacturers to ensure that the benefits of a drug or biological product outweigh its risks. 
Manufacturers are required to comply with specific FDA requirements that may include medication 
use  guides,  black  box  warnings  /  patient  package  insert  language,  and  a  communication  plan  to 
healthcare providers. As part of REMS protocols, manufacturers may also be required to comply 
with Elements to Assure Safe Use (“ETASU”) to mitigate a specific serious risk listed in the labeling 
of the drug, including specialized training and certifications, required dispensing locations, patient 
monitoring and associated reporting. We have standard operating procedures in place to support all 
aspects  of  a  REMS  program,  including  REMS  administration,  REMS  drug  fulfillment,  disease 
management,  medication  guide  dispensing,  and  the  ETASU  specific  to  a  pharmaceutical 
manufacturer’s  program.  Our  patient  care  system  has  been  designed  to  capture  much  of  the 
information the pharmaceutical manufacturer must report to the FDA. 

(cid:2)  Hospital and Health System Services: We provide clinical and administrative support services to hospitals 
and health systems that dispense specialty medications through their outpatient pharmacies. We partner with 
hospitals and health systems to assist with strategies and service delivery that is designed to maximize cost 

8

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
containment  and  improve  efficiency  and  clinical  effectiveness  related  to  specialty  pharmaceuticals.  Our 
program also supports hospitals that are 340B covered entities through a contracted pharmacy strategy. 

(cid:2)  Hub Services: We also offer hub services to capitalize on our expertise in providing the services described 
above and to compete with other hub service providers. Hub services generally are centralized management 
services  for  collaboration  and  efficiency  among  the  key  participants  in  the  specialty  pharmacy  system 
(including  patients,  physicians,  payers,  pharmaceutical  manufacturers,  retail  pharmacies  and  other 
prescribers).  To  maintain  client  satisfaction  and  compliance,  we  keep  certain  information  and  software 
systems,  infrastructure  and  employees  “firewalled”  from  our  specialty  pharmacy  business  to  avoid 
commingling or favoring any specialty pharmacy (including ours) within the networks of the hub customers. 

Constituent Relationships 
Our  patient-centric  approach  positions  us  at  the  center  of  the  healthcare  continuum  for  the  treatment  of  complex 
chronic  diseases  through  partnerships  with  patients,  payers,  pharmaceutical  manufacturers  and  physicians.  Our 
services provide value to constituents as described below. 

Patients 
Our core focus is on patients. We help patients adhere to complex medication therapies, process refills and manage 
any  side effects and insurance concerns to ensure they  get the best standard of care. The clinical efficacy of drug 
therapies,  especially  for  chronic  conditions,  is  typically  enhanced  when  patients  precisely  follow  the  prescribed 
treatment regimens (including dosing and frequency). We further believe that medication non-adherence (i.e., patients 
not  following  the  instructions  for  their  medication  or  failing  to  finish  taking  their  medication)  can  contribute  to  a 
substantial  worsening  of  disease  and,  in  some  cases,  accelerated  mortality,  which  increases  hospital  and  other 
healthcare costs. We have achieved patient adherence rates higher than 90 percent in each fiscal quarter of 2015, 2016 
and  2017.  We  believe  our  high  adherence  rates  are  due  in  part  to  our  patient  training  and  education,  adherence 
packaging,  prophylactic  starter  kits  and  nurse  adherence  calls.  We  also  help  identify  third-party  funding  support 
programs to help cover expensive out-of-pocket costs. 

We help manage patients’ complex disease states through counseling and education regarding their treatment and by 
providing ongoing monitoring and, in some cases, proactive follow-up contact to encourage patient adherence to their 
prescribed  therapy.  The  goal  of  Diplomat’s  patient  care  programs  is  to  provide  clinical  services  in  a  caring  and 
supportive  environment,  optimize  medication  adherence,  prevent  disease  progression  and  improve  therapeutic 
effectiveness.  To  accomplish  this,  Diplomat  focuses  on  each  patient  and  provides  solutions  related  to  medication 
access, tolerance and adherence. 

Diplomat  provides  patients  with  personalized  medication  programs  and  services  for  a  variety  of  complex  disease 
states, including the following: 

(cid:2)  Oncology: Cancer therapy often involves the use of highly-toxic chemotherapy or oral oncolytic agents with 
a high incidence of adverse events. Our goals for these patients include providing the most effective therapy 
at  the  appropriate  dose,  adverse  event  management  to  ensure  treatment  can  continue  for  as  long  as  it  is 
effective and improving quality of life. Our clinicians strive to provide optimal treatment for these patients 
by  providing  high-touch  proactive  and  reactive  care,  focusing  on  appropriate  dosage  and  administration, 
adverse event management and adherence monitoring. 

(cid:2)  Specialty Infusion Therapy: Several chronic, genetic conditions and orphan diseases are treated with infused 
pharmaceuticals  with  a  more  complex  intravenous  form  of  administration.  These  pharmaceuticals  are 
prescribed  for  individuals  with  conditions  including:  alpha-1  antitrypsin  deficiency;  hemophilia;  immune 
globulin and auto-immune deficiencies; hereditary angioedema; and lysosomal storage disorders. Patients 
are generally referred to specialty infusion pharmacy service providers by physicians or case managers. The 
medications  are  dispensed  under  the  supervision  of  a  registered  pharmacist,  and  the  therapy  is  typically 
delivered to the patient or caregiver for self-administration in the home or administration by a credentialed 
home-healthcare nurse or trained caregiver at home or in another care site. 

9

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(cid:2) 

Immunology: Care of patients with autoimmune and/or inflammatory conditions generally involves therapies 
aimed at slowing disease progression, reducing the rate of disease relapse and managing disease symptoms. 
Goals  for  these  patients  include  reducing  the  signs  and  symptoms  of  the  disease,  minimizing  short-  and 
long-term side effects and complications of the disease and therapy and improving or normalizing quality of 
life.  Our  clinicians  help  these  patients  by  providing  clinical  management,  providing  adverse  event 
management  support,  proactively  monitoring  for  adherence  issues  and  following  up  with  prescribers  in 
response to identified therapy issues. 

(cid:2)  Hepatitis: Management of hepatitis C virus (“HCV”) infection involves appropriate therapy selection based 
on HCV genotype, the presence or absence of cirrhosis, transplant status, previous response to therapy and 
whether the patient is co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (“HIV”) or hepatitis B virus. Goals 
for these patients include achieving a sustained virologic response, decreasing the disease and therapy burden, 
and  optimal  adherence  to  therapy.  Our  clinicians  ensure  that  HCV  therapy  regimens  are  complete  and 
appropriate, provide adverse-event management support, and follow-up with prescribers to ensure optimal 
therapy. 

(cid:2)  Multiple Sclerosis: Care for patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis involves life-long support. Our goals 
for these patients include providing efficacious therapy to reduce the frequency of relapse and improving 
quality  of  life.  Our  clinicians  ensure  that  patients  are  receiving  the  appropriate  dose  of  therapy,  provide 
adverse event counseling and management support, provide education on relapse mitigation strategies and 
are available to respond to patient questions about therapy effectiveness and adverse events. 

(cid:2)  Other Disease States: We also treat patients who have received organ transplants or who have HIV. Life-long 
therapy  is  essential  for  the  prevention  of  organ  rejection  in  transplant  patients,  and  we  seek  to  optimize 
adherence to therapy to decrease the likelihood of organ rejection. The management of HIV is complex and 
involves the use of highly active anti-retroviral therapy. Goals for our patients diagnosed with HIV include: 
achieving long-term, maximal suppression of viral load; preserving and improving immune system function 
(prevention of progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome); and prevention of the spread of HIV 
to others. 

Payers 
We partner with regional and mid-sized payers and independent PBMs, on an exclusive or semi-exclusive basis, to 
improve  clinical effectiveness  and lower  costs by  managing  high-risk  members and implementing patient-focused 
specialty  programs.  Our  electronic  patient  care  platform,  centered  on  our  disease-specific  technology  solution,  is 
customized for each payer’s needs and is designed to improve efficiency and lower costs. 

We  offer  payers  access  to  limited  distribution  drugs  and  unique  cost  containment  programs  including  split-fill 
programs, clinical management and motivational interviewing techniques for improving adherence. We believe that 
medication non-adherence is the largest avoidable cost in specialty pharmacy because it contributes to a substantial 
worsening of disease resulting in significant increases to hospital and other healthcare costs, so our strong adherence 
rates provides a benefit to payers. For example, through our split-fill program of dispensing prescriptions with less 
than  the  typical  30-day  supply,  we  promote  more  frequent  direct  intervention  and  tracking  of  patients  and  their 
therapies  by  our  highly  trained  clinical  experts.  Our  split-fill  program  focuses  on  medications  that  have  a  high 
discontinuation rate based on poor response, adverse effects and non-compliance, to address potential waste as well 
as improve adherence to a prescribed therapy. We dispense a two-week supply when prescribed, and it is our policy 
to  contact  patients  on  the  second  and  tenth  days  of  therapy  to  verify  patient  tolerance.  Once  confirmed,  we  will 
dispense the remainder of that month’s supply. If not tolerated, we contact the prescriber to seek an alternate therapy. 

We provide payers with a comprehensive approach to meeting their pharmacy service needs. Our specialty pharmacy 
services offer payers a cost effective solution for the distribution of specialty pharmaceuticals, generally directly to 
patients for self-administration. We manage high-risk members in the payers’ networks and assist with adherence to 
such members’ health plans to minimize waste in the purchase of specialty drugs and to optimize clinical effectiveness. 
We also provide access to a significant number of limited distribution drugs. Other services include coordinating care 
with  the  members’  physicians  and  payers,  as  well  as  providing  clinical  and  adherence  data  to  evaluate  therapy 
effectiveness. 

10

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers 
Through the coverage and clinical expertise of our Company-owned, main distribution facility and regional locations, 
some with retail capabilities and some with limited-to-moderate distribution capabilities, we provide pharmaceutical 
manufacturers  with  a  strong  distribution  channel  for  their  existing  pharmaceutical  products.  In  many  cases,  our 
national  presence  is  critical  to  becoming  a  selected  partner  in  the  launch  of  new  products.  When  providing  new 
products to patients, we implement a monitoring program to encourage adherence to the prescribed therapy, and we 
provide valuable clinical information to the manufacturer to aid in their evaluation of  product efficacy. We receive 
fees, which we record as revenue, from certain pharmaceutical manufacturers in return for providing them with clinical 
data. 

We  offer  specialized  and  highly  customized  prescription  programs  for  pharmaceutical  companies  to  help  them 
optimize, encourage and track patient adherence, as well as drug trial assistance including product encapsulation and 
packaging,  which  helps  drive  the  clinical  and  commercial  success  of  specialty  drugs.  In  addition,  in  cases  where 
pharmaceutical companies have successful clinical trials but little commercialization experience, we will partner with 
the  pharmaceutical  manufacturers,  including  biotechnology  pharmaceutical  companies  early  to  help  them  develop 
specialty  pharmaceutical  channel  strategies  as  part  of  their  commercial  launch  preparation,  including  strategies  to 
market  to,  educate  and  fulfill  the  needs  of  patients,  prescribers  and  payers.  We  further  provide  pharmaceutical 
manufacturers with a strong distribution channel for their existing pharmaceuticals and their new product launches. In 
some  cases,  we  believe  that  these  engagements  have  led  to  exclusive  rights  to  administer  the  products  of  these 
pharmaceutical companies or our inclusion in a small panel of authorized specialty pharmacies for limited distribution 
of drugs. 

The adherence rates that result from our patient-centered services described above directly benefit  pharmaceutical 
manufacturers through clinically appropriate continued dispensing of their products to patients who might otherwise 
have failed to continue their prescribed therapies. In addition, the financial assistance and reimbursement management 
we provide to patients further drives pharmaceutical sales. 

Pharmaceutical manufacturers frequently seek patient data on the efficacy and utilization of their products, which we 
provide  in  a  de-identified  format  compliant  with  the  Health  Insurance  Portability  and  Accountability  Act  of  1996 
(“HIPAA”).  This  data  provides  valuable  clinical  information  in  the  form  of  effectiveness  and  adherence  data  to 
manufacturers to aid in their evaluation of product efficacy. We continue to invest in new technologies that will enable 
us to better provide such analytical services. 

As  of  December  31,  2017,  we  have  a  portfolio  of  more  than  100  limited-distribution  drugs,  all  of  which  are 
commercially available. We have historically earned access to many limited-distribution drugs, both at the time of 
their launch and post-launch. We actively monitor the drug pipeline and maintain dialogue with many of the major 
biotechnology  and  pharmaceutical  manufacturers  to  identify  opportunities  in  all  pre-commercial  stages  of  drug 
development.  We  believe  that  limited  distribution  has  become  the  delivery  system  of  choice  for  many  drug 
manufacturers  because  it  is  conducive  to  smaller  patient  populations,  facilitates  high  patient  engagement,  clinical 
expertise and elevated focus on service, and because it allows for real-time patient-specific (albeit de-identified) data. 
We  believe  the  trend  toward  limited  distribution  of  specialty  drugs  will  continue  to  expand,  making  strong 
representation in this area essential. 

Physicians and Other Prescribers 
Our  team  works  with  physician  offices  to  manage  prior-authorization  and  other  managed  care  organization 
requirements, such as the denial and appeal process, to ensure that complicated administrative tasks do not impair the 
delivery of quality patient care. Additionally, we provide risk evaluation services, implement risk-mitigation strategies 
and collect patient adherence data to provide physicians and health systems with enhanced visibility.  

Our focus on specialty pharmacy and complex chronic diseases has enabled us to develop strong relationships with 
clinical  experts  and  thought  leaders  in  key  therapeutic  categories,  such  as  oncology,  specialty  infusion  therapy, 
immunology, hepatitis and multiple sclerosis. We leverage these relationships to gain greater visibility into future drug 
launches and to stay current on the latest advances in patient care. 

We assist prescribers with personalized and intensive patient support by providing care management related to their 
patients’ pharmacy needs and improving patient adherence to therapy protocols. We eliminate the need for physicians 

11

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
to carry inventories of high-cost prescriptions by distributing medications directly to patients’ homes or, in rare cases, 
to physicians’ offices. We also assist physicians and their clinical and non-clinical staff members by performing many 
of  the  administratively  intensive  tasks  associated  with  benefits  investigations,  prior  authorizations  and  other 
reimbursement-related matters. We bill payers directly, on the patient’s behalf, in nearly all cases. Further, we assist 
physicians by helping their patients manage the side effects of their therapies and by monitoring adherence. We also 
provide physicians with clinical updates and assist with managing the pipeline of potential new therapies. 

Hospitals and Health Systems 
We provide clinical and administrative support services for our hospital partners on a fee-for-service basis. Based on 
our broad industry experience, infrastructure and treatment-tracking software, our specialty network solution provides 
customized clinical and administrative support services that help these partners and their specialty patients improve 
financial outcomes. These services are similar to those provided to payers with respect to their specialty pharmacy 
customers, except that we do not buy or dispense the specialty product or bill the payers. The services generally include 
patient engagement and adherence programs, reimbursement processing and patient funding programs, and general 
disease-state management services. These services constituted less than 1 percent of our revenues in each of the years 
ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. 

We provide unique solutions to maximize cost containment, and improve efficiency and clinical effectiveness from 
specialty pharmaceuticals. Our programs also support hospitals that are 340B covered entities, which are organizations 
that provide access to reduced price prescription drugs to  healthcare facilities in accordance with the federal 340B 
Drug Pricing Program and that have been certified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), 
through a contracted pharmacy strategy. 

Our Suppliers 
We  obtain  the  pharmaceuticals  and  medical  supplies  and  equipment  that  we  provide  to  our  patients  through 
pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and group purchasing organizations. The majority of the pharmaceuticals 
that we purchase through distributors are available from multiple sources and are available in sufficient quantities to 
meet our needs and the needs of our patients. However, some biotechnology drugs are only available through the 
manufacturer and may be subject to limits on distribution. In such cases, it is important for us to establish and maintain 
good working relationships with the manufacturer to ensure sufficient supply to meet our patients’ needs. 

Most of the manufacturers of the pharmaceuticals we sell have the right to cancel their supply contracts with us without 
cause and after giving notice (generally 90 days or less). Specialty drug purchases from AmerisourceBergen, a drug 
wholesaler,  Celgene  Corporation  (“Celgene”)  and  Pharmacyclics,  Inc.  (“Pharmacyclics”),  pharmaceutical 
manufacturers from whom we purchase several drugs, represented 41 percent, 17 percent and 14 percent, respectively, 
of cost of products sold in 2017, 49 percent, 13 percent and 10 percent, respectively, of cost of products sold in 2016 
and 50 percent, 12 percent and 9 percent, respectively, of cost of products sold in 2015. We purchase large quantities 
from a single wholesaler to ease administration and leverage favorable pricing. In the event of a termination of our 
relationship with AmerisourceBergen, we believe there is typically at least one alternative drug wholesaler from whom 
we  could  source  each  non-limited-distribution  drug  we  dispense.  We  further  believe  that  we  could  replace  the 
inventories without a material disruption to our operations. As for the specialty drugs we purchase from Celgene and 
Pharmacyclics, they are not available from any other source. 

Billing and Significant Payers 
We derive most of our revenue from contracts with third-party payers such as managed care organizations, insurance 
companies, self-insured employers, PBMs, and Medicare and Medicaid programs. We contract directly with some 
payers and PBMs or, in other cases, with third parties which in turn contract with payers and PBMs on our behalf. See 
“Constituent Relationships-Payers” for additional information on payers. 

We  bill  payers  and  track  our  accounts  receivable  through  computerized  billing  systems.  These  systems  allow  our 
billing staff the flexibility to review and edit claims in the system before they are submitted to payers. For the great 
majority  of  our  dispensing  business,  claims  are  submitted  to  payers  electronically.  We  have  extensive  experience 
managing the coordination of benefits between commercial and government-sponsored plans. We participate  with 
Medicare as a Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (“DMEPOS”) pharmacy supplier, and 
participate in Medicare Part D. A benefit coverage specialist reviews all Medicare coverage determinations to ensure 

12

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
that  the  appropriate  benefit  is  being  billed.  Upon  completion  of  all  benefit  verifications,  we  follow  each  plan’s 
guidelines to identify which plan is primary and secondary and submit the billing accordingly. 

Our financial performance is highly dependent upon effective billing and collection practices. The process begins with 
an accurate and complete patient onboarding process, in which all critical information about the patient, the patient’s 
insurance and the patient’s care needs is gathered. A critical part of this process is verification of insurance coverage 
and authorization from insurance to provide the required care, which typically takes place before we initiate services. 
An exception occurs when a patient referral is received outside of  regular business hours, but we have an existing 
contractual relationship with the patient’s insurance carrier. In such cases, we provide the patient with sufficient drugs 
and services to last until the next business day, when the patient’s insurance coverage can be verified. 

Sales and Marketing 
Our sales and  marketing efforts focus on three primary objectives:  (1) establishing,  maintaining and strengthening 
relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers to gain distribution access as they release new or improved products; 
(2) establishing,  maintaining  and  strengthening  relationships  with  prescribers  and  key  opinion  leaders  to  obtain 
prescription  referrals;  and  (3) building  new  relationships  and  expanding  existing  contracts  with  managed  care 
organizations and other payers or PBMs. Our national and regional sales directors focus on establishing and expanding 
our contracts with managed care organizations, while our local account managers focus on maximizing value from 
these  contracts  by  developing  and  maintaining  relationships  with  local  and  regional  referral  sources,  such  as 
physicians, hospital discharge planners, other hospital personnel, health maintenance organizations, preferred provider 
organizations or other managed care organizations and insurance companies. We also have a dedicated sales force, 
through a combination of internal (phone sales) and external (field sales) team members for scalability and efficiency, 
focused  on  maintaining  and  expanding  our  relationships  with  biotechnology  drug  manufacturers  to  establish  our 
position  as  an  exclusive,  semi-exclusive,  or  participating  provider.  As  of  December  31,  2017,  we  had  190  sales 
employees, consisting of 59 centralized, mostly telephonic team members, and 131 team members working in the field 
in various U.S. regions. 

Information Technology 
Our information technology centers around a custom-developed scalable patient care system that provides real-time 
prescription and patient care status to us, prescribers and contracted partners. Our technology allows us to track and 
report industry-standard metrics on call center performance, dispensing, adherence, length of therapy and persistency. 
We  can  also  provide  HIPAA-compliant  reports  that  contain  inventory  data,  prescription  status,  persistency, 
compliance,  discontinuation  and  payer  data.  In  addition  to  reporting  on  patient  and  prescriber  demographics, 
turnaround times, spend and error reporting, we can also report on patient assessment data, clinical status and other 
monitoring  parameters.  In  recent  years,  we  have  in-sourced  a  substantial  portion  of  our  information  technology 
development. We also use an off-the-shelf pharmacy software system for purposes of transmitting claims to payers. 
We have invested significantly in information technology in recent years to position us to improve cost efficiencies 
among us and our constituents and to provide additional services regarding the de-identified data we accumulate to 
take greater advantage of our relationships with data-driven pharmaceutical manufacturers. 

Competition 
There are a significant number of competitors that distribute specialty pharmacy drugs and provide related services, 
some  of  which  have  greater  resources  than  we  do.  Many  of  the  competitive  segments  in  which  we  compete  have 
experienced significant consolidation over the past few years. Our competitors include: captive specialty pharmacies 
owned by PBMs; retail pharmacy chains and independent retail pharmacies; health plans; national, regional and niche 
specialty  pharmacies;  specialty  infusion  therapy  companies;  physician  practices  and  hospital  systems;  and  group 
purchasing organizations.  

We  are  the  largest  independent  provider  of  specialty  pharmacy  services  in  the  U.S.,  with  a  market  share  of 
approximately  4  percent  (based  on  2016  revenues  from  pharmacy-dispensed  specialty  drugs).  The  three  largest 
specialty pharmacies are divisions within CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and Walgreens. We understand that several 
other traditionally non-specialty pharmacies with significant resources are attempting to build, acquire, or partner with 
specialty pharmacies due to the double-digit growth anticipated in spending on specialty prescription drugs compared 
to flat to low single-digit growth in spending on traditional prescription drugs. There are also many smaller specialty 
pharmacies and other entities in the healthcare industry that provide specialty pharmacy services. While such entities 

13

 
 
 
 
 
 
presently compete with us to a lesser extent, they may be able to invest significant resources, through acquisition or 
otherwise, to compete with us on a larger scale. 

PBM Industry 
We  believe  the  key  market  factors  that  influence  spending  on  PBM  solutions  and  services  by  participants  in  the 
pharmaceutical supply chain are the amount spent on prescription drugs and the associated volume of prescription 
drugs dispensed and insurance claims processed each year. We estimate that the current market opportunity for our 
PBM solutions and services in this industry is significant, and is growing due to an aging population and increased 
prescription drug spend. In particular, the U.S. population age 65 and older is expected to reach 92 million by 2060, 
representing one in five U.S. residents, with a commensurate increase in prescription drug spend which is estimated 
to be 19.3 percent of U.S. gross domestic product by 2023. We believe the increase in prescription spending, faster 
projected economic growth and the aging of the population will drive demand for senior-focused clinical programs 
and  benefit  plans,  as  well  as  information  technology  decision  support  tools  to  facilitate  the  on-line  analytical 
assessment of specific population trends, and address the PBM needs of an aging population. In addition, rising drug 
prices and a growth in specialty drug spend should further amplify this trend, with specialty drug spending expected 
to surpass traditional drug spending in 2018 and health spending projected to grow at an average rate of 5.7 percent 
through 2023, driven primarily by price inflation and the introduction of new products. This, coupled with the trend 
in the marketplace to shift coverage of these drugs from the medical benefit to the pharmacy benefit, is expected to 
lead to an increase in demand for benefit design and clinical and reimbursement management strategies. In addition, 
as demand for Medicare Part D programs continue to increase, the demand for pharmacy benefit management and 
information technology should increase concomitantly, as our customers are required to update their systems, and will 
continue to require support to maintain these systems. 

PBM Business 
In late 2017, we entered the PBM business through our December 2017 acquisition of LDI Holding Company, LLC, 
doing business as LDI Integrated Pharmacy Services (“LDI”)  and our November 2017 acquisition Pharmaceutical 
Technologies, Inc., doing business as National Pharmaceutical Services (“NPS”). We are a business provider of PBM 
services, which are marketed under the LDI and NPS brands and include  electronic point-of-sale pharmacy claims 
management, retail pharmacy network management, mail pharmacy claims management, specialty pharmacy claims 
management,  Medicare  Part  D  services,  benefit  design  consultation,  preferred  drug  management  programs,  drug 
review  and  analysis,  consulting  services,  data  access,  and  reporting  and  information  analysis.  Our  PBM  services 
include owning and operating a network of mail order pharmacies. Our customers include managed care organizations, 
self-insured  employer  groups,  unions,  and  third-party  healthcare  plan  administrators  and  worker’s  compensation 
payers. 

PBM Products and Services Offered 
Our PBM service offering consists of a broad suite of customizable services that provide a flexible and cost-effective 
alternative to traditional PBM offerings typically employed by health plans, government agencies and employers. We 
provide our customers with increased control of their pharmacy benefit dollars and maximized cost control and quality 
of care through a full range of pharmacy spend management services, including: 

(cid:2)  Formulary Administration – Provide support for customers’ existing formularies and preferred drug lists or 
collaborate to create best-in-class models supported by formulary predictive modeling and impact analysis. 
Pharmacist, physician and member-focused intervention protocols provide quality controls to drive generics, 
preferred drug products and appropriate use. Formularies are administered based on specific plan designs. 

(cid:2)  Benefit  Plan  Design  and  Management  –  Accommodate  and  support  any  benefit  plan  design  option  or 
variation required. We specialize in applying data-driven insights to help customers understand the medical 
risk drivers within their population and take a strategic approach to plan design. We provide benefit design 
configuration and support to customers in accordance with mutually developed processes. 

(cid:2)  Drug Utilization Review (“DUR”) – Pre-dispensing DUR edit checks are performed on an online, real-time 
basis  between  mail  and  retail  pharmacies  to  encourage  appropriate  drug  utilization,  enhance  member 
outcomes,  and  reduce  drug  costs.  All  prescriptions  are  checked  for  member  eligibility  and  plan  design 
features and are then compared against previous histories of prescriptions filled by the same pharmacy, by 
other participating retail network pharmacies and by the mail service pharmacy. 

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(cid:2)  Clinical Services and Consulting – Clinical and technical expertise are used to develop, deploy and support 
our clinical programs. Customers have the option of using selected or the full-suite of our clinical programs, 
which incorporate complete prescription drug information to reduce prescription drug costs and increase the 
quality  of  care  and  member  safety.  We  offer  comprehensive  clinical  management  strategies  which  help 
reduce  undesirable  events,  increase  medication  compliance,  decrease  medication  waste  and  promote  plan 
member well-being. 

(cid:2)  Mail Order Pharmacy Services – In addition to the specialty pharmacy services we provide, as previously 
described (See Item 1 Business – Specialty Pharmacy Industry – Our Services), we offer mail order services 
to our PBM members. Mail service gives members flexibility, privacy and easy access to their maintenance 
medications while offering significant plan savings to the customer. To provide a higher standard of service 
and to assert greater control over outcomes for clients, we offer members access to full-service mail service 
pharmacies  that  provide  high  quality  service,  member  support  and  convenient,  easy-to-use  mail  service 
delivery  throughout  the  U.S.  Projected  savings  for  mail  service  are  dependent  on  plan  design  features, 
including co-payments and incentives and utilization patterns. 

(cid:2)  Medicare  Part  D  –  As  a  full-service  PBM,  we  support  a  variety  of  Medicare  Part  D Plan  Sponsors.  We 
provide prescription benefit management support including implementation of specific Medicare Part D plan 
designs,  creation  and  maintenance  of  Medicare  Part  D  formularies,  CMS  reporting  requirements  and 
consultative, proactive account management.  

PBM Competition 
We compete with numerous companies that provide the same or similar PBM services. Our competitors range from 
large publicly traded companies to several small and privately owned companies which compete for a significant part 
of  the  market.  The  principal  competitive  factors  are  quality  of  service,  scope  of  available  services  and  price. The 
ability to be competitive is influenced by our ability to negotiate prices with pharmacies, drug manufacturers and third-
party rebate administrators. Market share for PBM services in the U.S. is highly concentrated, with a few national 
firms,  such  as  Express  Scripts,  CVS  Caremark.  and  OptumRx,  a  UnitedHealth  Group  Company,  controlling  a 
significant  share  of  prescription  volume. Some  of  our  competitors  have  been  in  existence  longer  and  are  better 
established.  Some  of  them  also  have  broader  public  recognition  and  substantially  greater  financial  and  marketing 
resources. In addition, some of our customers and potential customers may find it desirable to perform for themselves 
those services now being rendered by us. 

The  payer  and  pharmaceutical  supply  chain  markets  require  solutions  which  address  the  unique  needs  of  each 
constituent.  Our  customers  require  robust  and  scalable  technology  solutions,  as  well  as  the  ability  to  ensure  cost 
efficiency for themselves and their customers. Others require extensive clinical solutions and member-centric services. 
Our  ability  to  attract  and  retain  customers  depends  substantially  on  our  capability  to  provide  competitive  pricing, 
efficient and accurate claims management, utilization review services and related reporting and consulting services. 

Governmental Regulation 
The healthcare industry is subject to extensive regulation by  several governmental entities at the federal, state and 
local level. The industry is also subject to frequent regulatory change. Laws and regulations in the healthcare industry 
are  extremely  complex  and,  in  many  instances,  the  industry  does  not  have  the  benefit  of  significant  regulatory  or 
judicial interpretation. Moreover, our business is impacted not only by those laws and regulations that are directly 
applicable to us, but also by certain laws and regulations that are applicable to our managed care and other clients. 

Professional Licensure 
Pharmacists, nurses and certain other healthcare professionals employed by us are required to be individually licensed 
or certified under applicable state law. We perform criminal, government exclusion and other background checks on 
employees and take steps to ensure that our employees possess all necessary licenses and certifications, and we believe 
that our employees comply, in all material respects, with applicable licensure laws. 

Pharmacy Licensing and Registration 
State  laws  require  that  each  of  our  pharmacy  locations  be  appropriately  licensed  and/or  registered  to  dispense 
pharmaceuticals in that state. We are licensed in all states that require such licensure and believe that we substantially 

15

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
comply with all state licensing laws applicable to our business. Where required by law, we also have pharmacists 
licensed in all states in which we dispense. 

Laws enforced by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), as well as some similar state agencies, require 
our  pharmacy  locations  to  individually  register  to  handle  controlled  substances,  including  prescription 
pharmaceuticals. A separate registration is required at each principal place of business where we dispense controlled 
substances.  Federal  and  state  laws  also  require  that  we  follow  specific  labeling,  reporting  and  record-keeping 
requirements  for controlled substances. We  maintain  DEA registrations for each of our  facilities that require such 
registration and follow procedures intended to comply with all applicable federal and state requirements regarding 
controlled substances. 

Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 
Certain provisions of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act govern the handling and distribution of pharmaceutical 
products.  This  law  exempts  many  pharmaceuticals  and  medical  devices  from  federal  labeling  and  packaging 
requirements as long as they are not adulterated or misbranded and are dispensed in accordance with and pursuant to 
a valid prescription. We believe that we comply with all applicable requirements. 

Fraud and Abuse Laws – Anti-Kickback Statute 
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits individuals and entities from knowingly and willfully paying, offering, 
receiving, or soliciting money or anything else of value in order to induce the referral of patients or to induce a person 
to purchase, lease, order, arrange for, or recommend services or goods covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal 
healthcare programs. The federal courts have held that an arrangement violates the Anti-Kickback Statute if any one 
purpose of the remuneration is to induce the referral of patients covered by the Medicare or Medicaid programs, even 
if another purpose of the payment is to compensate an individual for rendered services. The Anti-Kickback Statute is 
broad  and  potentially  covers  many  standard  business  arrangements.  Violations  can  lead  to  significant  penalties, 
including criminal fines of up to $25,000 per violation and/or five years imprisonment, civil monetary penalties of up 
to $50,000 per violation plus treble damages and/or exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other 
federal healthcare programs. Certain types of payments are excluded from the statutory prohibition. Additionally, in 
an effort to clarify the conduct prohibited by the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Office of the Inspector General of HHS 
(the “OIG”) publishes regulations that identify a limited number of safe harbors. Business arrangements that satisfy 
all  of  the  elements  of  a  safe  harbor  are  immune  from  criminal  enforcement  or  civil  administrative  actions.  The 
Anti-Kickback Statute is an intent-based statute and the failure of a business relationship to satisfy all of the elements 
of a safe harbor does not, in and of itself, mean that the business relationship violates the Anti-Kickback Statute. The 
OIG, in its commentary to the safe harbor regulations, has recognized that many business arrangements that do not 
satisfy a safe harbor nonetheless operate without the type of abuses the Anti-Kickback Statute is designed to prevent. 
We attempt to structure our business relationships to satisfy an applicable safe harbor. However, in those situations 
where  a  business  relationship  does  not  fully  satisfy  the  elements  of  a  safe  harbor,  we  attempt  to  satisfy  as  many 
elements of an applicable safe harbor as possible. The  OIG is authorized to issue  advisory opinions regarding the 
interpretation and applicability of the Anti-Kickback Statute, including whether an activity constitutes grounds for the 
imposition of civil or criminal sanctions. 

Several states have statutes and regulations that prohibit the same general types of conduct as those prohibited by the 
Anti-Kickback Statute described above. Some state anti-fraud and anti-kickback laws apply only to goods and services 
covered  by  Medicaid.  Other  state  anti-fraud  and  anti-kickback  laws  apply  to  all  healthcare  goods  and  services, 
regardless of whether the source of payment is governmental or private. Where applicable, we attempt to structure our 
business relationships to comply with these statutes and regulations. 

Fraud and Abuse Laws – False Claims Act 
We are subject to state and federal laws that govern the submission of claims for reimbursement. These laws generally 
prohibit an individual or entity from knowingly and willfully presenting a claim or causing a claim to be presented for 
payment from a federal healthcare program that is false or fraudulent. The standard for “knowing and willful” may 
include conduct that amounts to a reckless disregard for the accuracy of information presented to  payers. Penalties 
under these statutes include substantial civil and criminal fines, exclusion from the Medicare or Medicaid programs 
and imprisonment. One of the most prominent of these laws is the federal False Claims Act, which may be enforced 
by the federal government directly or by a private plaintiff by filing a qui tam lawsuit on the government’s behalf. 
Under  the  False  Claims  Act,  the  government  and  private  plaintiffs,  if  any,  may  recover  monetary  penalties  in  the 

16

 
 
 
 
 
 
amount  of  $5,500  to  $11,000  per  false  claim,  as  well  as  an  amount  equal  to  three  times  the  amount  of  damages 
sustained by the government as a result of the false claim. Several states, including states in which we operate, have 
adopted their own false claims statutes as well as statutes that allow individuals to bring  qui tam actions. In recent 
years, federal and state government authorities have launched several initiatives aimed at uncovering practices that 
violate false claims or fraudulent billing laws, and they have conducted numerous investigations of pharmaceutical 
manufacturers, PBMs, pharmacies and healthcare providers with respect to false claims, fraudulent billing and related 
matters. We believe that we have procedures in place to ensure the accuracy of our claims. 

Ethics in Patient Referrals Law – Stark Law 
The federal Physician Self-Referral Prohibition, commonly known as the Stark Law, generally prohibits a physician 
from ordering Designated Health Services for Medicare and Medicaid patients from an entity with which the physician 
or an immediate family member has a financial relationship and prohibits the entity from presenting or causing to be 
presented  claims  to  Medicare  or  Medicaid  for  those  referred  services,  unless  an  exception  applies.  A  financial 
relationship  is  generally  defined  as  an  ownership,  investment,  or  compensation  relationship.  Designated  Health 
Services include, but are not limited to, outpatient pharmaceuticals, parenteral and enteral nutrition products, home 
health services, durable medical equipment, physical and occupational therapy services, and inpatient and outpatient 
hospital services. Among other sanctions, a civil monetary penalty of up to $15,000 may be imposed for each bill or 
claim for a service a person knows or should know is for a service for which payment may not be made due to the 
Stark Law. Such persons or entities are also subject to exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Any 
person or entity participating in a circumvention scheme to avoid the referral prohibitions is liable for a civil monetary 
penalty of up to $100,000. A $10,000 fine may be imposed for failure to comply with reporting requirements regarding 
an entity’s ownership, investment and compensation arrangements for each day for which reporting is required to have 
been made under the Stark Law. 

The Stark Law is a broad prohibition on certain business relationships, with detailed exceptions. However, unlike the 
Anti-Kickback  Statute  under  which  an  activity  may  fall  outside  a  safe  harbor  and  still  be  lawful,  a  referral  for 
Designated Health Services that does not fall within an exception is strictly prohibited by the Stark Law. We attempt 
to  structure  all  of  our  relationships  with  physicians  who  make  referrals  to  us  in  compliance  with  an  applicable 
exception to the Stark Law. 

In addition to the Stark Law, many of the states in  which we operate have comparable restrictions on the ability of 
physicians to refer patients for certain services to entities with which they have a financial relationship. Certain of 
these  state  statutes  mirror  the  Stark  Law  while  others  may  be  more  restrictive.  We  attempt  to  structure  all  of  our 
business relationships with physicians to comply with any applicable state self-referral laws. 

HIPAA and Other Privacy and Confidentiality Legislation 
Our activities involve the receipt, use and disclosure of confidential health information, including disclosure of the 
confidential information to a patient’s health benefit plan, as permitted in accordance with applicable federal and state 
privacy laws. In addition, we use and disclose de-identified data for analytical and other purposes. Many state laws 
restrict  the  use  and  disclosure  of  confidential  medical  information,  and  similar  new  legislative  and  regulatory 
initiatives are underway at the state and federal levels. 

HIPAA  imposes  extensive  requirements  on  the  way  in  which  healthcare  providers  that  engage  in  certain  actions 
covered by HIPAA, as well as healthcare clearinghouses (each known as “covered entities”) and the persons or entities 
that create, receive, maintain, or transmit protected health information (“PHI”) on behalf of covered entities (known 
as “business associates”) and their subcontractors, use, disclose and safeguard PHI, including requirements to protect 
the integrity, availability and confidentiality of electronic PHI. Many of these obligations were expanded under the 
Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”), passed as part of the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In January 2013, the Office for Civil Rights of HHS issued a final rule under 
HITECH  that  makes  significant  changes  to  the  privacy,  security,  breach  notification  and  enforcement  regulations 
promulgated under HIPAA (the “Final Omnibus Rule”), and which generally took effect in September 2013. The Final 
Omnibus Rule enhances individual privacy protections, provides individuals new rights to their health information 
and strengthens the government’s ability to enforce HIPAA. 

The privacy regulations (the “Privacy Rule”) issued by the Office of Civil Rights  of HHS pursuant to HIPAA give 
individuals the right to know how their PHI is used and disclosed, as well as the right to access, amend and obtain 

17

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
information concerning certain disclosures of PHI. Covered entities, such as pharmacies and health plans, are required 
to provide a written Notice of Privacy Practices to individuals that describes how the entity uses and discloses PHI, 
and how individuals may exercise their rights with respect to their PHI. For most uses and disclosures of PHI other 
than for treatment, payment, healthcare operations and certain public policy purposes, HIPAA generally requires that 
covered entities obtain a valid written individual authorization. In most cases, use or disclosure of PHI must be limited 
to  the  minimum  necessary  to  achieve  the  purpose  of  the  use  or  disclosure. The  Final  Omnibus  Rule  modifies  the 
content  of  Notice  of  Privacy  Practices  in  significant  ways,  requiring,  among  other  things,  statements  informing 
individuals of their rights to receive notifications of any breaches of unsecured PHI and to restrict disclosures of PHI 
to a health plan where the individual pays out of pocket. 

We are a covered entity under HIPAA in connection with our operation of specialty service pharmacies. To the extent 
that we provide services other than as a covered entity and we perform a function or activity, or provide a service to, 
a covered entity that involves PHI, the covered entity may be required to enter into a business associate agreement 
with  us.  Business  associate  agreements  mandated  by  the  Privacy  Rule  create  a  contractual  obligation  for  us,  as  a 
business associate, to perform our duties for the applicable covered entity in compliance with the Privacy Rule. In 
addition, HITECH subjects us to certain aspects of the Privacy Rule and the HIPAA security regulations when we act 
as  a  business  associate,  including  imposing  direct  liability  on  business  associates  for  impermissible  uses  and 
disclosures of PHI and the failure to disclose PHI to the covered entity, the individual, or the individual’s designee (as 
specified in the business associate agreement), as necessary to satisfy a covered entity’s obligations with respect to an 
individual’s  request  for  an  electronic  copy  of  PHI.  The  Final  Omnibus  Rule  also  extends  the  business  associate 
provisions of HIPAA to subcontractors where the function, activity, or service delegated by the business associate to 
the subcontractor involves the creation, receipt, maintenance, or transmission of PHI. As such, business associates are 
required to enter into business associate agreements with subcontractors for services involving access to PHI and may 
be subject to civil monetary penalties for the acts and omissions of their subcontractors. 

Importantly, the Final Omnibus Rule greatly expands the types of product- and service-related communications to 
patients or enrollees that will require individual authorizations by requiring individual authorization for all treatment 
and  healthcare  operations  communications  where  the  covered  entity  receives  payment  in  exchange  for  the 
communication from or on behalf of a third-party whose product or service is being described. While the Office of 
Civil Rights of HHS has established limited exceptions to this rule where individual authorization is not required, the 
marketing provisions finalized in the Final Omnibus Rule could potentially have an adverse impact on our business 
and revenues. 

If  we  fail  to  comply  with  HIPAA  or  our  policies  and  procedures  are  not  sufficient  to  prevent  the  unauthorized 
disclosure of PHI, we could be subject to liability, fines and lawsuits under federal and state privacy laws, consumer 
protection statutes and other laws. Criminal penalties and civil sanctions may be imposed for failing to comply with 
HIPAA standards either as a covered entity or business associate, and these penalties and sanctions have significantly 
increased under HITECH. In addition to imposing potential monetary penalties, HITECH also requires the Office of 
Civil Rights of HHS to conduct periodic compliance audits and empowers state attorneys general to bring actions in 
federal court for violations of HIPAA on behalf of state residents harmed by such violations. Several such actions 
have already been brought, and continued enforcement actions are likely to occur in the future. 

The transactions and code sets regulation promulgated under HIPAA requires that all covered entities that engage in 
certain electronic transactions, directly or through a third-party agent, use standardized formats and code sets. We, in 
our role as a business associate of a covered entity, must conduct such transactions in accordance with such transaction 
rule and related regulations that require the use of operating rules in connection with HIPAA transactions. In our role 
as  a  specialty  pharmacy  operator,  we  must  also  conduct  such  transactions  in  accordance  with  such  regulations  or 
engage a clearinghouse to process our covered transactions. HHS promulgated a National Provider Identifiers (“NPI”) 
Final Rule that requires covered entities to utilize NPIs in all standard transactions. NPIs replaced National Association 
of  Boards  of  Pharmacy  numbers  for  pharmacies,  DEA  numbers  for  physicians  and  similar  identifiers  for  other 
healthcare providers for purposes of identifying providers in connection with HIPAA standard transactions. Covered 
entities may be excluded from federal healthcare programs for violating these regulations. 

The  security  regulations  issued  pursuant  to  HIPAA  mandate  the  use  of  administrative,  physical  and  technical 
safeguards to protect the confidentiality of electronic PHI. Such security rules apply to covered entities and business 
associates. 

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We must also comply with the “breach notification” regulations, which implement provisions of HITECH. In the case 
of a breach of “unsecured PHI,” covered entities must promptly notify affected individuals and the HHS Secretary, as 
well  as  the  media  in  cases  where  a  breach  affects  more  than  500  individuals.  Breaches  affecting  fewer  than  500 
individuals must be reported to the HHS Secretary on an annual basis. The regulations also require business associates 
of covered entities to notify the covered entity of such breaches by the business associate. 

Final regulations governing the accounting of disclosures implementing provision in HITECH are forthcoming, but 
have been subject to significant delay. The initial proposed rule, if finalized, would require covered entities to develop 
systems to monitor and record: (1) which of their employees and business associates access an individual’s electronic 
PHI contained in a designated record set; (2) the time and date access occurs; and (3) the action taken during the access 
session  (e.g., modification,  deletion,  viewing).  The  final  regulations  could  impose  significant  burdens  on  covered 
entities and business associates. 

The Health Reform Laws (as defined in “Health Reform Legislation” below) require the HHS Secretary to develop 
new  health  information  technology  standards  that  could  require  changes  to  our  existing  software  products.  For 
example,  the  statute  requires  the  establishment  of  interoperable  standards  and  protocols  to  facilitate  electronic 
enrollment of individuals in federal and state health and human services programs and provides the government with 
authority to require incorporation of these standards and protocols in health information technology investments as a 
condition of receiving federal funds for such investments. 

HIPAA generally preempts state laws, except when state laws are more protective of PHI or are more restrictive than 
HIPAA requirements. Therefore, to the extent states continue to enact more protective or restrictive legislation, we 
could be required to make significant changes to our business operations. In addition, independent of any statutory or 
regulatory restrictions, individual health plan clients could increase limitations on our use of medical information, 
which could prevent us from offering certain services. 

Medicare Part D 
The Medicare Part D program, which makes prescription drug coverage available to eligible Medicare beneficiaries, 
regulates various aspects of the provision of Medicare drug coverage, including enrollment, formularies, pharmacy 
networks,  marketing  and  claims  processing.  The  Centers  for  Medicare  &  Medicaid  Services  (“CMS”)  imposed 
restrictions  and  consent  requirements  for  automatic  prescription  delivery  programs,  and  further  limited  the 
circumstances  under  which  Medicare  Part  D  plans  may  recoup  payments  to  pharmacies  for  claims  that  are 
subsequently  determined  not  payable  under  Medicare  Part  D.  CMS  sanctions  for  non-compliance  may  include 
suspension of enrollment and even termination from the program. 

The  Medicare  Part D  program  has  undergone  significant  legislative  and  regulatory  changes  since  its  inception. 
Medicare Part D continues to attract a high degree of legislative and regulatory scrutiny, and applicable government 
rules and regulations continue to evolve. For example, CMS may issue regulations that limit the ability of Medicare 
Part D plans to establish preferred pharmacy networks. 

Health Reform Legislation 
Congress  passed  major  health  reform  legislation,  including  the  Patient  Protection  and  Affordable  Care  Act,  as 
amended by the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (the “Health Reform Laws”), which enacted a 
number of significant healthcare reforms. President Donald Trump has stated his intentions to support the repeal and 
possible replacement of the Health Reform Laws during his term of office.  While Congress has not passed repeal 
legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 includes a provision repealing, effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based 
shared  responsibility  payment  imposed  by  the  Health  Reform  Laws  on  certain  individuals  who  fail  to  maintain 
qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year that is commonly referred to as the “individual mandate.” Congress 
may consider other legislation to repeal or replace elements of the Health Reform Laws. While not all of these reforms, 
or their repeal or replacement, affect our business directly, they could affect the coverage and plan designs that are or 
will be provided by many of our health plan clients. As a result, these reforms, or their repeal or replacement, could 
impact many of our services and business practices. There is considerable uncertainty as to the continuation of these 
reforms, their repeal, or their replacement. 

19

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Managed Care Reform 
In addition to health reforms enacted by the Health Reform Laws, legislation has been considered, proposed and/or 
enacted at the state level, aimed at providing additional rights and access to drugs to individuals enrolled in managed 
care plans. This legislation may impact the design and implementation of prescription drug benefit plans sponsored 
by our PBM health plan clients and/or the services we provide to them. Both the scope of the managed care reform 
proposals considered by state legislatures and reforms enacted by states to date vary greatly, and the scope of future 
legislation that may be enacted is uncertain. 

21st Century Cures Act 
The 21st Century Cures Act ("Cures Act"), enacted in December 2016, among other things implemented Average 
Sales Price pricing for Part B DME infusion drugs in January 2017 and delayed payment for the home infusion services 
necessary to administer these drugs until January 2021. Given our current understanding of the Cures Act, we do not 
believe that it will have a significant impact on our business. 

Accreditations 
We maintain accreditations from the following organizations: 

(cid:2)  Accreditation Commission for Healthcare (“ACHC”): Effective July 21, 2014, we hold specialty pharmacy 
and infusion pharmacy  accreditations  from the  ACHC. Under such accreditation, the ACHC reviews and 
assesses our activities. Areas of focus include infusion pharmacy business, infusion pharmacy continuum of 
care, intravenous drug mixture preparation, administration, therapy monitoring and client/patient counseling 
and education. 

(cid:2)  American  Society  of  Health-System  Pharmacists  (“ASHP”):  Effective  September  26,  2013,  we  hold  a 
postgraduate year one pharmacy residency program accreditation from the ASHP. The ASHP reviews and 
evaluates our residency training program against established criteria to ensure  that pharmacy residents are 
properly  trained.  The  ASHP  is  a  nationally  recognized  non-profit  pharmacy  association  that  has  been 
accrediting pharmacy residency programs for more than 50 years. 

(cid:2)  URAC:  Effective  January 1,  2013,  we  hold  a  URAC  specialty  pharmacy  accreditation,  a  nationally 
recognized and rigorous accreditation that includes a thorough review of documentation, an on-site survey 
for verifying compliance standards and final review by the URAC accreditation and executive committees. 

(cid:2)  National  Association  of  Boards  of  Pharmacy  (“NABP”):  Effective  May 13,  2013,  we  hold  a 
Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors® (“VAWD®”) accreditation from the NABP. This accreditation 
is designed for compliance with state and federal laws, for preventing counterfeit drugs from entering the 
U.S., and to protect patients from below-quality drug distribution by employing security and best practice 
standards for wholesale drug distribution. Effective July 23, 2012, we hold a DMEPOS accreditation from 
the NABP. 

Effective January 7, 2015, we hold a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites® (“VIPPS®”) accreditation 
from the NABP. This accreditation certifies that we comply with the licensing and inspection requirements 
of our state and each state to which we dispense pharmaceuticals. In addition, displaying the VIPPS® seal 
demonstrates NABP compliance with VIPPS® criteria including patient rights to privacy, authentication and 
security  of  prescription  orders,  adherence  to  a  recognized  quality  assurance  policy  and  provision  of 
meaningful consultation between patients and pharmacists. 

(cid:2)  Center  for  Pharmacy  Practice  Accreditation  (“CPPA”):  Effective  January  4,  2016,  we  hold  a  CPPA 
certification.  The  CPPA  recognizes  pharmacies  that  practice  efficient,  high-quality  patient  care  while 
promoting  safe  and  effective  medication  management  and  distribution.  With  a  focus  on  regulatory  and 
organizational  quality,  the  program  ensures  a  superior  level  of  pharmacy  service  to  patients,  prescribers, 
partners and payers. 

(cid:2)  Health  Information  Trust  Alliance  (“HITRUST”):  Effective  August  22,  2016,  we  hold  a  HITRUST 
Common  Security  Framework  (“CSF”)  certification.  CSF  certification  through  HITRUST  places  us  in  a 

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limited group of organizations worldwide that have met industry-defined requirements and are appropriately 
managing  risk.  Incorporating  a  risk-based  approach,  the  HITRUST  CSF  helps  healthcare  organizations 
comply with data privacy and security regulations through a comprehensive and flexible set of prescriptive 
and  scalable  security  controls.  HITRUST  CSF  certification  validates  compliance  with  state  and  federal 
regulations, standards and frameworks. 

Intellectual Property 
We rely on copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, in addition to contractual restrictions, to establish and protect 
our proprietary rights. We have registered or applied to register a variety of our trademarks and service marks used 
throughout  our  business.  DIPLOMAT  SPECIALTY  PHARMACY®  and  DIPLOMAT®,  among  others,  are  service 
marks registered with the U.S. Patent Trademark Office. In addition, we rely on unregistered common law trademark 
rights and unregistered copyrights under applicable U.S. law to distinguish and/or protect our services and branding. 
We believe that our trade names are becoming more recognized by many referral sources as representing a reliable, 
cost-effective source of specialty pharmacy services. We are not aware of any facts that could materially impact our 
continuing use of any of our intellectual property. We do not believe that the loss of copyrights, trademarks, or service 
marks would have a material adverse effect on our business. 

Employees 
As of December 31, 2017, we employed 2,419 persons, including 2,177 on a full-time basis and 242 on a part-time 
basis. Of our employees, 1,042 were corporate personnel and 1,377 were clinically focused. Most of our part-time 
employees are clinicians due to the nature and timing of the services we provide. We have 50 employees covered by 
a collective bargaining agreement, which expires on December 31, 2018. 

Executive Officers of the Registrant 
The following table sets forth information regarding our executive officers (ages as of December 31, 2017): 

Name 

Jeff Park  
Atul Kavthekar  
Joel Saban  
Gary Rice 

   Age    
46 
49 
50 
60 

Position 

  Interim Chief Executive Officer, Member of the Board of Directors 
  Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer 
  President 
  Executive Vice President, Operations 

Jeff Park has served as our interim chief executive officer since January 2018, and has served as a director of the 
board of directors since June 2017. Prior to joining Diplomat, Mr. Park was the Chief Operating Officer of OptumRx, 
a $75 billion entity resulting from the merger of Catamaran Corporation (NASDAQ: CTRX), a major PBM services 
provider, and OptumRx, UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) free-standing pharmacy care services business from 
July 2015 until July 2016. Immediately prior to the merger, Mr. Park served as Catamaran’s Executive Vice President, 
Operations since March 2014 and previously served as its Chief Financial Officer beginning in 2006. Prior to serving 
as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Park was a member of Catamaran’s board of directors and was a Senior Vice President 
of Covington Capital Corporation, a private equity venture capital firm he joined in 1998. 

Atul Kavthekar has served as our chief financial officer and treasurer since May 2017. Mr. Kavthekar has over two 
decades of financial experience, including most recently at Framebridge, Inc., an ecommerce retailer, where he served 
as Chief Financial Officer immediately prior to joining the Company. Before joining Framebridge, Mr. Kavthekar 
was  at  LivingSocial, Inc.,  an  e-commerce  retailer,  where  he  served  as  Chief  Financial  Officer  from  June 2015  to 
December 2016 and was responsible for overall financial and operational improvement of the business. Mr. Kavthekar 
also  spent  time  as  Head  of  Corporate  Development  for  Sears  Holding  Corporation’s  health  and  wellness  division 
which  included  the  Kmart  Pharmacy  business,  from  December 2013  to  May 2015,  and  as  Division  CFO  of  e-
commerce for Walgreen Co. from December 2009 to December 2013. Prior to these positions, he held a number of 
positions in the financial industry, focusing on investment banking and mergers and acquisitions. 

Joel  Saban  has  served  as  our  president  since  August  2017.  Prior  to  joining  Diplomat,  Mr. Saban  served  as  the 
Executive Vice President, Pharmacy Operations at Catamaran Corp. from June 2010 until January 2016 overseeing a 
staff of approximately 3,200 employees of Catamaran Corp.’s retail, mail and specialty operations, as well as cost of 
goods contracting and vendor relations. Prior to joining Catamaran Corp., Mr. Saban was the Senior Vice President 

21

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
of Industry  Relations at CVS/Caremark Corporation from 1997 until 2010 where he  was responsible for directing 
brand  pharmaceutical  industry  relations  including  contract  negotiations  and  administration,  financial  analysis,  and 
strategic business development, as well as evaluating opportunities, analyzing contract profitability and ensuring that 
contracts met company business objectives in the pharmaceutical and retail areas. Previously, Mr. Saban also served 
as Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs for the Alzheimer’s Association. Mr. Saban is a member of the Academy 
of Managed Care Pharmacy and the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. 

Gary  Rice  became  our  executive  vice  president  of  operations  in  2016  and  is  responsible  for  Diplomat’s  core 
operational management. This position builds on his previous role as senior vice president of clinical, education, and 
human resources, in which he was responsible for Diplomat’s clinical support services; education for patients and 
clients;  and  human  resources  department.  Before  joining  Diplomat  in  June  2011,  Mr.  Rice  was  vice  president  of 
operations at ITSRx, where he provided operational and clinical leadership for the development of specialty and retail 
pharmacies. Mr. Rice also served as director of specialty clinical management for MedImpact Healthcare Systems 
Inc. Mr. Rice directed oncology strategy, specialty pharmacy sales management, the clinical guidance of specialty 
medication providers, and the clinical protocol development of 15 specialty therapy categories. Before his work at 
MedImpact, he was vice president of retail and ancillary services and director of pharmaceutical services at the Kelsey-
Seybold Clinic in Houston, Texas. 

Available information 
Our Internet address is diplomat.is and our investor relations website is located at ir.diplomat.is. We make available 
free of charge on our investor relations website, under the heading “Financial Information,” our Annual Reports on 
10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports as soon as 
reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with (or furnished to) the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (“SEC”). Information contained on our websites is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report 
on Form 10-K. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site, sec.gov, that includes filings of and information about 
issuers that file electronically with the SEC. 

ITEM 1.A.  RISK FACTORS 

Our business, prospects, financial condition, or operating results could be materially adversely affected by any of the 
risks and uncertainties set forth below, as well as in any amendments or updates reflected in subsequent filings with 
the SEC. In assessing these risks, you should also refer to the other information contained in this Annual Report on 
Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes. 

Risks Related to the Specialty Pharmacy Industry 

Our failure to anticipate or appropriately adapt to changes or trends within the specialty pharmacy industry could 
have a significant negative impact on our ability to compete successfully. 
The specialty pharmacy industry is growing and evolving rapidly. Any significant shifts in the structure of the specialty 
pharmacy industry or the healthcare products and services industry in general could alter the industry dynamics and 
adversely affect our ability to attract or retain customers. These changes or trends could result from, among other 
things, a large intra- or inter-industry merger, a new entrant in the specialty pharmacy business, changes in the pricing 
or distribution model for specialty drugs, changes to the manner in which healthcare products or services are contracted 
for, a slowdown in the biotechnology pharmaceutical pipeline in our areas of expertise,  consolidation of shipping 
carriers,  or  the  necessary  changes  or  unintended  consequences  of  the  Health  Reform  Laws  or  future  regulatory 
changes. Furthermore, changes in political, economic and regulatory influences, as well as industry-wide changes in 
business practices, including with respect to the imposition of direct and indirect remuneration (“DIR”) fees by PBMs, 
may significantly affect our business. Our failure to successfully anticipate and respond to, or appropriately adapt to, 
evolving industry conditions or any of these changes or trends, none of which are within our control, in a timely and 
effective manner could have a significant negative impact on our competitive position and materially adversely affect 
our business, financial condition and results of operations. 

22

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Significant and increasing pressure from third-party payers to limit reimbursements and the impact of high-cost 
specialty drugs could materially adversely impact our profitability, results of operations and financial condition. 
The continued efforts of health maintenance organizations, managed care organizations, PBMs, government programs 
(such  as  Medicare,  Medicaid  and  other  federal  and  state  funded  programs),  and  other  third-party  payers  to  limit 
pharmacy reimbursements may adversely impact our profitability. While manufacturers have increased the price of 
drugs, payers have generally decreased reimbursement rates as a percentage of drug cost. 

We expect pricing pressures from third-party payers to continue given the high and increasing costs of specialty drugs. 
As a result of this  industry-wide pressure,  we also  may see profit  margins on our contracts compress,  which  may 
adversely affect our profitability. 

PBMs: 

Reimbursements  received  from  PBMs  are  determined  pursuant  to  agreements.  Should  PBMs  seek  to 
negotiate  reduced  reimbursement  rates  or  to  adjust  reimbursement  rates  downward,  this  could  negatively 
impact our profitability. In addition, we may not be willing to accept or otherwise restrict our participation 
in networks of pharmacy providers to comply with PBM demands. We also may elect not to continue or enter 
into participation in a pharmacy provider network if reimbursements are too low. As a result, we may lose 
sales, and if we are unable to replace any such lost sales, either through an increase in other sales or through 
participation in other pharmacy provider networks, our operating results could be materially and adversely 
affected. 

Medicare and Medicaid: 

Reimbursement from government programs is subject to a myriad of requirements, including but not limited 
to  statutory  and  regulatory,  administrative  rulings,  interpretations,  retroactive  payment  adjustments, 
governmental funding restrictions, and changes to, or introduction of, legislation, all of which may materially 
affect the amount and timing of reimbursement payments to us. These changes may reduce our revenue and 
profitability  on  services  provided  to  Medicare  and  Medicaid  patients  and  increase  our  working  capital 
requirements. 

Furthermore,  the  utilization  of  Medicare  Part D  by  cash  and  state  Medicaid  customers  has  resulted  in 
increased utilization and decreased pharmacy gross margin rates. In addition, changes to Medicare Part D, 
such as the elimination of the tax deductibility of the retiree drug subsidy payment received by sponsors of 
retiree  drug  plans,  could  result  in  our  PBM  clients  deciding  to  discontinue  providing  prescription  drug 
benefits  to  their  Medicare-eligible  members.  To  the  extent  this  occurs,  the  adverse  effects  of  increasing 
customer  migration  into  Medicare  Part D  may  outweigh  the  benefits  we  realize  from  the  growth  of  our 
Medicare Part D business. 

Given the significant competition in the industry, we have limited bargaining power to counter  payer demands for 
reduced reimbursement rates. If we are unable to negotiate for acceptable reimbursement rates or replace unfavorable 
contracts with new business on acceptable terms, our revenues and business could be adversely affected. Should we 
experience a loss of sales as a result of reduced reimbursement rates and are unable to appropriately adjust staffing 
levels in a timely and efficient manner, this may negatively impact our financial condition or results of operations. 

In response to rising specialty drug prices, payers may also demand that we provide additional services, enhanced 
service levels and other cost savings to help mitigate the increase in drug costs. Additional services with minimal or 
no service fees would adversely impact our profitability. Since data-management technology and software make it 
challenging for us to prove specific cost savings to  payers, we may be unable to demand additional service fees to 
offset the cost of additional services. Our inability or failure to demonstrate cost efficiencies could adversely impact 
a payer’s willingness to engage us, exclusively or at all, as a specialty pharmacy in the face of rising drug costs. 

23

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
The amount of DIR fees charged by payers, as well as the timing of assessing such fees and the methodology in 
calculating such fees, may have a material adverse impact on our financial performance and, to the extent such 
fees are material, may limit our ability to provide accurate financial guidance for future periods.  
Some payers charge certain DIR fees, often calculated and charged several months after adjudication of a claim, which 
adversely  impacts  our  profitability.  DIR  fees  is  a  term  used  by  CMS  to  address  price  concessions  that  ultimately 
impact the prescription drug costs of Medicare Part D plans, but are not captured at the point of sale. Further, the 
timing of assessments, changes in the manner in which DIR fees are assessed and methodology in computing DIR 
fees may materially impact our ability to provide accurate financial guidance to investors and analysts, and may result 
in a future change in the estimated DIR fees we have recognized. In addition, as reimbursement pressure increases 
throughout the industry, the amount of DIR fees assessed may increase, which could have an adverse impact on our 
revenues and results of operations. 

If our relationship with any of our key pharmaceutical manufacturers deteriorates, or if we are unable to create 
new significant relationships with other pharmaceutical manufacturers, we could lose all or a significant portion 
of our access to existing and future specialty drugs. 
In recent years, an increasing number of pharmaceutical manufacturers has attempted to significantly limit the number 
of  pharmacies  that  may  dispense  their  drugs.  Out  of  a  total  of  approximately  60,000  traditional  and  specialty 
pharmacies,  these  manufacturers  increasingly  limit  access  to  their  drugs  to  anywhere  from  one  to  20  specialty 
pharmacies,  to  ensure  they  can  manage  a  drug’s  rollout,  obtain  real  time  data,  and  confirm  the  unique  patient 
population’s receipt of the necessary services and support to remain adherent. There are  several limited-distribution 
drugs to which we do not have access. Access to limited-distribution drugs provides us with significant competitive 
advantages  in  developing  relationships  with  payers  and  physicians.  If  we  cannot  obtain  access  to  new  limited-
distribution pharmaceuticals or lose access to limited-distribution pharmaceuticals we currently distribute this could 
have a material and adverse impact on our business, profitability and results of operations. 

We obtain access to limited-distribution drugs primarily from small to mid-size biotechnology companies, many of 
whom are bringing their first or second drug to market. We incur significant expense, time and opportunity cost to 
educate  and  assist  emerging  small  and  mid-size  biotechnology  manufacturers  in  bringing  these  products  to  the 
marketplace  without  any  guarantee  of  a  successful  drug  launch  or  future  sales.  The  failure  to  monetize  these 
relationships could adversely impact our profitability and our prospects. 

We also provide a significant amount of direct and indirect services for the benefit of our pharmaceutical manufacturer 
customers and our patients to  gain access to specialty drugs, and our failure  to provide services at optimal quality 
could result in losing access to existing and future drugs. In addition, we incur significant costs in providing these 
services and receive  minimal  service  fees in return. If pharmaceutical  manufacturers require significant additional 
services and products to obtain access to their drugs without a corresponding increase in service fees paid to us, our 
profitability could be adversely impacted. 

We have limited contractual protections with pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers that supply us with 
most of the pharmaceuticals that we distribute. 
We dispense specialty pharmaceuticals that are supplied to us by a variety of manufacturers and wholesalers, many of 
which  are  our  only  source  of  that  specific  pharmaceutical.  Our  contracts  with  pharmaceutical  manufacturers  and 
wholesalers often provide us with, among other things: 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

discounts on drugs we purchase to be dispensed from our specialty pharmacies; 

rebates and service fees; and 

access to limited-distribution specialty pharmaceuticals. 

Our contracts with pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers are generally for three years and are terminable on 
reasonably short notice by either party before or after the contract term. In addition, our contracts with wholesalers 
provide  for  purchase  money  security  interests  in  products  sold.  If  several  of  these  contractual  relationships  are 
terminated or materially altered by the pharmaceutical manufacturers or wholesalers or if we are otherwise unable to 
renew  these  contracts  or  enter  into  similar  contracts  on  favorable  terms,  we  could  lose  a  major  source  of  the 
pharmaceuticals we dispense. 

24

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We generate a significant amount of revenue from certain specialty drugs we dispense. 
Our three largest revenue producing specialty drugs we dispense represented 34 percent, 29 percent and 30 percent of 
our revenues in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Our 10 largest revenue producing specialty drugs we dispense 
represented 51 percent, 51 percent and 55 percent of our revenues in 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. If the use of 
these specialty drugs were to decline due to clinical ineffectiveness or as a result of the introduction of more effective 
alternatives, and we are unable to obtain access to high growth alternative specialty drugs, our revenues would be 
adversely  affected.  Loss  of  revenues  from  our  three  largest  revenue  producing  specialty  drugs  without  access  to 
alternative high growth specialty drugs could have a material adverse effect on our revenues in the short term. 

Our  revenues,  profitability  and  cash  flows  may  be  negatively  impacted  if  safety  risks  of  a  specialty  drug  are 
publicized or if a specialty drug is withdrawn from the market due to manufacturing or other issues. 
Physicians  may  significantly  reduce  the  numbers  of  prescriptions  for  a  specialty  drug  with  safety  concerns  or 
manufacturing issues.  Additionally, negative press regarding a drug with a higher safety risk profile may result in 
reduced global consumer demand for such drug. Decreased utilization and demand of a specialty drug we distribute 
could materially and adversely impact our volumes, net revenues, profitability and cash flows. 

Many healthcare companies have a presence in the specialty pharmacy market, and we expect a significant increase 
in competition due to high growth anticipated in specialty drug spending, which could have a material and adverse 
impact on our business. 
There are a significant number of competitors that provide one or more comprehensive services, including distribution, 
with respect to specialty pharmacy drugs, some of whom have greater resources than we do, including: PBMs; retail 
pharmacy chains and independent retail pharmacies; health plans; national, regional and niche specialty pharmacies; 
home  and  specialty  infusion  therapy  companies;  physician  practices  and  hospital  systems;  and  group  purchasing 
organizations. 

The three leading specialty pharmacies, which operate as divisions within each of Express Scripts, CVS Caremark 
and Walgreens, have significantly greater market share, resources and purchasing power than we do. Express Scripts 
and CVS Caremark also benefit from their services as PBMs to several healthcare organizations, and CVS Caremark 
and Walgreens also benefit from their retail and urgent care locations. As we increase in scale and market share, or 
provide additional healthcare services (including PBM services), we expect more direct competition for certain drugs, 
payer and patient access, and services from these three companies. Many of our constituents are well informed and 
can  easily  move  between  us  and  our  competitors.  These  factors  together  with  the  impact  of  the  competitive 
marketplace or other significant differentiating factors between us and our competitors may make it difficult for us to 
retain existing business. 

Further, several other traditional pharmacies with significant resources are attempting to build, acquire, or partner with 
specialty pharmacies due to the double-digit growth anticipated in spending on specialty prescription drugs compared 
to flat to low-single digit growth in spending on traditional prescription drugs. There are also many smaller specialty 
pharmacies and other entities in the healthcare industry that provide limited specialty pharmacy services; while such 
entities  presently  compete  with  us  to  a  lesser  extent,  they  may  be  able  to  invest  significant  resources,  through 
acquisition or otherwise, to compete with us on a larger scale. 

Moreover,  many  of  the  hospital  pharmacies  for  which  we  provide  patient  management  services  may  acquire  a 
competing  specialty  pharmacy  business  or  start  their  own  specialty  pharmacy  business  and  thereby  become 
competitors. In addition, many of our PBM customers have their own specialty pharmacy businesses, and to the extent 
certain of our products can be obtained internally, these customers could reduce or cease doing business with us. Our 
failure  to  maintain  and  expand  relationships  with  payers  and  PBM  companies,  who  can  effectively  determine  the 
pharmacy source for their members, could materially and adversely affect our competitive position and prospects. 

Any increase in competition noted above could significantly increase the competition for limited-distribution drugs, 
reduce gross profit, and otherwise materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition 
and prospects. 

25

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our ability to grow our specialty pharmacy business could be limited if we do not expand the number of drugs and 
treatments we offer or if we lose even a small percentage of our existing patients. 
Our specialty pharmacy business focuses on complex and high cost medications that serve a relatively small patient 
population.  Due  to  the  limited  patient  populations  utilizing  the  medications  that  our  specialty  pharmacy  business 
handles, our future growth relies, in part, on expanding our base of drugs or penetration in certain treatment categories. 
Further, given our relatively high net sales and gross profit per prescription dispensed, a small percentage decrease in 
our patient base or reduction in demand for any reason for the medications we dispense could have a material adverse 
effect on our business. 

Risks related to the PBM Industry 

The PBM marketplace is very competitive, which could compress our margins and impair our ability to attract and 
retain clients. Our failure to effectively differentiate our products and services from those of our competitors could 
magnify the impact of the competitive environment. 
Significant competition in the PBM marketplace generates greater client demand for lower pricing, increased revenue 
sharing and enhanced product and service offerings. These competitive factors apply pressure on operating margins 
and cause many PBMs to reduce the prices charged for core products and services while sharing with clients a greater 
portion of the rebates and related revenues received from pharmaceutical manufacturers.  

In  this  regard,  we  maintain  contractual  relationships  that  provide  for  purchase  discounts  and/or  rebates  on  drugs 
dispensed by pharmacies in our retail network and by our specialty and mail order pharmacies (all or a portion of 
which may be passed on to clients). Rebates from manufacturers often depend on a PBM’s ability to meet contractual 
market share, formulary or other requirements, including in some cases the placement of a manufacturer’s products 
on the PBM’s or client’s formularies. If the discounts or rebates provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers decline, 
our business and financial results could be adversely affected. In addition, we also maintain contractual relationships 
with  participating  pharmacies  that  provide  for  discounts  on  retail  transactions  for  generic  and  brand  name  drugs 
dispensed by pharmacies in our retail network. If we lose our relationship with one or more of the larger pharmacies 
in our network, or if the retail discounts provided by network pharmacies decline, our business and financial results 
could be adversely affected. 

To  succeed  in  the  highly  competitive  PBM  marketplace,  we  must  differentiate  our  products  and  services  by 
demonstrating  enhanced  value  to  our  clients.  Unless  we  can  attract  new  clients  and  demonstrate  enhanced  value 
through  innovative  product  and  service  offerings  to  retain  and  cross-sell  additional  products  and  services  to  our 
existing clients, we may be unable to remain competitive. 

If we fail to identify and implement new ways to mitigate pricing pressures or maintain positive trends, this could 
negatively impact our ability to attract or retain clients or sell additional services, which could negatively impact our 
margins and have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. 

The possibility of client losses and/or the failure to win new business. 
PBM businesses generate revenues primarily by contracting  with clients to provide prescription drugs and related 
healthcare services to plan members. PBM client contracts often have terms of approximately three years in duration. 
In some cases, however, PBM clients may negotiate a shorter or longer contract term or may require early or periodic 
renegotiation of pricing prior to expiration of a contract. Our PBM clients can easily move between our competitors 
and often seek competing bids prior to expiration of their contracts. In addition, the reputational impact of a service-
related incident could negatively affect our business. These factors, either individually or in the aggregate, together 
with the impact of competitive pressures, could make it difficult for us to attract new clients, retain existing clients 
and cross-sell additional services, which could result in an adverse effect on our business and financial results. 

Furthermore, the PBM industry has been impacted by consolidation activity that may continue in the future. In the 
event one or more of our PBM clients is acquired by an entity that obtains PBM services from a competitor, we may 
be unable to retain all or a portion of our clients' business. Because of this, we continually face challenges in competing 
for new PBM business and retaining or renewing our existing PBM business.  

26

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
There can be no assurance that we will be able to win new business or secure renewal business on terms as favorable 
to us as the present terms. The loss of business, or a material change in the terms, could adversely impact our business, 
profitability or financial results.  

Entry into disadvantageous contracts for our claims processing or clinical services could negatively impact our 
business. We provide claims processing and clinical services to clients on either a fixed amount per transaction or 
percentage of expenditure basis. When contracting for these services,  we  may  not be able to contract at rates that 
ensure such transactions will be profitable. In the event of errors in services provided, Diplomat may have exposure 
in excess of the value to Diplomat of the claim processed. Should we enter into a significant number of unprofitable 
contracts or experience sizeable errors in providing our services, this may have an adverse impact on our profitability 
and results of operations. 

If significant changes occur within the pharmacy provider marketplace, or if other issues arise with respect to our 
pharmacy networks, including the loss of or adverse change in our relationship with one or more key pharmacy 
providers, our business and financial results could be impaired. 
The entry of one or more large pharmacy chains into the PBM business in addition to the current pharmacy chain 
competitors,  the  consolidation  of  existing  pharmacy  chains  or  increased  leverage  or  market  share  by  the  largest 
pharmacy  providers,  could  increase  the  likelihood  of  negative  changes  in  our  relationship  with  such  pharmacies. 
Changes in the overall composition of our pharmacy networks, or reduced pharmacy access under our networks, could 
have a negative impact on our claims volume and/or our competitiveness in the marketplace, which could cause us to 
fall short of certain guarantees in our contracts with clients or otherwise impair our business or results of operations. 

Risks related to our Business 

We may not be able to effectively execute our acquisition strategy or successfully integrate acquired businesses. 
We have completed several significant acquisitions in recent years. The success of an acquisition, will depend, in part, 
on our ability to successfully combine and integrate. It is possible that any integration process could result in any of 
the following risks which, individually or in aggregate, may have a material adverse effect on our business, affect our 
ability to achieve, or result in difficulties in realizing, the anticipated financial or strategic benefits and cost savings 
of an acquisition: the loss of key employees; higher than expected costs; diversion of management attention or capital 
from other uses; disruption of ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies; 
impairment of existing relationships with our employees, distributors, suppliers, customers, or other constituents or 
those of the acquired companies; difficulty in integrating acquired operations, including restructuring and realigning 
activities,  personnel,  technologies,  information  and  data  security  and  products;  and  assumption  of  known  and 
unknown liabilities, some of which may be difficult or impossible to quantify. In addition, acquiring entities and the 
integration  in  to  our  operations  may  require  significant  capital  expenditures,  increased  indebtedness  and  non-cash 
impairment  charges  relating  to  acquired  assets.  If  we  experience  difficulties  with  the  integration  process,  the 
anticipated benefits of an acquisition may not be realized fully, or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected. 
These integration matters could have an adverse effect during any transition period and on the combined company for 
an undetermined period after completion of an acquisition.  

We  will  continue  to  review  strategic  acquisition  opportunities  that  will  enhance  our  market  position,  expand  our 
services,  expertise  and  drug  access,  add  value  to  our  constituents,  and/or  provide  sufficient  synergies.  Strategic 
transactions, including the pursuit of such transactions, often require significant up-front costs and require significant 
resources  and  management  attention.  These  significant  up-front  costs  relate  to  the  assessment,  due  diligence, 
negotiation and execution of the transaction. We may also incur additional costs to retain key employees as well as 
transaction fees and costs related to executing our integration plans. 

Sales of shares of our common stock after  the expiration of the LDI acquisition lock-up period may cause the 
market price of our common stock to fall. 
In connection with the acquisition of LDI, we issued 4,113,188 shares of our common stock upon the closing of the 
transaction. We are required to file a registration statement  with the Securities and Exchange  Commission  for the 
benefit of the sellers with respect to the resale of such common stock. The sellers entered into a subscription agreement 
which restricts them from selling or otherwise transferring (subject to limited exceptions) our common stock acquired 
pursuant to the LDI acquisition as follows: no sales or transfers prior to March 20, 2018; sales or transfers of up to 50 

27

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
percent of such holder’s common stock between March 20, 2018 and June 20, 2018; and no restrictions after June 20, 
2018. A significant number of shares of our common stock may be sold following the end of the foregoing restrictions. 

Such sales of our common stock could have the effect of depressing the  market price for our common stock. The 
market price of our common stock could decline significantly as a result of sales of a large number of shares of our 
common stock in the market. These sales, or the perception that these sales might occur, could cause the market price 
of our common stock to decline. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more 
difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. 

Our operating results may fluctuate significantly, which makes our future operating results difficult to predict and 
could cause our operating results to fall below expectations or our guidance. 
Our quarterly and annual operating results, and in particular our revenues, have fluctuated in the past and may fluctuate 
significantly  in  the  future.  These  fluctuations  make  it  difficult  for  us  to  predict  our  future  operating  results.  Our 
operating results may fluctuate due to a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control and are difficult 
to predict, including the following: 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

the launch timing for specialty drugs; 

the effect of the expiration of drug patents and the introduction of generic drugs; 

the demand for the specialty drugs to which we have access; 

(cid:2)  whether our expected distribution share of drugs that come to market is properly estimated; 

(cid:2)  whether revenues and margins on sales of drugs that come to market are properly estimated; 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

expenditures that we will or may incur to acquire or develop additional capabilities; 

the timing of increases in drug costs by manufacturers; 

the amount of DIR fees and the timing for assessing us for such fees; and 

changes in the reimbursement policies of payers. 

These factors, individually or in the aggregate, could result in large fluctuations and unpredictability in our quarterly 
and  annual  operating  results.  As  a  result,  comparing  our  operating  results  on  a  period-to-period  basis  may  not  be 
meaningful. Investors should not rely on our past results as an indication of our future performance. This variability 
and  unpredictability  could  also  result  in  our  failing  to  meet  the  expectations  of  industry  or  financial  analysts  or 
investors for any period. 

We have significant outstanding debt following the acquisition of LDI, which could adversely affect us, including 
by decreasing our business flexibility and increasing our interest expense. Our debt service obligations will reduce 
the funds available for other business purposes, and the terms and covenants relating to our current and future 
indebtedness  could  adversely  impact  our  financial  performance  and  liquidity.  Failure  to  meet  our  debt  service 
obligations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 
We had outstanding indebtedness of $738.3 million under our credit facility at December 31, 2017. As of such date, 
we could incur up to an additional $61.7 million in indebtedness under our credit facility and we may be permitted to 
incur  additional  indebtedness  under  specified  conditions.  We  have  substantially  increased  the  amount  of  our 
outstanding indebtedness compared to our recent historical indebtedness amounts, which could have the effect, among 
other things, of reducing our flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions and increasing our 
interest expense.  

Our increased debt service obligations may require us to dedicate significant cash flow from operations to the payment 
of principal, interest and other amounts payable on our debt, which would reduce the funds available for other business 
purposes, and may create competitive disadvantages for us relative to other companies with lower debt levels. Our 

28

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ability to meet our cash requirements, including our debt service obligations, is dependent upon our ability to maintain 
our operating performance, which will be subject to general economic and competitive conditions and to financial, 
business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.  

We cannot provide assurance that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations to fund our cash 
requirements and debt service obligations. Our failure to generate sufficient operating cash flow to pay our debts could 
have a material adverse effect on us. 

If our operating results, cash flow or capital resources prove inadequate, or if interest rates rise significantly, we could 
face liquidity constraints. If we are unable to service our debt or experience a significant reduction in our liquidity, we 
could  be  forced  to  reduce  or delay  planned  capital  expenditures  and  other  initiatives  (including  acquisitions),  sell 
assets, restructure or refinance our debt or seek additional equity capital, and such transactions may not be available 
on terms acceptable to us or at all. We may in the future need to raise substantial additional financing to fund working 
capital,  capital  expenditures,  debt  service  requirements,  debt  refinancing,  acquisitions  or  other  general  corporate 
requirements. This may make us more vulnerable in the event of a downturn in our business. Our ability to arrange 
additional financing or refinancing will depend on, among other factors, our financial position  and performance, as 
well as prevailing market conditions and other factors beyond our control. Furthermore, any of these actions may not 
be sufficient to allow us to service our debt obligations or may have an adverse impact on our business. There can be 
no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional financing or refinancing  and failure to obtain such additional 
financing or refinancing could have a material adverse impact on our operations. 

In addition, we will have additional exposure to interest rate risk because our debt obligations are at variable interest 
rates.  We  currently  do  not  maintain  hedging  contracts  that  would  limit  our  exposure  to  variable  rates  of  interest. 
However, in the future we may use derivatives, such as interest rate swaps, to fix the effective rate paid on all or a 
portion of our debt obligations. The use of derivatives, including interest rate swaps, is a highly specialized activity 
that involves certain risks, including counterparty risk. If a counterparty defaults, we  would not be able to use the 
anticipated net receipts under the derivative contract to offset our interest payments. In addition, the impact of the use 
of derivatives will fluctuate dependent upon movements in market interest rates. 

We may incur or assume significantly more debt in the future. If we incur more debt in the future and do not retire 
existing debt, the risks described above could increase. 

Our  existing  debt  agreements  limit  our  ability  to  take  certain  actions,  which  may  impact  our  ability  to  obtain 
additional financing or refinancing on terms acceptable to us, or at all, or access the credit markets when needed. 
Our credit facility contains covenants requiring us to, among other things, provide financial and other information 
reporting,  and  provide  notice  upon  certain  events.  These  covenants  also  place  restrictions  on  our  ability  to  incur 
additional  indebtedness,  pay  dividends  or  make  other  distributions,  redeem  or  repurchase  capital  stock,  make 
investments and loans, and enter into certain transactions, including selling assets, engaging in mergers or acquisitions, 
or engaging in transactions with affiliates. If we fail to satisfy one or more of the covenants under our credit facility, 
we would be in default thereunder, and may be required to repay such debt with capital from other sources or otherwise 
not be able to draw down against our line of credit. Under such circumstances, other sources of capital may not be 
available to us on reasonable terms or at all. Our inability to refinance existing indebtedness or otherwise access the 
credit markets for any reason, whether due to market conditions or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on 
our business and results of operations and your investment in our common stock. 

Consolidation in the healthcare industry could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and 
results of operations. 
Many  healthcare  industry  participants  are  consolidating  to  create  integrated  healthcare  delivery  systems  with 
significant market power and we expect such trend to continue. As provider networks and managed care organizations 
consolidate, thereby decreasing the number of market participants, competition to provide products and services like 
ours will become more intense, and the importance of establishing relationships with key industry participants will 
become  greater.  In  addition,  industry  participants  may  try  to  use  their  increased  market  power  to  negotiate  price 
reductions  for  our  products  and  services.  We  expect  that  market  demand,  government  regulation,  third  party 
reimbursement policies and societal pressures  will continue to cause the  healthcare industry to evolve, potentially 
resulting in further business consolidations and alliances among the industry participants with whom we engage.  If 

29

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
we are forced to reduce prices as a result of either an imbalance of market power or decreased demand for our products, 
revenue would be reduced, and we could become significantly less profitable. 

Our future success depends upon our ability to maintain and manage our continued growth. If we are unable to 
manage  our  growth  effectively,  we  may  incur  unexpected  expenses  and  be  unable  to  meet  the  demands  of  our 
customers and other constituents. 
Over the past several years our business has grown significantly, and we aim to continue to expand the scope of our 
operations,  both  organically  and  through  strategic  acquisitions.  Growth  in  our  operations  will  place  significant 
demands on our management, financial and other resources. We cannot be certain that our current systems, procedures, 
controls and space will adequately support expansion of our operations, and we may be unable to expand or upgrade 
our systems or infrastructure to accommodate future growth. Our future operating results will depend on the ability of 
our management and key employees to successfully maintain our independence and corporate culture, preserve the 
effectiveness of our high-touch patient care model, manage changing business conditions, and implement and improve 
our technical, administrative, financial control and reporting systems. Our inability to finance future growth, manage 
future expansion, or hire and retain the personnel needed to manage our business successfully could have a material 
adverse effect on our business and prospects. 

We receive a significant amount of prescription drugs from one wholesaler and  two manufacturers. The loss of 
any of these relationships could disrupt our business and adversely impact our revenues for one or more fiscal 
quarters. 
Specialty drug purchases from AmerisourceBergen, a drug wholesaler, Celgene and Pharmacyclics, pharmaceutical 
manufacturers, represented 41 percent, 17 percent and 14 percent, respectively, of cost of products sold in 2017, 49 
percent, 13 percent and 10 percent, respectively, of cost of products sold in 2016 and 50 percent, 12 percent and 9 
percent,  respectively,  of  cost  of  products  sold  in  2015.  Our  amended  contract  with  AmerisourceBergen  expires 
September 30, 2018, and can be terminated by, among other things, either party’s material breach that continues for 
30 days.  The  agreement  provides  for  negotiated  discounts  that  differ  by  drug  classification,  and  any  permitted 
reclassification of products by AmerisourceBergen to a lower discount category could have an adverse impact on our 
gross profit. In addition, the amended contract also commits us to a minimum purchase obligation per contract year 
of approximately $2.0 billion to maintain these current negotiated discounts. Failure to meet this minimum purchase 
obligation  would  result  in  significant  additional  expense  without  corresponding  revenues.  Furthermore, 
AmerisourceBergen has a long-term relationship with one of the largest specialty pharmacy companies in the country, 
which could adversely impact our relationship with AmerisourceBergen. Our significant competitors may obtain better 
discounts from AmerisourceBergen or other wholesalers, which could impair our competitiveness. 

Our amended agreement with Celgene expires June 30, 2019, and can be terminated by either party without cause 
upon 90 days prior written notice, or earlier in the event of a material breach. Unlike the specialty drugs we purchase 
from AmerisourceBergen, the specialty drugs we purchase from Celgene are not available from any other source. 

Our  agreement  with  Pharmacyclics  automatically  renews  annually,  and  can  be  terminated  by  either  party  without 
cause upon 90 days prior written notice, or earlier in the event of a material breach. Unlike the specialty drugs we 
purchase from AmerisourceBergen, the specialty drugs we purchase from Pharmacyclics are not available from any 
other source. 

The loss of any of these relationships, the failure by the suppliers to fulfill our purchase orders on a timely basis or at 
all, or a contractual dispute could significantly disrupt our business and adversely impact our revenues for one or more 
fiscal quarters. In the event of a contractual dispute, we could become involved in litigation, the outcome of which 
may be uncertain or difficult to predict and could result in our incurrence of substantial costs regardless of the outcome. 
These agreements also limit our ability to distribute competing drugs, while allowing the supplier to distribute through 
other channels. 

Security breaches or other failures or disruptions of our information technology systems, our information security 
systems and our infrastructure to support our business and to protect the privacy and security of sensitive customer 
and business information could materially adversely affect our business. 
Many aspects of our operations are dependent on our communications and information systems and the information 
collected, processed, stored and handled by these systems. Throughout our operations, we receive, retain and transmit 
certain highly confidential information, including personal health information, personally identifiable information and 

30

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
other data that our customers and other constituents provide to purchase products or services, enroll in programs or 
services, register on our websites, interact with our personnel, or otherwise communicate with us. In addition, for these 
operations, we depend, in part, on the secure transmission of confidential information over public networks. Despite 
our  security  measures,  our  information  technology  and  infrastructure  may  be  vulnerable  to  attacks  by  hackers  or 
breached due to employee error, malfeasance, or other disruptions. Although we have not historically experienced a 
major systems failure or security breach, our information systems are subject to damage or interruption from power 
outages,  computer  and  telecommunications  failures,  computer  viruses  and  security  breaches  including  credit  card 
information breaches, vandalism, catastrophic events and human error. Like most companies that conduct business in 
part over the internet, we rely on the availability and connectivity of the internet, which is out of our control. 

A compromise of our information security controls or those of the businesses with whom we interact, which results 
in confidential information being accessed, obtained, damaged, or used by unauthorized or improper persons, could 
harm our reputation and expose us to regulatory actions and claims from patients, physicians and other persons, any 
of which could adversely affect our business, brands, financial position and results of operations. Moreover, a data 
security  breach  could  require  that  we  expend  significant  resources  related  to  our  information  systems  and 
infrastructure, subject us to investigations by various state or federal authorities, and distract management and other 
key personnel from performing their primary operational duties.  Additionally, while certain data security breaches 
might  not  result  in  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  business  operations,  breaches  involving  the  exfiltration  or 
unauthorized access  to personally identifiable information of patients or other individuals can significantly impact 
such individuals, resulting in a loss of confidence in, or goodwill of, the Company.  If our information systems are 
damaged, fail to work properly, or otherwise become unavailable, we may incur substantial costs to remediate, repair, 
or replace them, and we may experience a loss of critical information, customer disruptions, and interruptions or delays 
in our ability to perform essential functions and implement new and innovative services. In addition, compliance with 
changes in privacy and information security laws and standards may result in considerable expense due to increased 
investment in technology and the development of new operational processes. See also “Risks Related to Federal and 
State Laws and Regulations – Our business operations involve the substantial receipt and use of confidential health 
information concerning individuals. A failure to adequately protect such information may harm our reputation  and 
subject us to significant liabilities, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.” 

Our failure to maintain significant relationships or build new relationships with clinical experts and key thought 
leaders  at  U.S.  physician  groups  and  universities  could  result  in  a  loss  of  existing  patients,  future  referrals  on 
existing and future drugs and pharmaceutical industry data, and could materially adversely impact our business 
and prospects. 
We have developed significant relationships with clinical experts and key opinion leaders at physician groups and 
universities throughout the U.S. who are focused on oncology, immunology, specialty infusion therapy, hepatitis and 
multiple  sclerosis,  involved  in  significant  research  projects  related  to  specialty  drugs,  and  who  are  high-volume 
prescribers of specialty drugs. Our failure to provide quality and timely services to such persons and their patients 
could impair our relationship, which could result in a loss of existing patients, future referrals on existing and future 
drugs and pharmaceutical industry data (including the anticipated drug pipeline), and therefore materially adversely 
impact our business and prospects. 

The success of our hub services depends on the willingness of participants in the specialty pharmacy system to 
continue outsourcing work and on our reputation for independent, high-quality service. 
Our success in providing hub services depends on the ability and willingness of participants in the specialty pharmacy 
system to outsource the services we provide. Accordingly, a general downturn in the specialty pharmacy industry, or 
healthcare industry more generally, could materially harm our hub services offerings. In addition, demand for our hub 
services may be affected by our customers’ perceptions regarding outsourcing as a whole. For example, other hub 
services companies could engage in conduct or fail to detect malfeasance that could render our customers less willing 
to do business with us or any hub services company. If any such event causing industry-wide reputational harm were 
to occur, even though outside our control, confidence in the industry generally could be impaired and the willingness 
of our customers to outsource services to organizations that provide hub services like ours could diminish. 

Moreover, demand for our hub services depends to a significant extent on the trust our customers place in us and our 
reputation  for  independent,  high-quality  service.  To  maintain  client  satisfaction  and  compliance,  we  keep  certain 
information  and  software  systems,  infrastructure,  and  employees  “firewalled”  from  our  specialty  pharmacy  and 
pharmacy benefit management activities. In the event that our protocols or procedures are not followed, or contain 

31

 
 
 
 
 
undetected errors or defects that are subsequently discovered by us, our customers or a third party, our reputation with 
current and potential customers could be harmed. If one or more of the foregoing events were to occur, it could have 
a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. 

Significant  disruptions  to  infrastructure  or  any  of  our  facilities  due  to  failure  of  technology  or  some  other 
catastrophic event could adversely impact our business. 
Our distribution centers, call centers, data centers and corporate facilities depend on the local infrastructure and the 
uninterrupted  operation  of  our  computerized  dispensing  systems  and  our  electronic  data  processing  systems. 
Significant disruptions at any of these facilities or due to failure of technology or any other failure or disruption to 
these systems or to the infrastructure due to natural disasters, severe weather conditions, fire, electrical outage, acts of 
terrorism or malice, war, health epidemics or pandemics, global political and economic developments, or some other 
catastrophic event or the prospect of these events, could, temporarily or indefinitely, significantly reduce, or partially 
or totally eliminate, our ability to process and dispense prescriptions and provide products and services to our clients 
and members. 

Many of the prescriptions we distribute are distributed from a single facility or stored at a single storage site. Loss or 
damage  to  a  distribution  facility  or  storage  site  due  to  a  natural  disaster  or  other  catastrophic  event  could  cause 
interruptions or delays in our business and loss of inventory and  adversely affect our ability to deliver products to 
meet patient demands or contractual requirements, which may result in a loss of revenue and other adverse business 
consequences. Because of the time required to approve and license a distribution facility a third-party manufacturer 
may not be available on a timely basis to replace distribution capabilities in the event we lose distribution capabilities 
due to natural disaster, regulatory action or otherwise. Such natural disasters or catastrophic events could materially 
and adversely affect the U.S. economy in general and the healthcare industry specifically. For example, in the event 
of  a  natural  disaster,  bioterrorism  attack,  pandemic  or  other  extreme  events,  we  could  face,  among  other  things, 
significant medical costs and increased use of  healthcare services. Any such disaster or similar event could have a 
material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows. 

Our disaster recovery plan is currently limited and has yet to be tested by a real-world catastrophic event. As a result, 
we do not know how our disaster recovery plan will function, if at all, should such an event occur. In addition, we 
have made significant acquisitions in recent years that remain to be integrated, and may not be able to fully implement 
our disaster recovery plan, or at all, in the event of a natural disaster or other catastrophic event. Even though  we 
believe  we  carry  commercially  reasonable  business  interruption  and  liability  insurance,  that  protects  us  in  certain 
events for a limited period of time, we might suffer losses because of business interruptions that exceed the coverage 
available under our insurance policies or for which we do not have coverage and our business interruption insurance 
may not adequately compensate us for losses that may occur. If a significant portion of our facilities was destroyed or 
our operations were interrupted for any extended period, our business, financial condition, and operating results would 
be harmed. 

A disruption in our operations could hurt our relations with our constituents and significantly impact our results 
of operations. 
Our business is dependent on a number of different operations, products and processes, many of which involve third 
parties. A disruption in our business operations could result from, among other things, contamination of drugs or a 
failure to maintain appropriate shipment and storage conditions,  including maintenance of our coolers for products 
that require refrigeration, an error in order processing, the unavailability of services provided by our suppliers, vendors 
or shipping carriers, labor strikes, or unanticipated disruptions at our dispensing facilities, call centers, data centers, 
or corporate facilities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. 

We are highly dependent on our senior management and key employees. Competition for our employees is intense, 
and we may not be able to attract and retain the highly skilled employees that we need to support our business and 
our anticipated future growth or effectively plan for succession. 
Our success largely depends on the skills, experience and continued efforts of  our management. We have recently 
appointed new key executives, including our interim chief executive officer, president and chief financial officer, and 
we may expect to hire or promote additional key management team members. Furthermore, we intend to grow the 
business significantly, which will depend on our ability to continue to attract,  motivate and retain highly qualified 
individuals in key management, pharmacist, nursing and similar roles. Competition for senior management and other 
key personnel is intense, and the pool of suitable candidates is limited.  In addition, the realization of the expected 

32

 
 
 
 
 
 
benefits from our recent, and potentially future, acquisitions will depend to some extent on our ability to retain key 
employees from the entities we have acquired or may acquire in the future. If we fail to provide sufficient incentives 
to motivate and retain our key executives, our business and prospects may suffer. If we lose the services of one or 
more of our key employees, we may not be able to find a suitable replacement and our business could be materially 
adversely affected. 

In January 2018, we appointed an interim chief executive officer, Jeff Park, replacing our co-founder, chief executive 
officer and chairman of the board of directors, Philip Hagerman, who had led our company throughout its history of 
more than 40 years. Our ability to implement effective succession planning is a key factor for our long-term success. 
Failure to effectively transfer knowledge and facilitate smooth transitions for key employees could adversely affect 
our long-term strategic planning and execution, and the morale and productivity of the workforce could be disrupted, 
all of which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and prospects. 

We rely heavily on a single shipping provider, and our business could be harmed if our shipping rates increase, 
our provider is unavailable, or our provider performs poorly and we are unable to successfully replace our shipping 
provider. 
A  substantial  majority  of  the  specialty  drugs  we  dispense  are  shipped  through  UPS.  We  depend  heavily  on  these 
shipping services for efficient and cost-effective delivery of our products. 

The risks associated with our dependence on UPS include: 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

any significant increase in shipping rates, including rate increases resulting from higher fuel prices; 

strikes or other service interruptions by UPS or by another carrier that could affect UPS; 

spoilage  of  high  cost  drugs  during  shipment,  since  our  drugs  often  require  special  handling,  such  as 
refrigeration; and 

increased delivery errors by UPS, resulting in lost or stolen product. 

In the event any of the foregoing occurs and we are unable to transition efficiently and effectively to a new provider, 
we could incur increased costs or experience a material disruption in our operations. 

The specialty pharmacy and PBM industries are highly litigious and future litigation or other proceedings could 
subject us to significant monetary damages or penalties or require us to change our business practices, which could 
impair our reputation and result in a material adverse effect on our business. 
We are subject to risks relating to litigation, enforcement actions, regulatory proceedings, government inquiries and 
investigations,  and  other  similar  actions  in  connection  with  our  business  operations,  including  the  dispensing  of 
pharmaceutical products by our specialty and home delivery pharmacies, claims and complaints related to the various 
regulations to which we are subject, services rendered in connection with our disease management activity and our 
pharmacy benefits management services. While we are currently not subject to any material litigation of this nature, 
such litigation is not unusual in our industry. Further,  while certain costs are covered by insurance, we  may incur 
uninsured costs related to the defense of such proceedings that could be  material  to our financial performance. In 
addition,  as  a  public  company,  any  material  decline  in  the  market  price  of  our  common  stock  may  expose  us  to 
purported class action lawsuits that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend or indemnify (to the extent not 
covered by insurance) and a distraction to management. See Item 3, “Legal Proceedings” for information regarding a 
purported  class  action  against  the  Company  and  certain  current  and  former  executive  officers  and  a  shareholder 
derivative suit. If one or more of these proceedings or any future proceeding has an unfavorable outcome, we cannot 
provide any assurance it would not have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations, including 
our ability to attract and retain clients as a result of any negative reputational impact of such an outcome. 

Furthermore,  unexpected  volatility  in  insurance  premiums  or  retention  requirements  or  claims  in  excess  of  our 
insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. 

33

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We are self-insured for medical benefits, creating significant exposure to fluctuations in the number and severity 
of claims, which may lead to volatility in our expenditures and could materially and adversely affect our financial 
condition and results of operations. 
The Company has recently implemented a self-insured medical plan. Because  we are self-insured for a significant 
portion of our claims exposure and related expenses, our insurance and claims expense may be volatile. Although we 
have established liabilities based on our claims expectations, we have minimal experience establishing such liabilities. 
As a result, actual claims, costs and expenses may exceed our estimates. If the frequency and/or severity of claims 
increase, our expenditures could increase and the results of operations could be adversely affected. The timing of the 
incurrence  of  these  costs  could  significantly  and  adversely  impact  our  operating  results.  Significant  increases  in 
healthcare  costs  related  to  medical  inflation,  claims  experience,  current  and  future  federal  and  state  laws  and 
regulations, and other cost components that are beyond our control could significantly increase the costs of our self-
insured medical plan or require us to adjust the level of benefits offered to our employees. In the future, changes to 
healthcare eligibility, design, and cost structure may significantly increase our healthcare coverage costs, which could 
have  an  adverse  impact  on  our  business  and  operating  costs,  and  could  materially  adversely  affect  our  financial 
condition and results of operations.  

Our  business  could  be  harmed  if  the  supply  of  any  of  the  specialty  drugs  we  distribute  becomes  scarce  or  is 
disrupted. 
Many  specialty  drugs  are  manufactured  with  ingredients  that  are  susceptible  to  supply  shortages.  In  particular, 
specialty drugs used to treat disease states such as hemophilia and autoimmune conditions can depend on supplies of 
donated blood, which may fluctuate. A supply shortage, or in rare cases, a complete cessation of manufacturing, of a 
specialty drug we distribute could materially and adversely impact our volumes, net revenues, profitability and cash 
flows. 

Our business would be harmed if the pharmaceutical industry reduces research, development and marketing of 
specialty drugs that are compatible with the services we provide. 
Our business is highly dependent on continued research, development and marketing expenditures of pharmaceutical 
companies, and the ability of those companies to develop, supply and generate demand for specialty drugs that are 
compatible with the services we provide. Our business could be materially adversely affected if manufacturers fail to 
market and support existing drugs, research potential new treatments, or develop new drugs. Our business could also 
be harmed by any governmental or private initiative that would alter how drug manufacturers promote or sell products 
and services. 

We support hospitals that participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program (“340B Program”). In recent years, the 
340B Program has faced increased scrutiny from Congress, federal agencies and pharmaceutical manufacturers. 
In light of the publication or proposed regulatory guidance and future changes to the 340B Program, the revenues 
we derive from hospital services could be adversely impacted. 
Our hospital program supports hospitals that are 340B covered entities pursuant to which such hospitals are able to 
purchase certain specialty drugs from pharmaceutical manufacturers at a discount for dispensing to eligible patients. 
In cases where the covered entity treats an insured patient with a discounted specialty drug, the federal government or 
the patient’s private insurance routinely reimburses the entity for the full price of the medication, and the entity is able 
to retain the difference between the reduced price it pays for the drug and the full amount for which it is reimbursed. 
In recent years, this practice and other aspects of the 340B Program have come under increased scrutiny. In August 
2015, HHS published proposed 340B program guidance (the “Proposed Guidance”). The Proposed Guidance relates 
to program eligibility and registration, eligibility of drugs for purchase under 340B, patient eligibility to receive 340B 
drugs, requirements for covered entities, arrangements for contract pharmacies, manufacturer responsibilities, rebate 
options  for  HIV  drug  assistance  programs  and  program  integrity.  To  address  regulatory  concerns  with  the  risk  of 
double discounting in the contract pharmacy setting, the Proposed Guidance provides that contract pharmacies will 
not dispense 340B drugs to certain Medicaid patients without a written agreement that describes a system to prevent 
duplicate discounts. In addition, the Proposed Guidance provides that (1) each covered entity is expected to conduct 
quarterly  reviews  and  annual  independent  audits  of  each  contract  pharmacy  location,  and  (2)  any  340B  Program 
violation detected through quarterly reviews or annual audits of a contract pharmacy should be disclosed to HHS.  

Although we are not direct participants in the 340B Program and related services accounted for less than 0.1 percent 
of our revenues in each of the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, our involvement with hospitals that 

34

 
 
 
 
 
are covered entities could cause reputational harm as a result of increased controversy regarding the 340B Program. 
In addition, if hospitals decrease their utilization of the 340B Program, whether due to regulatory changes or increased 
scrutiny, such decrease would impact revenue from this business. 

We  may  be  unable  to  obtain  or  retain  the  right  to  use  or  successfully  integrate  third-party  licenses  in  our 
technology-based products, which could limit the number and type of products we are able to offer our customers. 
We rely on third-party licenses for some of the technology used in our products, and intend to continue licensing 
technologies from third parties. Most of these licenses can be renewed only by mutual consent and may be terminated 
if we breach the terms of the license and fail to cure the breach within a specified period of time. We may not be able 
to continue to obtain these licenses on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Our inability to obtain or renew these 
licenses or find suitable alternatives could delay development of new products or prevent us from selling our existing 
products until suitable substitute technology can be identified, licensed, integrated, or developed by us. We cannot 
assure you as to when we would be able to do so, if at all. 

Most of our third-party licenses are non-exclusive. Our competitors may obtain the right to use any of the technology 
covered by these licenses and use the technology to attempt to compete more effectively with us. In addition, our use 
of third-party technologies exposes us to risks associated with the integration of components from various sources 
into our products, such as unknown software errors or defects or unanticipated incompatibility with our systems and 
technologies, or unintended infringement resulting from the combination of intellectual property rights. Further, we 
are dependent on our vendors’ continued support of the technology we use. If a vendor chooses to discontinue or is 
unable to support a licensed technology, we may not be able to modify or adapt our products to fit other available 
technologies in a timely manner, if at all. 

We outsource certain operations of our business to third-party vendors, which could leave us vulnerable to data 
security failures of third parties. 
From time to time, like many similarly situated companies, we outsource certain operations to third-party vendors to 
achieve efficiencies. Such outsourced functions include  payment processing, data center hosting and management, 
facilities management, etc. Although we expect our business partners to maintain the same vigilance as we do with 
respect to data security, we cannot control the operations of these third parties. While we engage in certain actions to 
reduce  the  exposure  resulting  from  outsourcing,  vulnerabilities  in  the  information  security  infrastructure  of  our 
business partners could make us vulnerable to attacks or disruptions in service. 

Possible changes in industry pricing benchmarks. 
It  is  possible  that  the  pharmaceutical  industry  or  regulators  may  evaluate  and/or  develop  an  alternative  pricing 
reference to replace average wholesale price (“AWP”), which is the pricing reference used for many pharmaceutical 
purchase agreements, retail network contracts, specialty payer agreements and other contracts with third party payers 
in  connection  with  the  reimbursement  of  specialty  drug  payments.  Future  changes  to  the  use  of  AWP  or  to  other 
published pricing benchmarks used to establish pharmaceutical pricing, including changes in the basis for calculating 
reimbursement by federal and state health programs and/or other payers, could impact our pricing arrangements. The 
effect of these possible changes on our business cannot be predicted at this time. 

Risks Related to Federal and State Laws and Regulations 

We operate in a highly regulated industry and must comply with a significant number of complex and evolving 
requirements.  Changes  in  state  and  federal  government  regulations  could  restrict  our  ability  to  conduct  our 
business and cause us to incur significant costs. 
The  marketing,  sale  and  purchase  of  pharmaceuticals  and  medical  supplies  and  provision  of  healthcare  services 
generally are extensively regulated by federal and state governments. In addition, other aspects of our business are 
also subject to government regulation. The applicable regulatory framework is complex, and the laws are very broad 
in scope. Many of these laws remain open to interpretation and have not been addressed by substantive court decisions. 
Accordingly, we cannot assure you that our interpretation would prevail or that one or more government agencies will 
not interpret the applicable laws and regulations differently. Changes in the law or new interpretations of existing law 
can have a dramatic effect on our operations, our cost of doing business and the amount of reimbursement we receive 
from  governmental  third-party  payers  such  as  Medicare  and  Medicaid.  If  we  fail  to  comply  with  the  laws  and 
regulations  directly  applicable  to  our  business,  we  could  suffer  civil  and/or  criminal  penalties,  and  we  could  be 

35

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
excluded from participating in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal and state healthcare programs, which could have 
an adverse impact on our business. 

Some of the healthcare laws and regulations that apply to our activities include: 

(cid:2)  The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits individuals and entities from knowingly and willfully paying, 
offering, receiving or soliciting money or anything else of value in order to induce the referral of patients, or 
to induce a person to purchase, lease, order, arrange for, or recommend services or goods covered in whole 
or  in  part  by  Medicare,  Medicaid,  or  other  federal  healthcare  programs.  The  Anti-Kickback  Statute  is  an 
intent-based statute and the failure of a business arrangement to satisfy all elements of a safe harbor will not 
necessarily  render  the  arrangement  illegal,  but  it  may  subject  that  arrangement  to  increased  scrutiny  by 
enforcement  authorities.  Any  violation  of  the  Anti-Kickback  Statute  can  lead  to  significant  penalties, 
including criminal penalties, civil fines and exclusion from participation in Medicare and Medicaid. 

(cid:2)  The Stark Law prohibits physicians from ordering Designated Health Services for Medicare and Medicaid 
patients  from  any  entity  with  which  the  physicians  or  their  immediate  family  members  have  a  “financial 
relationship” (i.e., an ownership, investment, or compensation relationship), and prohibits the entity from 
presenting or causing to be presented claims to Medicare or Medicaid for those referred services, unless an 
exception  applies.  The  Stark  Law  is  a  broad  prohibition  on  certain  business  relationships,  with  detailed 
exceptions. However, unlike the Anti-Kickback Statute under which an activity may fall outside a safe harbor 
and still be lawful, a referral for Designated Health Services that does not fall within an exception is strictly 
prohibited  by  the  Stark  Law.  A  violation  of  the  Stark  Law  is  punishable  by  civil  sanctions,  including 
significant fines and exclusion from participation in Medicare and Medicaid. 

(cid:2)  Legislation regulating PBM activities in a comprehensive manner has been and continues to be considered 
in  a  number  of  states.  In  the  past,  certain  organizations,  such  as  the  National  Association  of  Insurance 
Commissioners  (“NAIC”),  an  organization  of  state  insurance  regulators,  have  considered  proposals  to 
regulate PBMs and/or certain PBM activities, such as formulary development and utilization management. 
While  the  actions  of  the  NAIC  would  not  have  the  force  of  law,  it  may  influence  states  to  adopt  model 
legislation  that  such  organizations  promulgate.  Certain  states  have  adopted  PBM  registration  and/or 
disclosure  laws  that  require  complying  with  applicable  disclosure  requirements  mandating  disclosure  of 
various aspects of financial practices, including those concerning pharmaceutical company revenue, as well 
as prescribing processes for prescription switching programs and client and provider audit terms.  As more 
states consider similar legislation, it will be difficult to manage the distinct requirements of each. 

(cid:2)  Changes in existing federal or state laws or regulations or the adoption of new laws or regulations relating to 
patent term extensions, purchase discount and rebate arrangements with pharmaceutical manufacturers, or 
other PBM services could also reduce the discounts or rebates we receive. Additionally, changes in, or the 
adoption of, new laws or regulations relating to claims processing and billing, including our ability to collect 
network administration, technology and transmission fees, could adversely impact our profitability. 

(cid:2)  HIPAA and HITECH provide federal privacy protections for individually identifiable  health information. 
See  “Our  business  operations  involve  the  substantial  receipt  and  use  of  confidential  health  information 
concerning individuals. A failure to adequately protect any of this information could result in severe harm 
to our reputation and subject us to significant liabilities, each of which could have a material adverse effect 
on our business.” below. 

(cid:2)  Pharmacies and pharmacists must obtain state licenses to operate and dispense pharmaceuticals. If we are 
unable  to  maintain  our  licenses  or  if  states  place  burdensome  restrictions  or  limitations  on  non-resident 
pharmacies, this could limit or affect our ability to operate in some states. 

(cid:2)  Pharmacy benefits  managers  must obtain state licenses and comply  with  various insurance regulations to 
operate. If  we are unable to maintain our licenses or if states place burdensome regulations on pharmacy 
benefits managers, this could limit or affect our ability to operate in some states. 

36

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(cid:2)  ERISA and related regulations regulate many aspects of a pharmacy benefit mangers contractual relationships 
with their clients. The failure of our PBMs to comply with ERISA requirements could result in fines and loss 
of reputation. In addition, some states attempt to enact laws which impose fiduciary status on PBMs under 
certain circumstances which could have a negative effect on the PBMs margins. 

(cid:2)  Many states impose “any willing provider”, “MAC” and “due process” laws on pharmacy benefit managers 
which  can  affect  a  PBM’s  ability  to  manage  certain  aspects  of  the  PBMs  pharmacy  network,  including 
reimbursement to pharmacies. 

(cid:2)  Pharmacy benefits managers that participate in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program are subject 
to  increasing  federal  regulations,  including  certain  pricing  restrictions  and  additional  compliance 
requirements. Such participation can result in increased costs to the PBM as well as increased risk of running 
afoul of the related regulations. 

(cid:2)  Federal  and  state  investigations  and  enforcement  actions  continue  to  focus  on  the  healthcare  industry, 
scrutinizing a wide range of items such as joint venture arrangements, referral and billing practices, product 
discount arrangements, home healthcare services, dissemination of confidential patient information, clinical 
drug research trials and gifts for patients. 

(cid:2)  Various governmental agencies have conducted investigations and audits in to PBM business practices, and 
many of these investigations and audits have resulted in those PBMs agreeing to civil penalties, including 
the  payment  of  money  and  corporate  integrity  agreements.  We  cannot  predict  what  effect,  if  any,  such 
governmental investigations and audits may ultimately have on us or on the PBM industry in general. We 
may experience additional government scrutiny and audit activity which may result in the payment or offset 
of prior reimbursement from the government. 

We are subject to the provisions of Medicare and Medicaid and we may be subject to civil penalties for knowingly 
making or causing to be made false claims or false records or statements to obtain reimbursement or for failure to 
return overpayments. 
The federal False Claims Act (the “False Claims Act”) imposes civil penalties for knowingly making or causing to be 
made  false  claims  or  false  records  or  statements  with  respect  to  governmental  programs,  such  as  Medicare  and 
Medicaid, to obtain reimbursement or for failure to return overpayments. If we are subject to a civil penalty in regard 
to our Medicare and Medicaid billing or reimbursement practices, this could result in the possibility of substantial 
financial liabilities, which may adversely impact our results of operations. Furthermore, criminal statutes similar to 
the False Claims Act provide that if a corporation is convicted of presenting a claim or making a statement it knows 
to be false, fictitious or fraudulent to any federal agency, the corporation may be fined. Conviction under these statutes 
may also result in exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs. Many states have also enacted 
laws  similar  to  the  False  Claims  Act,  some  of  which  may  include  criminal  penalties,  substantial  fines  and  treble 
damages, all of which could negatively impact our business and results of operations. 

Regulatory  changes  relating  to  Medicare  Part  D  and our  failure  to  comply  with  CMS  regulatory  requirements 
could adversely impact our business and our results of operations. 
The administration of Medicare Part D is complex and any failure to effectively execute the provisions of Medicare 
Part  D  may  have  an  adverse  effect  on  our  business  and  our  results  of  operations.  In  addition,  there  are  many 
uncertainties about the financial and regulatory risks of participating in Medicare Part D, and we can give no assurance 
these risks will not materially adversely impact our business and results of operations.  

The receipt of federal funds made available through Medicare Part D by our affiliates, our clients or us is subject to 
compliance with, among other things, the Medicare regulations and established laws and regulations governing the 
federal government’s payment for healthcare goods and services, including the anti-kickback laws and the federal 
False Claims Act. If we do not comply with material contractual or regulatory obligations, including, for example, 
during CMS audits or client audits in cases where we provide PBM services to Medicare Part D sponsors, recoupment, 
monetary penalties and/or applicable sanctions, including suspension of enrollment and marketing or debarment from 
participation in Medicare programs, could be imposed.  

37

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Furthermore,  the  adoption  or  promulgation  of  new  or  more  complex  regulatory  requirements  or  changes  in  the 
interpretation  of  existing  regulatory  requirements,  in  each  case,  associated  with  Medicare  may  require  us  to  incur 
significant  compliance-related  costs,  including  requiring  substantial  investments  in  the  personnel  and  technology 
necessary to administer our Medicare Part D operations, which could adversely impact our business and our results of 
operations. 

Legislative or regulatory policies  in the U.S. designed to manage  healthcare costs or alter healthcare financing 
practices or changes to government policies in general may adversely impact our business and results of operations. 
From  time  to  time,  legislative  and/or  regulatory  proposals  are  made  in  the  U.S.  that  seek  to  manage  the  cost  of 
healthcare, including prescription drug cost. Such proposals include changes in reimbursement rates, restrictions on 
rebates and discounts, restrictions on access or therapeutic substitution, limits on more efficient delivery channels, 
taxes on goods and services, price controls on prescription drugs and other significant healthcare reform proposals, 
including their repeal or replacement. Further, more exacting regulatory policies and requirements may cause a rise in 
costs, labor and time to meet all such requirements. We are unable to predict whether any such policies or proposals 
will be enacted, or the specific terms thereof. Certain of these policies or proposals, if enacted, could have a material 
adverse impact on our business. 

Our  business  operations  involve  the  substantial  receipt  and  use  of  confidential  health  information  concerning 
individuals. A failure to adequately protect any of this information could result in severe harm to our reputation 
and subject us to significant liabilities, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business. 
Most  of  our  activities  involve  the  receipt  or  use  of  PHI  concerning  individuals.  We  also  use  aggregated  and 
de-identified data for research and analysis purposes, and in some cases, provide access to such de-identified data to 
pharmaceutical  manufacturers, payers, and third-party data  aggregators and analysts. We  believe our de-identified 
data is proprietary and we expect our future operations will include additional services regarding the de-identified data 
we accumulate to take greater advantage of our relationships with data-driven pharmaceutical manufacturers. 

There is substantial regulation at the federal and state levels addressing the use, disclosure  and security of patient 
identifiable health information. At the federal level, HIPAA and the regulations issued thereunder impose extensive 
requirements governing the transmission, use and disclosure of health information by all participants in  healthcare 
delivery, including physicians, hospitals, insurers and other payers. Many of these obligations were expanded under 
HITECH, passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Failure to comply with standards 
issued pursuant to federal or state statutes or regulations may result in criminal penalties and civil sanctions. In addition 
to regulating privacy of individual health information, HIPAA includes several anti-fraud and abuse laws, extends 
criminal penalties to private healthcare benefit programs and, in addition to Medicare and Medicaid, to other federal 
healthcare programs, and expands the Office of Inspector General’s authority to exclude persons and entities from 
participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Further, future regulations and legislation that severely restrict 
or prohibit our use of patient identifiable or other information could limit our ability to use information critical to the 
operation of our business. If we violate a patient’s privacy or are found to have violated any federal or state statute or 
regulation with regard to confidentiality or dissemination or use of PHI, we could be liable for significant damages, 
fines, or penalties and suffer  severe reputational harm, each of  which could  have a  material adverse effect on our 
business,  results  of  operations  and  prospects.  These  risks  may  become  more  prominent  as  we  provide  additional 
services related to our de-identified data. 

Our  business  operations  involve  communication  with  patients,  for  which  certain  federal  and  state  laws  exist. 
Violations of these laws could result in substantial statutory penalties and other sanctions.  
Certain  federal  and  state  laws,  such  as  the  Telephone  Consumer  Protection  Act,  give  the  Federal  Trade 
Communication, Federal Communications Commission, and state attorneys general the ability to regulate, and bring 
enforcement actions relating to, telemarketing practices and certain automated outbound contacts such as phone calls, 
texts,  or  emails.  Under  certain  circumstances,  these  laws  may  provide  consumers  with  a  private  right  of  action. 
Violations of these laws could result in substantial statutory penalties and other sanctions. 

Our  business,  financial  position  and  operations  could  be  adversely  affected  by  environmental  regulations,  and 
health and safety laws and regulations applicable to our business. 
Certain federal, state and local environmental regulations and health and safety laws and regulations are applicable to 
our business, including the management of hazardous substances, storage and transportation of possible hazardous 
materials,  and  various  other  disclosure  and  procedure  requirements  that  may  be  promulgated  by  the  Occupational 

38

 
 
 
 
 
 
Safety  and  Health  Administration  or  the  Environmental  Protection  Agency  that  may  apply  to  our  operations. 
Violations  of  these  laws  and  regulations  could  result  in  substantial  statutory  penalties,  sanctions,  and,  in  certain 
circumstances, a private right of action by consumers, employees, or the general public. 

There remains considerable uncertainty as to the full impact of the Health Reform Laws on our business. 
Many of the structural changes enacted by the Health Reform Laws were implemented in 2014; however, much of the 
applicable regulations and sub-regulatory guidance are subject to being repealed or replaced. There is considerable 
uncertainty as to the impact of Health Reform Laws (and their potential repeal or replacement) on our business. 

With respect to our PBM business the Health Reform Laws impose certain transparency requirements related to the 
healthcare insurance exchanges and healthcare coverage for Americans in general. The Health Reform Laws impact 
our business in a variety of ways and long-term impacts remain unclear with respect to the implementation of certain 
components  of  the  Health  Reform  Laws  and  related  regulatory  guidance.  Known  impacts  include  an  increase  in 
utilization  of  the  pharmacy  benefit  by  a  newly  enrolled  population  with  an  unknown  risk  profile,  compliance 
obligations stemming from increased state and federal government involvement in the healthcare marketplace, shifting 
claims  liability  from  plan  sponsors  to  third-party  administrators  for  certain  women’s  preventive  benefits,  data 
reporting obligations to support health plan issuers and insurers operating in the healthcare exchanges and general 
market  reforms  prohibiting  the  use  of  many  factors  traditionally  used  to  establish  premiums  and  adjustments 
implemented by health plan sponsors and health insurance providers. 

Tax matters, including the changes in corporate tax rates, disagreements with taxing authorities and imposition of 
new taxes could impact our results of operations and financial condition. 
We are subject to income and other taxes in the U.S. and our operations, plans and results are affected by tax and other 
initiatives.  On  December  22,  2017,  the  Tax  Cuts  and  Jobs  Act  (H.R.  1)  (the  “Tax  Act”)  was  signed  into  law  by 
President Trump. The Tax Act contains significant changes to corporate taxation, including reduction of the corporate 
tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, limitation of the tax deduction for interest expense to 30 percent of earnings 
(except for certain small businesses), limitation of the deduction for net operating losses to 80 percent of current year 
taxable income and elimination of net operating loss carrybacks, one time taxation of offshore earnings at reduced 
rates  regardless  of  whether  they  are  repatriated,  elimination  of  U.S.  tax  on  foreign  earnings  (subject  to  certain 
important  exceptions),  immediate  deductions  for  certain  new  investments  instead  of  deductions  for  depreciation 
expense  over  time,  and  modifying  or  repealing  many  business  deductions  and  credits. For  existing  deferred  tax 
balances for which we were able to determine an impact and those which we were able to determine a reasonable 
estimate, we recognized an income tax benefit of $7.8 million, which is included as a component of income tax benefit 
for the year ended December 31, 2017. We re-measured these deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at 
which they are expected to reverse in the future. As we have not yet completed our accounting for the effect of the 
changes in the Tax Act, such completion could result in a material impact on our income tax expense and deferred tax 
balances during 2018. 

We are also subject to regular reviews, examinations, and audits by the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing 
authorities  with  respect  to  our  taxes.  Although  we  believe  our  tax  estimates  are  reasonable,  if  a  taxing  authority 
disagrees with the positions we have taken, we could face additional tax liability, including interest and penalties. 
There can be no assurance that payment of such additional amounts upon final adjudication of any disputes will not 
have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position. 

We  also  need  to  comply  with  new,  evolving  or  revised  tax  laws  and  regulations. Changes  in  the  application  or 
interpretation of the Tax Act may have an adverse effect on our business or on our results of operations. 

39

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Risks Related to Governance Matters 

Certain provisions of our corporate governance documents and Michigan law could discourage, delay, or prevent 
a merger or acquisition at a premium price.  
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that may make the acquisition of 
our Company more difficult without the approval of our Board of Directors. These include provisions that, among 
other things: 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

(cid:2) 

permit  the  Board  to  issue  up  to  10,000,000  shares  of  preferred  stock,  with  any  rights,  preferences  and 
privileges as they may determine (including the right to approve an acquisition or other change in control); 

provide  that  the  authorized  number  of  directors  may  be  fixed  only  by  the  Board  in  accordance  with  our 
amended and restated bylaws; 

do not provide for cumulative voting rights (therefore allowing the holders of a majority of the shares entitled 
to vote in any election of directors to elect all of the directors standing for election); 

divide our Board into three staggered classes; 

provide that all vacancies and newly created directorships may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority 
of directors then in office, even if less than a quorum; 

prohibit removal of directors without cause; 

limit shareholders from calling special meetings of shareholders; 

requires unanimous consent for shareholders to take action by written consent without approval of the action 
by our Board; 

provide  that  shareholders  seeking  to  present  proposals  before  a  meeting  of  shareholders  or  to  nominate 
candidates for election as directors at a meeting of shareholders must provide advance notice in writing and 
also comply with specified requirements related to the form and content of a shareholder's notice; 

require at least 80 percent supermajority shareholder approval to alter, amend, or repeal certain provisions of 
our amended and restated articles of incorporation; and 

require at least 80 percent supermajority shareholder approval in order for shareholders to adopt, amend, or 
repeal our amended and restated bylaws. 

These  provisions  may  frustrate  or  prevent  any  attempts  by  our  shareholders  to  replace  or  remove  our  current 
management by  making it  more difficult for shareholders  to replace members of the Board of Directors, which is 
responsible for appointing members of our management. Any matters requiring the approval of our shareholders will 
be significantly impacted by the Hagerman family (as defined below), which may have interests that differ from those 
of our other shareholders. See "Philip Hagerman, a director and our former chairman and chief executive officer, has 
significant influence on the outcome of matters submitted for shareholder approval and they may have interests that 
differ from those of our other shareholders." 

In addition, the award agreements for outstanding stock options under our 2007 Option Plan generally provide that all 
unvested  options  will  immediately  vest  upon  a  change  in  control.  The  2014  Omnibus  Plan  permits  the  Board  of 
Directors or a committee thereof to accelerate, vest, or cause the restrictions to lapse with respect to outstanding equity 
awards in the event of, or immediately prior to, a change in control. Although our more recent form of option awards 
contain “double trigger” vesting, such vesting or acceleration of earlier awards could discourage the acquisition of our 
Company.  

40

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We could also become subject to certain anti-takeover provisions under Michigan law which may discourage, delay 
or prevent someone from acquiring us or merging with us, whether or not an acquisition or merger is desired by or 
beneficial  to  our  shareholders.  If  a  corporation's  board  of  directors  chooses  to  "opt-in"  to  certain  provisions  of 
Michigan Law, such corporation may not, in general, engage in a business combination with any beneficial owner, 
directly or indirectly, of 10 percent of the corporation's outstanding voting shares unless the holder has held the shares 
for five  years or  more or, among other things, the board of directors has approved the  business combination. Our 
Board of Directors has not elected to be subject to this provision, but could do so in the future. Any provision of our 
amended and restated articles of incorporation or bylaws or Michigan law that has the effect of delaying or deterring 
a change in control could limit the opportunity for our shareholders to receive a premium for their shares, and could 
also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock otherwise. 

Philip Hagerman, a director and our former chairman and chief executive officer, has significant influence on the 
outcome of matters submitted for shareholder approval and he may have interests that differ from those of our 
other shareholders.  
Philip Hagerman and various trusts affiliated with or for the benefit of Philip Hagerman or his wife (the "Hagerman 
family") beneficially own approximately 26.9 percent of our common stock as of February 28, 2018. Therefore, the 
Hagerman  family  will  continue  to  have  significant  influence  over  the  outcome  of  votes  on  all  matters  requiring 
approval  by  shareholders,  including  the  election  of  directors,  the  adoption  of  amendments  to  our  articles  of 
incorporation  and  bylaws,  and  approval  of  a  sale  of  the  Company  and  other  significant  corporate  transactions. 
Furthermore,  the  interests  of  the  Hagerman  family  may  be  different  than  the  interests  of  other  shareholders.  This 
concentration of voting power could also have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing a change in control or 
other business combination that might otherwise be beneficial to our shareholders.  

ITEM 1.B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 

Not applicable. 

41

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES 

We own a 599,383 square foot distribution facility in Flint, Michigan, which also contains our corporate headquarters. 
We believe that our headquarters and the other facilities described below are suitable and adequate for  our current 
business needs. 

The following table lists information regarding each of our major properties as of December 31, 2017: 

Location   
Flint, MI ......................  

Omaha, NE ..................  
Creve Coeur, MO ........  
Bellevue, NE ...............  
Chantilly, VA ..............  
Bannockburn, IL .........  
Cincinnati, OH ............  
Woburn, MA ...............  
Boothwyn, PA .............  
Flint, MI ......................  
Ronkonkoma, NY .......  
Cincinnati, OH ............  
Cincinnati, OH ............  
Ontario, CA .................  
Urbandale, IA ..............  
Flint, MI ......................  
Greensboro, NC...........  
Raleigh, NC .................  
Raleigh, NC .................  
Carlsbad, CA ...............  
Scottsdale, AZ .............  
Van Nuys, CA .............  
Cincinnati, OH ............  
Beltsville, MD .............  
Enfield, CT ..................  
Richardson, TX ...........  
Sunrise, FL ..................  
Buffalo Grove, IL ........  

Square 
Footage 
599,383 

Facility Description 
Headquarters and main distribution 

Owned 

Owned/Leased 

facility 

Specialty pharmacy 
Specialty pharmacy 
Specialty and retail pharmacy 
Specialty and wholesale pharmacy 
Specialty pharmacy 

50,594  Office space 
34,156  Office space 
30,200  Office space 
18,018  Office space 
15,364  Office space 
15,147 
11,641 
11,400 
10,366 
8,400 
8,205  Office space 
8,100  Office space 
7,280 
7,050 
7,000 
7,000 
6,032  Office space 
5,872 
5,825 
5,792 
5,747 
5,710  Office space 
5,625 
4,664 
4,147 
3,640 
3,408 

Owned 
Leased (expires Aug. 31, 2022) 
Owned 
Leased (expires Dec. 31, 2020) 
Leased (expires Mar. 31, 2023) 
Leased (expires Jun. 30, 2025) 
Leased (expires Dec. 31, 2027) 
Leased (expires Oct. 31, 2026) 
Owned 
Leased (expires Jul. 31, 2021) 
Leased (expires May 31, 2025) 
Leased (expires Dec. 31, 2018) 
Leased (expires Mar. 14, 2020) 
Leased (expires Apr. 30, 2021) 
Owned 
Leased (expires Apr. 30, 2024) 
Leased (expires Jun. 30, 2019) 
Specialty pharmacy and office space  Leased (expires Nov. 30, 2018) 
Leased (expires Dec. 31, 2024) 
Specialty pharmacy 
Specialty pharmacy 
Leased (expires Jun. 9, 2021) 
Specialty pharmacy and office space  Leased (expires Nov. 30, 2018) 
Leased (expires Sep. 30, 2019) 
Leased (expires Mar. 31, 2022) 
Leased (expires Dec. 17, 2018) 
Leased (expires Jul. 31, 2021) 
Leased (expires Apr. 30, 2023) 
Leased (expires May 31, 2021) 

Specialty pharmacy 
Specialty pharmacy 
Specialty and retail pharmacy 
Specialty pharmacy 

Specialty pharmacy 
Specialty pharmacy 
Specialty pharmacy 
Specialty pharmacy 
Specialty pharmacy 

The Company  leases  multiple facilities (ranging  from 400  to 2,000 square feet)  in the  mid-Atlantic and southeast 
regions of the U.S. for use as specialty infusion suites. Most of these specialty infusion suite leases have one-year 
terms and automatically renew for additional one-year terms unless either party gives written notice of termination. 

ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS  

On November 10, 2016, a putative class action complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District 
of Michigan against Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. and certain officers of the Company. Following appointment of lead 
plaintiffs  and  lead  counsel,  an  amended  complaint  was  filed  on  April  11,  2017.  The  amended  complaint  alleges 
violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in connection with public filings made 
between February 29, 2016 and November 2, 2016 (the “potential class period”). The plaintiff seeks to represent a 
class of shareholders who purchased stock in the potential class period. The complaint seeks unspecified monetary 

42

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
damages and other relief. The Company filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint on May 24, 2017. The court 
issued an order denying the  Company’s  motion to dismiss on January 19, 2018. The Company  filed a  motion  for 
reconsideration of its motion to dismiss on February 2, 2018. The Company believes the complaint and allegations to 
be without merit and intends to vigorously defend itself against the action. The Company is unable at this time to 
determine whether the outcome of the litigation would have a material impact on its results of operations, financial 
condition or cash flows. 

On February 10, 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) received a demand letter from a purported 
shareholder containing allegations similar to those contained in the putative class action complaint described above. 
The letter demanded that the Board take action to remedy the alleged violations. In response, the Board established a 
Special Independent Committee of its disinterested and independent members to investigate the claims. Subsequently, 
on June 2, 2017, the shareholder filed a putative shareholder’s derivative lawsuit in the Michigan Circuit Court for the 
County of Genesee regarding the same matters alleged in the demand letter. The complaint names the Company as a 
nominal defendant and names a number of the Company’s current and former officers and directors as defendants. 
The  complaint  seeks  unspecified  monetary  damages  and  other  relief.  In  connection  with  the  ongoing  Special 
Independent Committee investigation, on July 20, 2017, by agreement between the Company and the shareholder, the 
court ordered a stay of legal proceedings for 90 days, after which time by further agreement of the Company and the 
shareholder, the court has extended the stay  until April 3, 2018. The Company is unable at this time to determine 
whether the outcome of the litigation would have a material impact on its results of operations, financial condition or 
cash flows. 

The results of legal proceedings are often uncertain and difficult to predict, and the Company could from time to time 
incur  judgments,  enter  into  settlements,  materially  change  its  business  practices  or  technologies  or  revise  its 
expectations regarding the outcome of certain matters. In addition, the costs incurred in litigation can be substantial, 
regardless of the outcome. 

The  Company’s  business  of  providing  specialized  pharmacy  services  and  other  related  services  may  subject  it  to 
litigation and liability for damages in the ordinary course of business. Nevertheless, the Company believes there are 
no other legal proceedings, the outcome of which, if determined adversely to the Company, would individually or in 
the aggregate be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on its business, financial position, cash flows, 
or results of operations. 

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES  

Not applicable. 

43

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PART II 

ITEM 5.  MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 

AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES 

Market Information 
The following table sets forth for the periods indicated the high and low closing sale prices per share of our common 
stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange: 

Quarter 

2017 

2016 

    High        Low        High        Low   

First .........................................    $ 15.95    $ 12.50    $ 35.62    $ 25.21 
Second .....................................    $ 18.84    $ 14.06    $ 35.00    $ 28.14 
Third ........................................    $ 21.78    $ 14.43    $ 37.76    $ 27.00 
Fourth ......................................    $ 21.57    $ 14.63    $ 29.06    $ 12.50 

On February 27, 2018, we had 74,069,226 shares of common stock, no par value, outstanding and 80 holders of record 
of our common stock. A substantially greater number of holders are beneficial owners whose shares are held of record 
by banks, brokers and other nominees. The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust 
Company, N.A. 

Dividends 
We currently expect to retain all future earnings, if any, for use in the operation and expansion of our business.  Any 
determination to declare and pay cash dividends on our common stock in the future will be made at the discretion of 
our  Board  of  Directors  and  will  depend  on  our  results  of  operations,  financial  performance  and  condition,  capital 
requirements, contractual restrictions under our credit facility, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors 
that our Board of Directors may deem relevant. We do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock for 
the foreseeable future. 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 
There have been no repurchases of our common stock either on the open market or by private transaction during the 
quarter ended December 31, 2017. 

44

 
 
 
 
  
   
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Performance Graph 
The following graph compares the total cumulative stockholder return on our common stock with the total cumulative 
return of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P Small Cap 600 Index during the period commencing on October 10, 2014, 
the initial trading day of our common stock, and ending on December 31,  2017. The graph assumes that $100 was 
invested  at  the  beginning  of  the  period  in  our  common  stock  and  in  each  of  the  comparative  indices,  and  the 
reinvestment of any dividends. Historical stock price performance should not be relied upon as an indication of future 
stock price performance. 

45

 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 

The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with the information under “Item 7. Management’s 
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements 
and related notes in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” (“Item 8”) of this Annual Report on Form 
10-K. Results of operations and the fair values of assets and liabilities from acquired businesses are included from 
their respective acquisition dates forward. See Note 3 of Item 8 for further business acquisition details. 

2017 

Year Ended December 31, 
2015 
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) 

2014 

2016 

2013 

Consolidated Statements of Operations Data   
    $  1,515,139 
Net sales ..............................................................    $  4,485,230 
Cost of products sold ..........................................      (4,136,552)        (4,085,560)        (3,103,392)        (2,074,817)        (1,426,112) 
89,027 
(77,944) 
11,083 

Gross profit ...............................................     
Selling, general and administrative expenses ......     
Income from operations ............................     

348,678 
(330,113)  
18,565 

263,239 
(217,302)  
45,937 

324,828 
(277,751)  
47,077 

140,139 
(127,556)       

    $  3,366,631 

    $  4,410,388 

    $  2,214,956 

12,583 

Other (expense) income: 

Interest expense ..............................................     
Equity loss and impairment of non-

consolidated entities ......................................  

Change in fair value of redeemable 

common shares .............................................  

Termination of existing stock redemption 

agreement ......................................................  
Other ...............................................................     
Total other expense .............................................     
Income (loss) before income taxes ............     
Income tax benefit (expense) ..............................     
Net income (loss) ......................................     

Less net loss attributable to noncontrolling 

(10,716)  

(6,573)  

(5,239)  

(2,528)       

(1,996) 

— 

— 

(4,659) 

— 

— 

— 

— 
213 
(10,503)       

8,062 
7,126 
15,188 

— 
370 
(10,862)       
36,215 
(11,195)       
25,020 

— 
308 
(4,931)       
41,006 
(16,234)       
24,772 

(6,208) 

(1,055) 

9,073 

(34,348) 

(4,842) 
1,128 
(3,377)       
9,206 
(4,655)       
4,551 

— 
196 
(37,203) 
(26,120) 
— 
(26,120) 

interest ..............................................................  

(322) 

(3,253) 

(1,004) 

(225) 

— 

Net income (loss) attributable to Diplomat 

Pharmacy, Inc. ..................................................  

15,510 

28,273 

25,776 

4,776 

(26,120) 

Net income allocable to preferred 

shareholders ......................................................  

— 

— 

— 

458 

— 

Net income (loss) allocable to common 

shareholders ......................................................  

  $ 

15,510 

  $ 

28,273 

  $ 

25,776 

  $ 

4,318 

  $ 

(26,120) 

Net income (loss) per common share: 
Basic ...............................................................  
Diluted ............................................................  

  $ 
  $ 

0.23 
0.23 

    $ 
    $ 

0.43 
0.42 

    $ 
    $ 

0.42 
0.41 

    $ 
    $ 

0.12 
0.11 

    $ 
    $ 

(0.79) 
(0.79) 

Weighted average common shares outstanding: 
Basic ...............................................................  
Diluted ............................................................  

    68,130,322 
    68,780,053 

      65,970,396 
      68,047,723 

      60,730,133 
      63,096,951 

      36,012,592 
      38,553,995 

      33,141,500 
      33,141,500 

2017 

2016 

As of December 31, 
2015 
(Dollars in thousands) 

2014 

2013 

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data 
Total assets .....................................................  
Total debt ........................................................  
Total shareholders' equity (deficit) .................  

  $  1,940,423 
738,250 
749,501 

    $  1,099,254 
150,255 
613,724 

    $  1,001,579 
117,000 
515,546 

    $ 

390,086 
— 
168,727 

    $ 

211,777 
88,164 
(77,782) 

46

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
 
   
   
   
   
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
     
 
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
     
     
     
     
   
     
     
     
     
 
 
2017 

Year Ended December 31, 
2016 
2014 
2015 
(Per prescription information in dollars) 

2013 

Other Data (unaudited) 
Prescriptions dispensed .......................................     

910,000 

981,000 

911,000 

797,000 

722,000 

Net sales per prescription dispensed ...................    $ 
Gross profit per prescription dispensed...............    $ 

4,917   
367   

  $ 
  $ 

4,487   
325   

  $ 
  $ 

3,683   
280   

  $ 
  $ 

2,770 
167 

    $ 
    $ 

2,090 
116 

47

 
 
   
 
 
   
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
ITEM 7.   MANAGEMENT’S  DISCUSSION  AND  ANALYSIS  OF  FINANCIAL  CONDITION  AND 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 

(Dollars in thousands, except per share, per patient and per prescription data) 

Overview 
We are the largest independent provider of specialty pharmacy services in the U.S. We are focused on improving the 
lives of patients with complex chronic diseases while also delivering unique solutions for manufacturers, hospitals, 
payers and providers. Our patient-centric approach positions us at the center of the healthcare continuum for treatment 
of complex chronic diseases. We offer a broad range of innovative solutions to address the dispensing, delivery, dosing 
and reimbursement of clinically intensive, high-cost specialty drugs (many of which can cost more than $100,000 per 
patient, per year) and a wide range of applications and PBM services designed to help our customers reduce the cost 
and  manage  the  complexity  of  their  prescription  drug  programs.  We  have  expertise  across  a  broad  range  of 
high-growth specialty therapeutic categories, including oncology, immunology, specialty infusion therapy, hepatitis, 
multiple  sclerosis  and  many  other  serious  or  long-term  conditions.  We  dispense  to  patients  in  all  U.S.  states  and 
territories through our advanced distribution centers and manage centralized clinical call centers to deliver localized 
services on a national scale. Diplomat opened its doors in 1975 as a neighborhood pharmacy with one essential tenet: 
“Take  good  care  of  patients  and  the  rest  falls  into  place.”  Today,  that  tradition  continues—always  focused  on 
improving patient care and clinical adherence. 

Our revenues are derived from: (i) customized care management programs we deliver to our patients, including the 
dispensing  of  their  specialty  medications  and  (ii)  PBM  services  that  we  provide  to  our  customers.  Because  the 
therapeutic  disease  states  primarily  addressed  by  our  specialty  pharmacy  services  generally  require  multiyear  or 
lifelong therapy, our focus on complex chronic diseases helps drive recurring revenues and sustainable growth. Our 
specialty pharmacy services revenue growth is primarily driven by manufacturer price inflation, new drugs coming to 
market, new indications for existing drugs, volume growth with current clients, and the addition of new clients. For 
the  years  ended  December 31,  2017,  2016  and  2015,  we  derived  more  than  99  percent  of  our  revenue  from  the 
dispensing of drugs and the reporting of data associated with those dispenses to pharmaceutical manufacturers and 
other  outside  companies.  Going  forward,  we  expect  an  aging  population  and  attendant  increase  in  prescription 
spending to drive demand for our PBM services. 

Our  recent  and  historical  revenue  growth  has  largely  been  driven  by  our  position  as  a  leader  in  the  oncology, 
immunology,  specialty  infusion,  hepatitis  and  multiple  sclerosis  therapeutic  categories.  For  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, we generated approximately 94 percent, 93 percent and 92 percent, respectively, 
of our revenues in these categories. 

We expect our revenue growth to continue to be driven by a highly visible and recurring base of prescription volume 
and  revenues,  favorable  demographic  trends,  advanced  clinical  developments,  expanding  drug  pipelines,  earlier 
detection  of  chronic  diseases,  improved  access  to  medical  care,  mix  shift  toward  higher-cost  specialty  drugs  and 
manufacturer price increases. In addition, we believe our expanding breadth of services, our growing penetration with 
new customers and our access to limited-distribution drugs will help us achieve sustainable  revenue  growth in the 
future. Further, we believe that limited distribution is becoming the delivery system of choice for many specialty drug 
manufacturers  because  it  is  conducive  to  smaller  patient  populations,  facilitates  high  patient  engagement,  clinical 
expertise and elevated focus on service, and because it allows for real-time patient-specific (albeit de-identified) data. 
Accordingly,  we  believe  our  current  portfolio  of  more  than  100  limited-distribution  drugs,  all  of  which  are 
commercially  available,  is  important  to  our  revenue  growth.  For  our  PBM  services,  we  expect  our  revenue  to  be 
propelled by rising drug prices and a growth in specialty drug spend, as well a shift in the marketplace of drug coverage 
from a medical benefit to a pharmacy benefit, and the increasing complexity and required support for Medicare Part 
D programs. 

We also provide specialty pharmacy support services to hospitals and health systems. Through many of these partners, 
we  earn  revenue  by  providing  clinical  and  administrative  support  services  on  a  fee-for-service  basis  to  help  them 
dispense specialty medications. Our other revenue in 2017, 2016 and 2015 was derived from these services provided 
to hospital pharmacy partners. 

48

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recent Developments 

LDI Holding Company, LLC 

On  December  20,  2017,  we  acquired  LDI  Holding  Company,  LLC,  doing  business  as  LDI  Integrated  Pharmacy 
Services (“LDI”) for a total acquisition price of $600,388, excluding related acquisition costs. Included in the total 
acquisition price is $521,300 in cash and 4,113,188 restricted shares of our common stock, fair valued at $79,088 as 
of the acquisition date. LDI is a full-service pharmacy benefit manager (“PBM”) based in St. Louis, Missouri. LDI’s 
service  offerings  include  URAC-accredited  mail-order  and  specialty  pharmacies,  a  national  network  of  retail 
pharmacies, and comprehensive clinical programs. 

Debt Financing 

On December 20, 2017, in conjunction with the LDI acquisition, we fully syndicated an $800,000 debt financing led 
by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Capital One, comprised of a $250,000 line of credit and a $150,000 Term Loan 
A, each with a December 20, 2022 maturity date, and a $400,000 Term Loan B with a December 20, 2024 maturity 
date. The proceeds of this credit facility were used to finance the LDI acquisition, pay related transaction fees  and 
expenses, and repay the former credit facility, as well as provide sufficient liquidity for our future needs. We incurred 
debt issuance costs of $21,507 associated with the credit facility. 

Pharmaceutical Technologies, Inc. 

On November 27, 2017, we acquired Pharmaceutical Technologies, Inc., doing business as National Pharmaceutical 
Services (“NPS”), for a total acquisition price of $47,190, excluding related acquisition costs. Included in the total 
acquisition price is $34,437 in cash and 835,017 restricted shares of our common stock, fair valued at $12,753 as of 
the acquisition date. NPS is a fully-integrated, nationwide pharmacy benefit manager based in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Focus Rx Pharmacy Services Inc. and Focus Rx Inc. 

On September 1, 2017, we acquired Focus Rx Pharmacy Services Inc. and Focus Rx Inc. (collectively, “Focus”) for 
a  total  acquisition  price  of  $24,975,  excluding  related  acquisition  costs.  Included  in  the  total  acquisition  price  is 
$17,252 in cash, 374,297 restricted shares of our common stock, fair valued at $5,643 as of the acquisition date, and 
contingent  consideration  of  up  to  $1,500  in  cash  per  performance  period  to  the  former  holders  of  Focus’  equity 
interests  based  upon  the  achievement  of  certain  gross  margin  targets  in  each  of  the  12-month  periods  ending 
September  30,  2018  and  2019,  which  was  fair  valued  at  $2,080  as  of  the  acquisition  date.  Focus  is  a  specialty 
pharmacy focusing on infusion services located in Ronkonkoma, New York. 

Accurate Rx Pharmacy Consulting, LLC 

On July 5, 2017, we acquired Accurate Rx Pharmacy Consulting, LLC (“Accurate”) for a total acquisition price of 
$13,164,  excluding  related  acquisition  costs.  Included  in  the  total  acquisition  price  is  $9,408  in  cash,  131,108 
restricted shares of our common stock, fair valued at $1,776 as of the acquisition date, and contingent consideration 
of up to $3,600 in cash per performance period to the former holders of Accurate’s equity interests based upon the 
achievement of certain gross margin targets in each of the 12-month periods ending July 31, 2018 and 2019, which 
was fair valued at $1,980 as of the acquisition date. Accurate is a specialty pharmacy focusing on infusion services 
located in Columbia, Missouri. 

WRB Communications, LLC Acquisition 

On  May 8,  2017,  we  acquired  WRB  Communications,  LLC  (“WRB”)  for  a  total  acquisition  price  of  $31,625, 
excluding related acquisition costs. Included in the total acquisition price is $26,804 in cash, 299,325 restricted shares 
of our common stock, fair valued at $4,291 as of the acquisition date, and contingent consideration of up to $500 in 
cash per performance period to the former holders of WRB’s equity interests based upon the achievement of certain 
earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization targets in each of the 12-month periods ending May 31, 
2018 and 2019, which was fair valued at $530 as of the acquisition date. WRB is a communications and contact center 

49

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
company  based  in  Chantilly,  Virginia  that  specializes  in  relationship-management  programs  for  leading 
pharmaceutical manufacturers and service organizations. 

Comfort Infusion, Inc. Acquisition 

On March 22, 2017, we acquired Comfort Infusion, Inc. (“Comfort”) for a total acquisition price of $14,413, excluding 
related acquisition costs. Included in the total acquisition price is $10,613 in cash, and contingent consideration of up 
to  $2,000  in  cash  per  performance  period  to  the  former  holders  of  Comfort’s  equity  interests  based  upon  the 
achievement of certain gross profit targets in each of the 12-month periods ending March 31, 2018, 2019 and 2020, 
which  was fair valued at $3,800 as of the acquisition date. Comfort is a specialty pharmacy and infusion services 
company based in Birmingham, Alabama that specializes in intravenous immune globulin therapy to support patients’ 
immune systems. 

Affinity Biotech, Inc. Acquisition 

On February 1, 2017, we acquired Affinity Biotech, Inc. (“Affinity”) for a total acquisition price of $17,412, excluding 
related acquisition costs. Included in the total acquisition price is $17,377 in cash, and contingent consideration of up 
to $4,000 in cash to the former holders of Affinity’s equity interests based upon the achievement of a certain earnings 
before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization target in the 12-month period ending February 28, 2018, which 
was fair valued at $35 as of the acquisition date. Affinity is a specialty pharmacy and infusion services company based 
in Houston, Texas that provides treatments and nursing services for patients with hemophilia. 

Key Performance Metrics 

We regularly review a number of metrics, including the following key metrics, to evaluate our business, measure our 
performance, identify trends, formulate financial projections and make strategic decisions: 

Prescriptions dispensed ..............................................................................  

Year Ended December 31, 
2016 
    910,000      981,000      911,000 

2015 

2017 

Net sales per prescription dispensed ..........................................................  
Gross profit per prescription dispensed .....................................................  

  $ 
  $ 

4,917    $ 
367    $ 

4,487    $ 
325    $ 

3,683 
280 

Prescription Data (rounded to the nearest thousand) 

Prescriptions  dispensed  represent  prescriptions  filled  and  dispensed  by  Diplomat  to  patients  or,  in  rare  cases,  to 
physicians.  Our  volume  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2017  was  910,000 prescriptions  dispensed,  a  7  percent 
decrease compared to 981,000 prescriptions dispensed for the year ended December 31, 2016. These volume decreases 
were due to contracts that were not renewed, a business decision to exit dispensing certain high-volume, but low-
profit, drugs and a decrease in hepatitis C volume, partially offset by the contributions of our recent acquisitions, new 
drugs to the market or newly dispensed by us, growth in patients from current payers and physician practices, and the 
addition of patients from new payers and physician practices. 

Our  volume  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2016  was  981,000 prescriptions  dispensed,  an  8  percent  increase 
compared to 911,000 prescriptions dispensed for the year ended December 31, 2015. The volume increase was due to 
the contribution of our acquisitions, new drugs to the market or newly dispensed by us, growth in patients from current 
payers and physician practices, and the addition of patients from new payers and physician practices. These volume 
increases were partially offset by a decrease in prescriptions serviced for retailers, the loss of non-specialty dispenses 
resulting from the sale of our compounding business in September 2015, and a business decision to exit dispensing 
certain high-volume, but low-profit, drugs. 

50

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Metrics 

Other  key  metrics  used  in  analyzing  our  business  are  net  sales  per  prescription  dispensed  and  gross  profit  per 
prescription dispensed. Net sales per prescription dispensed represent total prescription revenue from prescriptions 
dispensed by Diplomat divided by the number of prescriptions dispensed by Diplomat. Gross profit per prescription 
dispensed represents gross profit from prescriptions dispensed by Diplomat divided by the number of prescriptions 
dispensed by Diplomat. Total prescription revenue from prescriptions dispensed includes all revenue collected from 
patients, third-party payers and various patient assistance programs, as well as revenue collected from pharmaceutical 
manufacturers for data and other services directly tied to the actual dispensing of their drug(s). Gross profit represents 
total prescription revenue from prescriptions dispensed less the cost of the drugs purchased, including performance-
related rebates paid by manufacturers to us, which are recorded as a reduction to cost of products sold. 

Components of Results of Operations 

Net Sales 

Revenue  for  a  dispensed  prescription  is  recognized  at  the  time  of  shipment  for  home  delivery  and  at  prescription 
adjudication (which approximates the fill date) for patient pick-up at open-door or retail pharmacy locations. We can 
earn revenue from multiple sources for any one claim, including the primary insurance plan, the secondary insurance 
plan, the tertiary insurance plan, the patient copay and patient assistance programs. Prescription revenue also includes 
revenue  from  pharmaceutical  manufacturers  and  other  outside  companies  for  data  reporting  or  additional  services 
rendered  for  dispensed  prescriptions.  Service  revenue  is  primarily  derived  from  fees  earned  by  us  from  hospital 
pharmacies for patient support that is provided by us to those non-Diplomat pharmacies to dispense specialty drugs to 
patients.  The  hospital  pharmacies  dispense  the  drug  and  pay  us  a  service  fee  for  clinically  and  administratively 
servicing their patients. 

Cost of Products Sold 

Cost of products sold represents the purchase price of the drugs that we ultimately dispense. These drugs are purchased 
directly from the manufacturer or from an authorized wholesaler and the purchase price is negotiated with the selling 
entity. In general, period-over-period percentage changes in cost of products sold will move directionally with period-
over-period percentage changes in net sales for prescription dispensing transactions. This is due to the mathematical 
relationship  between  AWP  and  wholesale  acquisition  cost  (“WAC”),  where  most  commonly  AWP  equals  WAC 
multiplied by 1.20, and our contractual relationships to purchase at a discount off WAC and receive reimbursement at 
a discount off AWP. The discounts off AWP and WAC that we receive vary significantly by drug and by contract. 
Rebates we receive from manufacturers are reflected as reductions to cost of products sold when they are earned. 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses (“SG&A”) 

Our  operating  expenses  primarily  consist  of  employee  and  employee-related  costs,  outbound  prescription  drug 
transportation and logistics costs, and amortization expense from definite-lived intangible assets associated with our 
acquired  entities.  Our  employee  and  employee-related  costs  relate  to  both  our  patient-facing  personnel  and  our 
non-patient-facing support and administrative personnel. Other operating expenses consist of occupancy and other 
indirect costs, insurance costs, professional fees and other general overhead expenses. We expect that general and 
administrative expenses will continue to increase as we incur additional expenses related to our growth. 

Other Expense 

Other expense primarily consists of interest expense associated with our debt, and equity losses and impairments of 
non-consolidated entities. 

51

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 

The following table provides consolidated statements of operations data for each of the years presented: 

Net sales .........................................................................................    $  4,485,230 
Cost of products sold .....................................................................      (4,136,552) 
348,678 
(330,113) 
18,565 

Gross profit .............................................................................     
SG&A ............................................................................................     
Income from operations ..........................................................     

2017 

Year Ended December 31, 
2016 
  $  4,410,388 
    (4,085,560) 
324,828 
(277,751) 
47,077 

2015 
  $  3,366,631 
    (3,103,392) 
263,239 
(217,302) 
45,937 

Other (expense) income: 

Interest expense ..........................................................................     
  Equity loss and impairment of non-consolidated entities ...........     
  Other ..........................................................................................     
Total other expense ........................................................................     
Income before income taxes ...................................................     
Income tax benefit (expense) .........................................................     
Net income .............................................................................     
Less net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest .......................     
Net income attributable to Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. .....................    $ 

(10,716) 
— 
213 
(10,503) 
8,062 
7,126 
15,188 
(322) 
15,510 

  $ 

(6,573) 
(4,659) 
370 
(10,862) 
36,215 
(11,195) 
25,020 
(3,253) 
28,273 

  $ 

(5,239) 
— 
308 
(4,931) 
41,006 
(16,234) 
24,772 
(1,004) 
25,776 

Year Ended December 31, 2017 vs. Year Ended December 31, 2016 

Net Sales 

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2017 were $4,485,230, a $74,842 or 1.7 percent increase, compared to 
$4,410,388 for the year ended December 31, 2016. This increase was the result of approximately $294,000 from the 
impact  of  manufacturer  price  increases,  approximately  $272,000  of  net  sales  from  our  recent  acquisitions, 
approximately $127,000 from drugs that were new in the past 12 months and approximately $70,000 of net sales from 
increased volume and mix associated with existing payer contracts. These increases were partially offset by a decrease 
of approximately $460,000 due to contracts that were not renewed in 2017, as well as a decrease  of approximately 
$229,000 in hepatitis C drug sales versus the prior year period. 

Cost of Products Sold 

Cost  of  products  sold  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2017  was  $4,136,552,  a  $50,992  or  1.2  percent  increase, 
compared to $4,085,560 for the year ended December 31, 2016. This increase was primarily the result of the same 
factors that drove the increase in our net sales over the same period. Cost of goods sold was 92.2 percent and 92.6 
percent of net sales for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in gross margin from 
7.4 percent to 7.8 percent for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2017, respectively, was primarily attributable 
to the continued growth of our specialty infusion therapeutic category and the impact of our LDI, NPS and WRB 
acquisitions, all of which have higher margins than our legacy operations. 

SG&A 

SG&A for the year ended December 31, 2017 were $330,113, a $52,362 increase, compared to $277,751 for the year 
ended December 31, 2016. Total employee cost increased by $26,947, inclusive of $18,783 of employee expense for 
our recently acquired entities. The remaining increase in employee cost was primarily attributable to the increased 
clinical and administrative complexity associated with our mix of both acquired and organic business. Changes in fair 
values  of  contingent  consideration  were  $3,675  and  $(8,922)  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2017  and  2016, 
respectively, leading to a period-over-period increase of $12,597. Amortization expense from definite-lived intangible 
assets associated  with our acquired entities increased $9,990. The remaining increase  was in various other  SG&A 
including  insurance,  legal  fees  and  other  miscellaneous  expenses.  These  increases  were  partially  offset  by  the 
nonrecurrence of a $4,804 impairment expense recognized during the third quarter of 2016 to fully impair the definite-

52

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
lived  intangible  assets  associated  with  Primrose  Healthcare,  LLC  (“Primrose”).  As  a  percent  of  net  sales,  SG&A, 
excluding  the  changes  in  fair  values  of  contingent  consideration  and  the  Primrose  impairment,  accounted  for  7.3 
percent for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to 6.4 percent for the year ended December 31, 2016. This 
increase is primarily attributable to the increase in acquisition-related amortization, the increased operating complexity 
associated with both of our PBM acquisitions and new drugs and our expansion into more service based offerings, 
partially offset by operating efficiencies. 

Other Expense 

Other  expense  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2017  and  2016  was  $10,503  and  $10,862,  respectively.  Interest 
expense increased by $4,143 as we fully drew down our $25,000 deferred draw term loan at the end of the first quarter 
of  2017  and  entered  into  a  new  financing  arrangement  during  the  fourth  quarter  of  2017,  which  increased  our 
outstanding  debt  and  caused  us  to  expense  $1,380  of  debt  issuance  costs  in  accordance  with  debt  modification 
accounting standards. We recognized a $4,659 impairment during the year ended December 31, 2016 to write down 
our cost method investment in Physician Resource Management, Inc. (“PRM”) to net realizable value. 

Income Tax Benefit (Expense) 

Income tax benefit (expense) for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was $7,126 and $(11,195), respectively. 
The  Tax  Cuts  and  Jobs  Act  (the  “Tax  Act”)  was  enacted  on  December  22,  2017,  which  reduces  the  U.S.  federal 
corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. We recognized a $7,828 income tax benefit during the fourth quarter 
of 2017 due to the  Tax  Act’s impact of reducing our net deferred tax liability. In the absence of the Tax  Act, our 
effective  tax  rates  for  the  years  ended  December  31,  2017  and  2016  would  have  been  9  percent  and  31  percent, 
respectively. Income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 included the recognition of excess tax 
benefits related to share-based awards, which favorably impacted the effective tax rates by 37 percent and 11 percent, 
respectively. 

Year Ended December 31, 2016 vs. Year Ended December 31, 2015 

Net Sales 

Net sales for the year ended December 31, 2016 were $4,410,388, a $1,043,757 or 31 percent increase, compared to 
$3,366,631 for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase was primarily the result of organic growth, including 
approximately $256,000 of additional revenue from drugs that were new to the market in 2016 and approximately 
$241,000  from  the  impact  of  price  increases.  The  remaining  organic  growth  was  primarily  the  result  of  a  more 
favorable mix of those drugs that existed a year ago, partially offset by a shift in hepatitis C drug mix from those drugs 
that existed a year ago to new drugs and increased DIR fees. Acquisitions contributed approximately $476,000 to the 
increase.  

Cost of Products Sold 

Cost  of  products  sold  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2016  was  $4,085,560,  a $982,168 or 32 percent  increase, 
compared to $3,103,392 for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase was primarily the result of the same 
factors that drove the increase in our net sales over the same period. Cost of products sold was 92.6 percent and 92.2 
percent of net sales for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The reduction in gross margin 
from 7.8 percent to 7.4 percent for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2016, respectively, was primarily due to: 
a continued shift in mix towards higher priced but lower percent margin drugs; lower growth and lower margins in 
our specialty infusion therapeutic category; increased DIR fees; the September 2015 sale of our low profit, but high 
margin, compounding business; and the recognition of a $2,407 inventory loss due to a cooler failure at one of our 
pharmacy locations during the fourth quarter of 2016. 

SG&A 

SG&A for the year ended December 31, 2016 were $277,751, a $60,449 increase, compared to $217,302 for the year 
ended December 31, 2015. Total employee cost increased  by $35,974 and includes the  employee expense  for our 

53

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
acquired entities. The increased employee expense was primarily attributable to the 8 percent increase in dispensed 
prescription volume, combined with the increased clinical and administrative complexity associated with our mix of 
business.  We  also  experienced  a  $13,925  increase  in  amortization  expense  from  definite-lived  intangible  assets 
associated with our acquired entities, a $4,804 impairment expense to fully impair the definite-lived intangible assets 
associated with Primrose, a $3,544 increase in bad debt expense, and a $1,250 early termination fee associated with a 
software licensing agreement. The remaining increase was in all other SG&A to support our growth including software 
licenses, travel, freight and other miscellaneous expenses. These increases were partially offset by a $15,590 decrease 
in  changes  in  fair  value  of  contingent  consideration  related  to  our  acquisitions.  As  a  percent  of  net  sales,  SG&A, 
excluding the change in fair value of contingent consideration and the Primrose impairment, accounted for 6.4 percent 
of net sales for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to 6.3 percent for the year ended December 31, 2015. 

Other Expense 

Other expense for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $10,862 and $4,931, respectively. We recognized 
a $4,659 impairment during the year ended December 31, 2016 to write down our cost method investment in Physician 
Resource Management, Inc. (“PRM”) to net realizable value. Interest expense increased by $1,334 as our term loan 
was outstanding for all of 2016 versus only nine months of 2015. 

Income Tax Expense 

Income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 was $11,195 and $16,234, respectively, resulting 
in effective tax rates of 31 percent and 40 percent, respectively. Income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 
2016 included the recognition of excess tax benefits related to share-based awards, which favorably impacted the 2016 
effective tax rate by 11 percent. 

Liquidity and Capital Resources 

Our primary uses of cash include funding our  ongoing  working capital needs, business acquisitions, acquiring and 
maintaining property and equipment and internal use software, and debt service. Our primary source of liquidity for 
our working capital is cash flows generated from operations. At various times during the course of the year, we may 
be in an operating cash  usage position,  which  may require  us  to use our  short-term borrowings. We continuously 
monitor our working capital position and associated cash requirements and explore opportunities to more effectively 
manage  our  inventory  and  capital  spending.  As  of  December  31,  2017  and  2016,  we  had  $84,251  and  $7,953, 
respectively,  of  cash  and  cash  equivalents.  We  had  $188,250  and  $39,255  outstanding  on  our  line  of  credit  at 
December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Our available liquidity under our line of credit was $61,750 and $129,908 
at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. 

We believe that funds generated from operations, cash and cash equivalents on hand, and available borrowing capacity 
under our credit facility will be sufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least 
the next 12 months. We may enhance our competitive position through additional complementary acquisitions in both 
existing and new markets. Therefore, from time to time, we may access the equity or debt markets to raise additional 
funds to finance acquisitions or otherwise on a strategic basis. 

The following table provides cash flow data for each of the years presented: 

Net cash provided by operating activities ...........................................    $  135,254 
(633,319) 
Net cash used in investing activities ...................................................     
574,363 
Net cash provided by financing activities ...........................................     
76,298 
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents .........................    $ 

2017 

  $ 

Year Ended December 31, 
2016 
31,326 
(85,967) 
34,994 
(19,647) 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

2015 

29,447 
(311,573) 
291,769 
9,643 

54

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
Cash Flows from Operating Activities 

Cash  flows  from  operating  activities  consists  of  net  income,  adjusted  for  noncash  items,  and  changes  in  various 
working capital items, including accounts receivable, inventories, accounts payable and other assets/liabilities. 

The $103,928 increase in cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to 
the year ended December 31, 2016 was due to a $106,269 change in net working capital inflows and a $7,491 increase 
in noncash adjustments to net income, partially offset by a $9,832 decrease in net income. 

The $1,879 increase in cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to the 
year  ended  December  31,  2015  was  due  to  a  $248  increase  in  net  income  and  a  $51,784  increase  in  noncash 
adjustments to net income, partially offset by a $50,153 increase in net working capital outflows. 

Cash Flows from Investing Activities 

Our primary investing activities have consisted of business acquisitions, labor expenditures associated with capitalized 
software  for  internal  use,  investments  in  non-consolidated  entities,  capital  expenditures  to  purchase  computer 
equipment,  software,  furniture  and  fixtures,  as  well  as  building  improvements  to  support  the  expansion  of  our 
infrastructure  and  workforce.  As  our  business  grows,  our  capital  expenditures  and  our  investment  activity  may 
continue to increase. 

The $547,352 increase in cash used in investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to the 
year  ended  December  31,  2016  was  primarily  related  to  a  $555,911  increase  in  cash  used  to  acquire  businesses, 
partially offset by a $9,090 decrease in spending on capitalized software. 

The $225,606 decrease in cash used in investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to the 
year ended December 31, 2015 was primarily related to a $226,340 decrease in cash used to acquire businesses. 

Cash Flows from Financing Activities 

Our primary financing activities have consisted of debt borrowings and repayments, payment of debt issuance costs, 
proceeds from stock option exercises, proceeds from capital stock offerings and payments made to repurchase capital 
stock and stock options. 

The $539,369 increase in cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2017 compared 
to the year ended December 31, 2016 was primarily due to increased borrowings associated with our LDI acquisition. 
We  received  $575,000  in  long-term  debt  proceeds  during  2017,  partially  offset  by  long-term  debt  repayments  of 
$136,000 and debt issuance payments of $21,507 during 2017. We also had a $109,740 increase in year-over-year net 
proceeds from our line of credit. 

The $256,775 decrease in cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2016 compared 
to the year ended December 31, 2015 was primarily related to the  non-recurrence of the following 2015 activities: 
$187,988 in net proceeds from our follow-on public offering and $120,000 in proceeds from the fully drawn term loan 
from our former credit facility (described below), partially offset by $36,298 in payments made to repurchase stock 
options. 

Excess Tax Benefits Related to Share-Based Awards 

For accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”) purposes, share-based compensation expense 
associated  with stock options is based upon recognition  of the grant date fair value over the vesting period of the 
option. For income tax purposes, share-based compensation tax deductions associated with nonqualified stock option 
exercises and repurchases are based upon the difference between the stock price and the exercise price at time of 
exercise or repurchase. Prior to our January 1, 2016 adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting 
Standards Update No. 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-
Based Payment Accounting (“ASU 2016-09”), in instances where share-based compensation expense for income tax 
purposes  was in excess of share-based compensation expense  for U.S. GAAP purposes,  which  had predominately 

55

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
been  the  case  for  us,  U.S.  GAAP  required  that  the  tax  benefit  associated  with  this  excess  expense  be  recorded  to 
shareholders’ equity to the extent that it reduced cash taxes payable. During the year ended December 31, 2015, we 
recorded excess tax benefits related to share-based awards of $20,805 as an increase to shareholders’ equity. 

Prior to our adoption of ASU 2016-09, U.S. GAAP also required that excess tax benefits related to share-based awards 
be  reported  as  a  decrease  to cash  flows  from  operating  activities  and  as  an  increase  to  cash  flows  from  financing 
activities. We reported $20,805 of excess tax benefits related to share-based awards as a decrease to cash flows from 
operating activities and as an increase to cash flows from financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2015. 

Debt 

On December 20, 2017, in conjunction with the LDI acquisition, we fully syndicated an $800,000 debt financing led 
by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Capital One, National Association (“Capital One”), comprised of a $250,000 line 
of credit and a $150,000 Term Loan A, each with a December 20, 2022 maturity date, and a $400,000 Term Loan B 
with a December 20, 2024 maturity date (“credit facility”). The credit facility is secured by substantially all of our 
assets. The proceeds of the credit facility were used to finance the LDI acquisition, pay related transaction fees and 
expenses, and repay the former credit facility (as defined below), as well as provide sufficient liquidity for our future 
needs.  We  incurred  debt  issuance  costs  of  $21,507  associated  with  the  credit  facility,  of  which  all  but  $744  were 
capitalized.  These  costs,  along  with  $2,715  in  previously  incurred  unamortized  debt  issuance  costs,  are  being 
amortized  to  interest  expense  over  the  term  of  the  credit  facility.  We  also  expensed  $636  in  previously  incurred 
unamortized debt issuance costs to interest expense upon entering into the credit facility. 

On April 1, 2015, in conjunction with the BioRx, LLC acquisition, we entered into a Second Amended and Restated 
Credit Agreement  with  Capital One, as agent and as a lender, the other lenders party thereto, and the other credit 
parties thereto, which provided for an increase in our line of credit from $120,000 to $175,000, a fully drawn term 
loan for $120,000 and a delayed draw term loan (“DDTL”) for an additional $25,000 (“former credit facility”). We 
fully  drew  upon  the  $25,000  DDTL  during  the  first  quarter  of  2017.  The  former  credit  facility  was  subsequently 
extinguished with the proceeds of the credit facility. 

At December 31, 2017 and 2016, we had $550,000 and $111,000, respectively, in outstanding term loans. Term loan-
related unamortized debt issuance costs of $17,402 and $3,316 as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, are 
presented in the consolidated balance sheets as direct deductions to the outstanding debt balances. We had $188,250 
and $39,255 outstanding on our line of credit at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. We  had $61,750 and 
$129,908 available to borrow on our line of credit at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. We had weighted 
average borrowings on our line of credit of $28,238 and $11,986 and maximum borrowings on our line of credit of 
$188,250  and  $82,683  during  the  years  ended  December  31,  2017  and  2016,  respectively.  Line  of  credit-related 
unamortized debt issuance costs of $4,861 and $550 as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, are classified 
within “Other noncurrent assets” in the consolidated balance sheets.  

The interest rates we pay under the credit facility are a function of a defined margin above LIBOR. Our Term Loan A 
and Term Loan B interest rates were 4.04 percent and 6.04 percent, respectively, at December 31, 2017. Our term loan 
interest rate was 3.13 percent at December 31, 2016. Our line of credit interest rate was 4.04 percent and 4.75 percent 
at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. We are charged a monthly unused commitment fee ranging from 0.3 
percent to 0.4 percent on the average unused daily balance on our $250,000 line of credit. 

The credit facility contains, and former credit facility contained, certain financial and non-financial covenants. We 
were in compliance with all such covenants as of December 31, 2017 and 2016. 

56

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Contractual Obligations 

Our contractual obligations, including estimated payments due by year, as of December 31, 2017 are as follows: 

    2018 

      2019 

      2020 

      2021 

      2022 

    Thereafter      Total 

Long-term debt ......................    $  11,500    $  11,500    $  11,500    $  11,500    $124,000    $  380,000 
— 
Line of credit .........................     188,250    
—    
Interest payments(1) ...............     31,016     30,471     29,927     29,382     28,837    
45,481 
2,348 
1,677     
2,761     
Operating leases ....................     
Total ......................................    $233,506    $  44,732    $  43,903    $  43,024    $154,514    $  427,829 

2,740     

2,142     

2,476     

—    

—    

—    

  $  550,000 
   188,250 
   195,114 
14,144 
  $  947,508 

(1)  Interest rates utilized were the rates in effect as of December 31, 2017. 

We purchase a large portion of our prescription drug inventory from AmerisourceBergen. Our amended contract with 
AmerisourceBergen  expires  on  September  30,  2018.  The  amended  contract  commits  us  to  a  minimum  purchase 
obligation of approximately $2,000,000 per contract year to maintain our current negotiated discounts and rates. 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 

During the periods presented, we did not have any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, 
such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, which would have been established 
for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. 

Critical Accounting Policies 

The  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements,  included  under  Item  8  of  this  report,  have  been  prepared  in 
conformity with U.S. GAAP and, accordingly, our significant accounting policies have been disclosed in Note 3 to 
the  consolidated  financial  statements.  Certain  of  our  accounting  policies  require  the  application  of  significant 
judgment  by  our  management  in  selecting  the  appropriate  assumptions  for  calculating  financial  estimates.  These 
policies require the most difficult, subjective or complex judgments that our management makes in the preparation of 
the consolidated financial statements. We consider an accounting estimate to be critical if: (i) the estimates involve 
matters that are highly uncertain at the time the accounting estimate is made; and (ii) different estimates or changes to 
estimates could have a material impact on the reported financial position, changes in financial position or results of 
operations. 

When more than one accounting principle, or the method of its application, is generally accepted, our management 
selects  the  principle  or  method  that  it  considers  to  be  the  most  appropriate  given  the  specific  circumstances. 
Application  of  these  accounting  principles  requires  our  management  to  make  estimates  about  future  resolution  of 
existing  uncertainties.  Estimates  are  typically  based  upon  historical  experience,  current  trends,  contractual 
documentation  and  other  information,  as  appropriate.  Due  to  the  inherent  uncertainty  involving  estimates,  actual 
results reported in the future may differ from those estimates. In preparing these financial statements, our management 
has made its best estimate and judgments of the amounts and disclosures included in the financial statements, giving 
due regard to materiality. Such critical accounting estimates are discussed below. 

Revenue Recognition 

We recognize revenue from dispensing prescription drugs for home delivery at the time the drugs are shipped. At the 
time  of  shipment,  we  have  performed  substantially  all  of  our  obligations  under  our  payer  contracts  and  do  not 
experience a significant level of returns or reshipments. Revenues from dispensing prescription drugs that are picked 
up  by  customers  at  an  open  door  or  retail  pharmacy  location  are  recorded  at  prescription  adjudication,  which 
approximates fill date. 

57

 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We accrue an estimate of fees, including DIR fees, which are assessed or expected to be assessed by payers at some 
point after adjudication of a claim, as a reduction at the time revenue is recognized. Changes in our estimate of such 
fees are recorded when the change becomes known. 

We  recognize  revenue  from  the  sale  of  prescription  drugs  by  our  retail  pharmacy  network  when  the  claim  is 
adjudicated.  When  we  act  as  principal  in  the  arrangement,  exercise  pricing  latitude  and  independently  have  a 
contractual  obligation  to  pay  our  network  pharmacy  providers  for  benefits  provided  to  our  clients’  members,  we 
include  the  total  prescription  price  (ingredient  cost  plus  dispensing  fee)  we  have  contracted  with  these  clients  as 
revenue, including  member co-payments to pharmacies.  When  we  merely administer a client’s  network pharmacy 
contracts and do not assume credit risk, we earn an administrative fee for collecting payments from the client and 
remit the corresponding amount to the pharmacies in the client’s network, drug ingredient cost is not included in our 
revenues or cost of products sold. 

We recognize revenue  from  service, data and consulting services  when the  services  have been performed and the 
earnings process is therefore complete.  

Sales taxes are presented on a net basis (excluded from revenues and costs). 

Business Combinations 

The assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination, including identifiable intangible assets, are 
based on their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. The excess of purchase price over the estimated fair 
value  of  the  net  tangible  and  identifiable  intangible  assets  acquired  is  recorded  as  goodwill.  The  allocation  of  the 
purchase price requires management to make significant estimates in determining the fair values of assets acquired 
and liabilities assumed, especially with respect to intangible assets. These estimates are based on information obtained 
from management of the acquired companies and historical experience and are generally made with the assistance of 
an independent valuation  firm. These estimates can include, but are not limited to, the cash flows that an asset is 
expected  to  generate  in  the  future,  and  the  cost  savings  expected  to be  derived  from  acquiring  an  asset.  When  an 
acquisition  involves  contingent  consideration,  we  recognize  a  liability  equal  to  the  fair  value  of  the  contingent 
consideration obligation as of the acquisition date. The estimate of fair value of a contingent consideration obligation 
requires subjective assumptions to be made regarding future business results, discount rates and probabilities assigned 
to various potential business result scenarios. 

These estimates are inherently uncertain and unpredictable, and, if different estimates were used, the purchase price 
for the acquisition could be allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities differently from the allocation that we have 
made. In addition, unanticipated events and circumstances may occur which affect the accuracy or validity of such 
estimates, and, if such events occur, we may be required to record a charge against the value ascribed to an acquired 
asset or an increase in the amounts recorded for assumed liabilities. 

Goodwill 

Goodwill is reviewed for impairment annually during the fourth quarter, or more frequently if indicators of impairment 
exist.  A  significant  amount  of  judgment  is  involved  in  determining  if  an  indicator  of  goodwill  impairment  has 
occurred. Such indicators may include, among others: a significant decline in expected future cash flows; a significant 
adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate; unanticipated competition; and the testing for recoverability 
of a significant asset group within a reporting unit. Our goodwill impairment analysis also includes a comparison of 
the aggregate estimated fair value of all reporting units to our total market capitalization. Therefore, our stock may 
trade below our book value and a significant and sustained decline in our stock price and market capitalization could 
result in goodwill impairment charges. Any adverse change in these factors could have a significant impact on the 
recoverability of these assets and could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. 

Goodwill impairment testing involves a comparison of the estimated fair  value of a reporting unit to its respective 
carrying amount, which may be performed utilizing either a qualitative or quantitative assessment. A reporting unit is 
defined as an operating segment or one level below an operating segment. The qualitative assessment evaluates various 
events and circumstances, such as macro-economic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors, relevant 

58

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
events and financial trends that may impact a reporting unit’s fair value. If it is determined that the estimated fair value 
of  the  reporting  unit  is  more  likely  than  not  less  than  the  carrying  amount,  including  goodwill,  a  quantitative 
assessment is required. Otherwise, no further analysis is necessary. 

In a quantitative assessment, the fair value of a reporting unit is determined and then compared to its carrying value. 
A reporting unit’s fair value is determined based upon consideration of various valuation methodologies, including 
the  income  approach  which  utilizes  projected  future  cash  flows  discounted  at  rates  commensurate  with  the  risks 
involved, and multiples of current and future earnings.  If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying 
value, a goodwill impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting 
unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized cannot exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting 
unit. 

The income approach used to test our reporting units includes the projection of estimated operating results and cash 
flows,  discounted  using  a  weighted-average  cost  of  capital  (“WACC”)  that  reflects  current  market  conditions 
appropriate to each reporting unit.  Such projections contain management’s best estimates of economic and market 
conditions over the projected period, including growth rates in revenues and costs and best estimates of future expected 
changes in operating margins and cash expenditures. Other significant assumptions and estimates used in the income 
approach include terminal value growth rates, future estimates of capital expenditures and changes in future working 
capital requirements. In addition, the WACC utilized to discount estimated future cash flows is sensitive to changes 
in interest rates and other market rates in place at the time the assessment is performed. Future changes in our estimates 
or assumptions or in interest rates could have a significant impact on the estimated fair value of reporting units and 
result in a goodwill impairment charge that could be material to our consolidated financial statements. 

Long-Lived Assets 

Long-lived assets, such as capitalized software for internal use, property and equipment, and definite-lived intangible 
assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the related carrying 
amounts may not be recoverable. In assessing long-lived assets for impairment, assets are grouped with other assets 
and liabilities at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other 
assets and liabilities. If circumstances require a long-lived asset or asset group to be tested for possible impairment, 
we compare the undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by that asset or asset group to its carrying amount. 
If the carrying amount of the long-lived asset or asset group is not recoverable on an undiscounted cash flow basis, an 
impairment charge is recognized to the extent that the carrying amount exceeds its fair value. Fair values of long-lived 
assets  are  determined  through  various  techniques,  such  as  applying  probability  weighted,  expected  present  value 
calculations to the estimated future cash flows using assumptions a market participant would utilize, or through the 
use of a third-party independent appraiser or valuation specialist. 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts 

We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts that reduces receivables to amounts that we expect to be collected. 
In  estimating  this  allowance,  we  consider  overall  economic  conditions,  historical  and  anticipated  customer 
performance,  historical  experience  with  write-offs  and  the  level  of  past  due  accounts.  Our  general  policy  for 
uncollectible accounts, if not reserved through specific examination procedures, is to reserve based upon the aging 
categories of accounts receivable. Account balances are charged off against the allowance after all means of collection 
have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. 

Share-Based Compensation 

We grant stock options to key employees, which are accounted for as equity awards. The exercise price of a granted 
stock option is equal to the closing market stock price of the underlying common share as of the date the option is 
granted.  Options  generally  become  exercisable  in  installments  of  25  percent  per  year,  beginning  on  the  first 
anniversary of the grant date and each of the three anniversaries thereafter, and have a maximum term of  10 years. 
Certain  stock  option  grants  have  performance-based  conditions,  which  require  the  satisfaction  of  certain  revenue 
and/or  Adjusted  EBITDA  targets  prior  to  vesting.  We  use  the  Black-Scholes-Merton  option  pricing  model  to 
determine the grant date fair value of options. 

59

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We  expense  the  grant  date  fair  values  of  our  employee  stock  options  over  their  respective  vesting  periods  on  a 
straight-line  basis.  Estimating  grant  date  fair  values  for  employee  stock  options  requires  management  to  make 
assumptions regarding expected volatility of the underlying shares, the risk-free rate over the expected life of the stock 
options and the length of time in years that the granted options are expected to be outstanding. Expected volatility is 
based  on  a  weighted  average  of  the  Company’s  historic  volatility  and  an  implied  volatility  for  a  group  of 
industry-relevant  healthcare  companies  as  of  the  measurement  date.  Risk-free  rate  is  determined  based  upon  U.S. 
Treasury  rates  over  the  estimated  expected  option  lives.  Expected  dividend  yield  is  zero  as  we  do  not  anticipate 
declaring a dividend during the expected term of the options. Expected option life is calculated using the simplified 
method  (the  midpoint  between  the  end  of  the  vesting  period  and  the  end  of  the  maximum  term).  Forfeitures  are 
accounted for when they occur. 

We also grant restricted stock units (“RSU” or “RSUs”) to key employees, which are accounted for as equity awards. 
Some granted RSUs cliff vest after three years, whereas others vest one-third per year. The grant date fair value of a 
RSU is determined by the closing market price of our common stock as of the date of grant. We expense the grant 
date fair value of the RSU over the three-year vesting period on a straight-line basis. 

We grant restricted stock awards (“RSA” or “RSAs”) to non-employee directors, which are accounted for as equity 
awards. Generally, such RSAs fully vest on the first anniversary of the grant date. The grant date fair value of a RSA 
is determined by the closing market price of our common stock as of the date of grant. We expense the grant date fair 
value of the RSA over the vesting period on a straight-line basis. 

Income Taxes 

We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized 
for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing 
assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets 
and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those 
temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a 
change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. We provide a valuation 
allowance against net deferred tax assets unless, based upon the available evidence, it is more likely than not that the 
deferred tax assets will be realized. 

We prepare and file tax returns based on interpretations of tax laws and regulations. In the normal course of business, 
our tax returns are subject to examination by various taxing authorities. Such examinations may result in future tax 
and interest assessments by these taxing authorities. In determining our tax provision for financial reporting purposes, 
we  establish  a  reserve  for  examination,  based  on  their  technical  merits.  That  is,  for  reporting  purposes,  we  only 
recognize tax benefits taken on the tax return if we believe it is more likely than not that such tax positions would be 
sustained. There is considerable judgment involved in determining whether it is more likely than not that such tax 
positions would be sustained. As of both December 31, 2017 and 2016, we had unrecognized tax benefits of $268; all 
of which, if recognized, would reduce both tax expense and the effective tax rate.  

We adjust our tax reserve estimates periodically because of ongoing examinations by, and settlements with, varying 
taxing authorities, as well as changes in tax laws, regulations and interpretations. The consolidated tax provision of 
any given year includes adjustments to prior year income tax accruals and related estimated interest charges that are 
considered appropriate. Our policy is to recognize, when applicable, interest and penalties on uncertain income tax 
positions as part of income tax expense. 

Recently Issued Accounting Standards to be Implemented 

See Note 3 to our consolidated financial statements, included in Item 8 of this report. 

60

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 7A.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 

Our operations are solely in the U.S. and U.S. territories and are exposed to market risks in the ordinary course of our 
business. These risks primarily include interest rate and certain exposure, as well as risks relating to changes in the 
general economic conditions in the U.S. We are exposed to interest rate fluctuations with regard to future issuances 
of fixed-rate debt, and existing and future issuances of floating-rate debt. Primary exposures include the U.S. Prime 
Rate and LIBOR related to debt outstanding under our  credit facility. We currently are not using any  interest rate 
swaps, but may in the future. A 100 basis-point increase in 2017 interest rates would have decreased our 2017 pre-tax 
income by approximately $1.8 million. 

61

 
 
ITEM 8.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA  

MANAGEMENT'S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING 

We are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Our Company’s 
internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that pertain to the Company’s ability 
to record, process, summarize and report a system of internal accounting controls and procedures to provide reasonable 
assurance, at an appropriate cost/benefit relationship, that the unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of assets are 
prevented  or  timely  detected  and  that  transactions  are  authorized,  recorded  and  reported  properly  to  permit  the 
preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States 
of America and receipt and expenditures are duly authorized. Management of the Company is required to assess the 
effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017. 

As allowed pursuant to guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission (which states that management may 
omit an assessment of an acquired business’ internal control over financial reporting from its assessment of internal 
control  over  financial  reporting  for  a  period  not  to  exceed  one  year),  our  assessment  of  and  conclusion  on  the 
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include the internal controls of the entities that were 
acquired by the Company during 2017 (the “2017 Acquisitions”), which are included in the consolidated balance sheet 
of Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. as of December 31, 2017, and the related consolidated statements of  operations, cash 
flows  and  changes  in  shareholders’  equity  for  the  year  then  ended.  The  2017  Acquisitions’  net  sales  represented 
approximately 2 percent of consolidated net sales for the year ended December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2017, 
the 2017 Acquisitions’ total assets and net tangible assets represented approximately 45 percent of consolidated total 
assets and approximately 18 percent of consolidated net tangible assets. 

We conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting based on the criteria 
set  forth  in  Internal  Control-Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the 
Treadway Commission (2013 Framework). This evaluation included review of the documentation, evaluation of the 
design  effectiveness,  and  testing  of  the  operating  effectiveness  of  controls.  Our  system  of  internal  control  over 
financial reporting is enhanced by  written policies and procedures and a  written  Code of Conduct adopted by our 
Company’s  Board  of  Directors,  applicable  to  all  employees  of  our  Company.  In  addition,  we  have  an  internal 
Disclosure Committee, which performs a separate review of our disclosure controls and procedures. There are inherent 
limitations in the effectiveness of any system of internal controls over financial reporting. 

Based on our assessment, we concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as 
of December 31, 2017. 

BDO USA, LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, audited the Company’s consolidated 
financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and also audited the Company’s system of internal 
control over financial reporting. The accompanying reports of BDO USA, LLP are based upon audits conducted in 
accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). 

62

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

Shareholders and Board of Directors 
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. 
Flint, Michigan 

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting 
We  have  audited  Diplomat  Pharmacy,  Inc.’s  (the  “Company’s”)  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as 
of December 31, 2017, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the 
Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission  (the  “COSO  criteria”).  In  our  opinion,  the 
Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 
2017, based on the COSO criteria. 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States) (“PCAOB”), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the related 
consolidated statements of operations, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity for each of the three years in 
the  period  ended December  31,  2017,  and  the  related  notes  and  our  report  dated March  1,  2018 expressed  an 
unqualified opinion thereon. 

Basis for Opinion 
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for 
its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying “Item 8, 
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting”. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on 
the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered 
with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with U.S. federal 
securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audit of internal control over financial reporting in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. 
Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting  was  maintained  in  all  material  respects.  Our  audit  included  obtaining  an 
understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing 
and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also 
included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit 
provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

As  indicated  in  the  accompanying  “Item  8,  Management’s  Report  on  Internal  Control  over  Financial  Reporting”, 
management’s assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not 
include the internal controls of the entities that were acquired by the Company during 2017 (the “2017 Acquisitions”), 
which  are  included  in  the  consolidated  balance  sheet  of  the  Company  as  of  December 31,  2017,  and  the  related 
consolidated statements of operations, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity for the year then ended. The 
2017  Acquisitions’  net  sales  represented  approximately  2  percent  of  consolidated  net  sales  for  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2017, the 2017 Acquisitions’ total assets and net tangible assets represented 
approximately 45 percent of consolidated total assets and approximately 18 percent of consolidated net tangible assets. 
Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of the Company also did not include an evaluation of the internal 
control over financial reporting of the 2017 Acquisitions. 

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting 
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding 
the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance 
with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those 
policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly 
reflect  the  transactions  and  dispositions  of  the  assets  of  the  company;  (2)  provide  reasonable  assurance  that 
transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  to  permit  preparation  of  financial  statements  in  accordance  with  generally 

63

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance 
with authorizations of  management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding 
prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have 
a material effect on the financial statements. 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. 
Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become 
inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may 
deteriorate. 

/s/ BDO USA, LLP 
Troy, Michigan 
March 1, 2018 

64

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

Shareholders and Board of Directors 
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. 
Flint, Michigan 

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements 
We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  Diplomat  Pharmacy,  Inc.  (the  “Company”)  as 
of December  31,  2017  and  2016,  the  related  consolidated  statements  of  income,  cash  flows  and  changes  in 
shareholders’  equity  for  each  of  the  three  years  in  the  period  ended December  31,  2017 and  the  related  notes 
(collectively  referred  to  as  the  “consolidated  financial  statements”).  In  our  opinion,  the  consolidated  financial 
statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and subsidiaries at December 
31, 2017 and 2016, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period 
ended December  31,  2017, in  conformity  with  accounting  principles  generally  accepted  in  the  United  States  of 
America. 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States)  (“PCAOB”),  the  Company's  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of December  31,  2017,  based  on 
criteria  established  in Internal  Control  -  Integrated  Framework  (2013) issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) and our report dated March 1, 2018 expressed an unqualified 
opinion thereon. 

Basis for Opinion 
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to 
express  an  opinion  on  the  Company’s  consolidated  financial  statements  based  on  our  audits.  We  are  a  public 
accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and 
are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and 
the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and 
perform  the  audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  the  consolidated  financial  statements  are  free  of 
material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial 
statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures 
included  examining,  on  a  test  basis,  evidence  regarding  the  amounts  and  disclosures  in  the  consolidated  financial 
statements.  Our  audits  also  included  evaluating  the  accounting  principles  used  and  significant  estimates  made  by 
management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that 
our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2008. 

/s/ BDO USA, LLP 
Troy, Michigan 
March 1, 2018 

65

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
DIPLOMAT PHARMACY, INC. 
Consolidated Balance Sheets 
(Dollars in thousands) 

   December 31, 
2017 

   December 31, 
2016 

Current assets: 

ASSETS 

Cash and equivalents .............................................................................................    $ 
Accounts receivable, net ........................................................................................     
Inventories .............................................................................................................     
Prepaid expenses and other current assets .............................................................     
Total current assets .......................................................................................     

Property and equipment, net ......................................................................................     
Capitalized software for internal use, net ..................................................................     
Goodwill ....................................................................................................................     
Definite-lived intangible assets, net ...........................................................................     
Deferred income taxes ...............................................................................................     
Other noncurrent assets .............................................................................................     

  $ 

84,251 
332,091 
206,603 
11,125 
634,070 

38,990 
36,520 
832,624 
392,011 
— 
6,208 

7,953 
275,568 
215,351 
6,235 
505,107 

20,372 
50,247 
316,616 
199,862 
6,010 
1,040 

Total assets ...................................................................................................    $  1,940,423 

  $  1,099,254 

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY  

Current liabilities: 

Accounts payable...................................................................................................    $ 
Borrowings on line of credit ..................................................................................     
Short-term debt, including current portion of long-term debt ................................     
Accrued expenses: 

Compensation and benefits ................................................................................     
Contingent consideration ...................................................................................     
Other ..................................................................................................................     
Total current liabilities .................................................................................     

413,463 
188,250 
11,500 

9,584 
8,100 
20,560 
651,457 

  $ 

Long-term debt, less current portion .........................................................................     
Deferred income taxes ...............................................................................................     
Contingent consideration ...........................................................................................     
Total liabilities .............................................................................................     

521,098 
14,367 
4,000 
1,190,922 

320,684 
39,255 
7,500 

5,674 
— 
12,233 
385,346 

100,184 
— 
— 
485,530 

Commitments and contingencies 

Shareholders’ equity: 

Preferred stock (10,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding) ......     
Common stock (no par value; 590,000,000 shares authorized; 73,871,424 and 
66,764,999 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016, 
respectively) .......................................................................................................  
Additional paid-in capital ......................................................................................     
Retained earnings ..................................................................................................     
Total Diplomat Pharmacy shareholders’ equity ....................................................     
Noncontrolling interests ............................................................................................     
Total shareholders’ equity ............................................................................     

— 

— 

619,235 
38,450 
91,816 
749,501 
— 
749,501 

503,828 
33,268 
76,306 
613,402 
322 
613,724 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity .....................................................    $  1,940,423 

  $  1,099,254 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. 

66

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIPLOMAT PHARMACY, INC. 
Consolidated Statements of Operations 
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) 

Net sales .........................................................................................    $  4,485,230 
Cost of products sold .....................................................................      (4,136,552) 
348,678 
(330,113) 
18,565 

Gross profit .............................................................................     
Selling, general and administrative expenses ................................     
Income from operations ..........................................................     

2017 

Year Ended December 31, 
2016 
  $  4,410,388 
    (4,085,560) 
324,828 
(277,751) 
47,077 

2015 
  $  3,366,631 
    (3,103,392) 
263,239 
(217,302) 
45,937 

Other (expense) income: 

Interest expense ..........................................................................     
  Equity loss and impairment of non-consolidated entities ...........     
  Other ..........................................................................................     
Total other expense ........................................................................     
Income before income taxes ...................................................     
Income tax benefit (expense) .........................................................     
Net income .............................................................................     
Less net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest .......................     
Net income allocable to Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. ........................    $ 

(10,716) 
— 
213 
(10,503) 
8,062 
7,126 
15,188 
(322) 
15,510 

  $ 

(6,573) 
(4,659) 
370 
(10,862) 
36,215 
(11,195) 
25,020 
(3,253) 
28,273 

  $ 

(5,239) 
— 
308 
(4,931) 
41,006 
(16,234) 
24,772 
(1,004) 
25,776 

Net income per common share: 
Basic ..............................................................................................    $ 
Diluted ...........................................................................................    $ 

0.23 
0.23 

  $ 
  $ 

0.43 
0.42 

  $ 
  $ 

0.42 
0.41 

Weighted average common shares outstanding: 
Basic ..............................................................................................      68,130,322 
Diluted ...........................................................................................      68,780,053 

    65,970,396 
    68,047,723 

    60,730,133 
    63,096,951 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. 

67

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIPLOMAT PHARMACY, INC. 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
(Dollars in thousands) 

Cash flows from operating activities: 

Net income .......................................................................................................    $  15,188 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by 

  $  25,020 

  $  24,772 

Year Ended December 31, 
2016 

2017 

2015 

operating activities: 
Depreciation and amortization ...................................................................   
Net provision for doubtful accounts ...........................................................   
Share-based compensation expense ...........................................................   
Changes in fair values of contingent consideration ....................................   
Contingent consideration payments ...........................................................   
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense ......................................................   
Amortization of debt issuance costs ...........................................................   
Impairment expense ...................................................................................   
Equity loss and impairment of non-consolidated entities ...........................   
Excess tax benefits related to share-based awards (Note 10) .....................   
Other ..........................................................................................................   
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of business acquisitions: 

66,566 
9,424 
7,281 
3,675 
— 
  (10,795) 
2,655 
— 
— 
— 
1 

Accounts receivable .............................................................................   
Inventories ...........................................................................................   
Accounts payable .................................................................................   
Other assets and liabilities ....................................................................   
Net cash provided by operating activities ........................................   

7,735 
13,813 
24,327 
(4,615) 
  135,254 

Cash flows from investing activities: 

Payments to acquire businesses, net of cash acquired ......................................   
Expenditures for property and equipment ........................................................   
Expenditures for capitalized software for internal use .....................................   
Capital investments in and loans to non-consolidated entities .........................   
Other ................................................................................................................   
Net cash used in investing activities .................................................   

  (623,067) 
(6,652) 
(3,505) 
(100) 
5 
  (633,319) 

Cash flows from financing activities: 

Net proceeds from line of credit ......................................................................   
Proceeds from long-term debt ..........................................................................   
Payments on long-term debt ............................................................................   
Payments of debt issuance costs ......................................................................   
Proceeds from issuance of stock upon stock option exercises .........................   
Contingent consideration payments .................................................................   
Proceeds from public offering, net of transaction costs ...................................   
Payments made to repurchase stock options ....................................................   
Excess tax benefits related to share-based awards (Note 10) ...........................   
Net cash provided by financing activities ........................................   

  148,995 
  575,000 
  (136,000) 
  (21,507) 
7,875 
— 
— 
— 
— 
  574,363 

50,045 
9,534 
5,412 
(8,922) 
(4,174) 
8,779 
1,176 
4,804 
4,659 
— 
2 

  (15,128) 
  (44,342) 
(5,906) 
367 
31,326 

  (67,156) 
(6,217) 
  (12,595) 
— 
1 
  (85,967) 

39,255 
— 
(6,000) 
(28) 
4,448 
(2,681) 
— 
— 
— 
34,994 

30,841 
5,990 
3,936 
6,724 
(3,738) 
(4,615) 
963 
150 
— 
  (20,805) 
85 

  (50,771) 
  (41,657) 
43,202 
34,370 
29,447 

  (293,496) 
(4,624) 
  (12,021) 
(1,459) 
27 
  (311,573) 

— 
  120,000 
(3,000) 
(5,055) 
10,341 
(3,012) 
  187,988 
  (36,298) 
20,805 
  291,769 

Net increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents ...............................   

76,298 

  (19,647) 

9,643 

Cash and equivalents at beginning of year .............................................................   

7,953 

27,600 

17,957 

Cash and equivalents at end of year .......................................................................    $  84,251 

  $  7,953 

  $  27,600 

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: 

Cash paid for interest .......................................................................................    $  7,327 
5,876 
Cash paid for income taxes ..............................................................................   

  $  5,273 
728 

  $  3,949 
351 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.  

68

 
 
 
   
   
   
 
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DIPLOMAT PHARMACY, INC. 
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity 
(Dollars in thousands) 

Total 

Common Stock 

Shares 

      Amount 

Paid-In 
      Capital 

    Retained 
      Earnings 

    Additional 

  $ 

148,901 
— 

  $ 

  $ 

9,893 
— 

5,354 
25,776 

    Diplomat 
  Pharmacy, Inc.   
   Shareholders’ 
Equity 
164,148 
25,776 

  $ 

  $ 

Balance at January 1, 2015 .....................................       51,457,023 
Net income (loss) ......................................................      
— 
Proceeds from follow-on public offering, net of 

issuance costs .......................................................  
Repurchase of stock options ......................................      
Issuance of stock as partial consideration of BioRx, 

    6,821,125 
— 

187,988 
(34,194)     

—   
(2,104)      

LLC acquisition ...................................................  

    4,038,853 

125,697 

—   

Issuance of stock as partial consideration of 

Burman’s Apothecary, LLC acquisition ...............  

253,036 
Stock issued upon stock option exercises ..................       1,943,022 
— 
Excess tax benefits related to share-based awards .....      
— 
Share-based compensation expense ..........................      
Restricted stock awards .............................................      
10,805 
Balance at December 31, 2015 ................................       64,523,864 
— 
Adoption of ASU 2016-09 (Note 10) ........................      
Net income (loss) ......................................................      
— 
Issuance of stock upon full contingent consideration 
payout ..................................................................  

    1,346,282 

Issuance of stock as partial consideration of Valley 

324,244 
Campus Pharmacy, Inc. acquisition .....................  
564,844 
Stock issued upon stock option exercises ..................      
— 
Share-based compensation expense ..........................      
Restricted stock awards .............................................      
5,765 
Balance at December 31, 2016 ................................       66,764,999 
Net income (loss) ......................................................      
— 
Issuance of stock as partial consideration in several 

acquisitions ..........................................................  

    5,852,291 
Stock issued upon stock option exercises ..................       1,217,320 
— 
Share-based compensation expense ..........................      
Restricted stock awards .............................................      
36,814 
Balance at December 31, 2017 ................................       73,871,424 

  $ 

9,578 
13,650 
— 
— 
— 
451,620 
— 
— 

36,888 

9,507 
5,813 
— 
— 
503,828 
— 

105,433 
9,974 
— 
— 
619,235 

  Noncontrolling     Shareholders’ 

Total 

Interest 

  $ 
4,579 
(1,004)     

— 
— 

— 

— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
3,575 
— 
(3,253)     

  $ 

Equity 
168,727 
24,772 

187,988 
(36,298) 

125,697 

9,578 
10,341 
20,805 
3,936 
— 
515,546 
16,903 
25,020 

— 
— 

— 

— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
31,130 
16,903 
28,273 

187,988 
(36,298)     

125,697 

9,578 
10,341 
20,805 
3,936 
— 
511,971 
16,903 
28,273 

  $ 

—   
(3,309)      
20,805      
3,936      
— 
29,221 
— 
— 

—   

— 

36,888 

— 

36,888 

—   
(1,365)      
5,412      
— 
33,268 
— 

—   
(2,099)      
7,281      
— 
38,450 

  $ 

— 
— 
— 
— 
76,306 
15,510 

— 
— 
— 
— 
91,816 

  $ 

9,507 
4,448 
5,412 
— 
613,402 
15,510 

105,433 
7,875 
7,281 
— 
749,501 

  $ 

— 
— 
— 
— 
322 
(322)     

— 
— 
— 
— 
— 

  $ 

9,507 
4,448 
5,412 
— 
613,724 
15,188 

105,433 
7,875 
7,281 
— 
749,501 

  $ 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements. 

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DIPLOMAT PHARMACY, INC. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) 

1.  DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS 

Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (the “Company”) is the largest independent provider of 
specialty pharmacy services in the United States of America (“U.S.”). The Company is focused on improving the lives 
of patients with complex chronic diseases while also delivering unique solutions for manufacturers, hospitals, payers 
and  providers.  The  Company’s  patient-centric  approach  positions  it  at  the  center  of  the  healthcare  continuum  for 
treatment of complex chronic disease states, including oncology, specialty infusion therapy, immunology, hepatitis, 
multiple sclerosis and many other serious or long-term conditions. The Company offers a broad range of innovative 
solutions to address the dispensing, delivery, dosing and reimbursement of clinically intensive, high-cost specialty 
drugs and a wide range of applications and prescription benefit management (“PBM”) services designed to help the 
Company’s customers reduce the cost and manage the complexity of their prescription drug programs. The Company 
dispenses to patients in all U.S. states and territories through its advanced distribution centers and manages centralized 
clinical call centers to deliver localized services on a national scale. 

2.  BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES 

Financial Statement Presentation 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles 
generally accepted in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”) and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (“SEC”). 

Principles of Consolidation 

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc., its wholly owned subsidiaries, 
and a 51 percent owned subsidiary, formed in August 2014, which the Company controlled and which was dissolved 
during the fourth quarter of 2017. The Company also owns a 22 percent interest in a non-consolidated entity which is 
accounted for under the equity method of accounting since the Company does not control the entity but has the ability 
to exercise significant influence over its operating and financial policies. This equity method investment was fully 
impaired during the fourth quarter of 2014 (Note 8). An investment in an entity in which the Company owns less than 
20 percent and does not have the ability to exercise significant influence is accounted for under the cost method. This 
cost method investment was impaired during the fourth quarter of 2016 (Note 8). In addition, the Company paid $100 
to acquire an 11.1 percent interest in a non-consolidated entity during 2017, which is accounted for under the cost 
method, as the Company owns less than 20 percent and does not have the ability to exercise significant influence over 
the entity. 

Noncontrolling  interest  in  a  consolidated  subsidiary  in  the  consolidated  balance  sheets  represents  the  minority 
shareholders’ proportionate share of the equity in such subsidiary. Consolidated net income (loss) is allocated to the 
Company and noncontrolling interests (i.e., minority shareholders) in proportion to their percentage ownership. 

All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. 

Use of Estimates 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and 
assumptions that affect the amounts reported therein. Due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, 
actual results reported in future periods may be based upon amounts that differ from these estimates. 

70

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Concentrations of Risk 

Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of 
cash on deposit with banks or other financial institutions and trade accounts receivable. 

A federal program provides non-interest bearing cash balances insurance coverage up to $250 per depositor at each 
financial institution. The Company’s cash balances often exceed federally insured limits. 

Concentration  of  credit  risk  with  respect  to  trade  accounts  receivable  is  limited  by  the  large  number  of  patients 
comprising the Company’s customer base and their dispersion across multiple payers and multiple geographic areas. 
No single payer customer accounted for more than 10 percent of net sales for any period presented or trade accounts 
receivable at December 31, 2017 and 2016. 

The  Company  purchases  a  significant  portion  of  its  prescription  drug  inventory  from  AmerisourceBergen,  a 
prescription drug wholesaler. These purchases accounted for approximately 41 percent, 49 percent and 50 percent of 
cost  of  products  sold  for  the  years  ended  December 31,  2017,  2016  and  2015,  respectively.  The  Company  has 
alternative vendors available if necessary. See Note 13 for discussion of the Company’s minimum purchase obligation 
with AmerisourceBergen. 

The Company purchases certain prescription drugs from Celgene Corporation (“Celgene”) and Pharmacyclics, Inc. 
(“Pharmacyclics”), drug manufacturers. Purchases from Celgene and Pharmacyclics accounted for approximately 17 
percent and 14 percent, 13 percent and 10 percent, and 12 percent and 9 percent of cost of products sold for the years 
ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, with no minimum purchase obligation. The specialty drugs 
that the Company purchases from Celgene and Pharmacyclics are not available from any other source. 

Cash Equivalents 

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase 
to be cash equivalents. 

Accounts Receivable, net 

Trade accounts receivable are stated at the invoiced amount. Trade accounts receivable primarily include amounts 
from  third-party  pharmacy  benefit  managers  and  insurance  providers  and  are  based  on  contracted  prices.  Trade 
accounts  receivable  are  unsecured  and  require  no  collateral.  Trade  accounts  receivable  terms  vary  by  payer,  but 
generally are due within 30 days after the sale of the product or performance of the service. 

The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts that reduces receivables to amounts that are expected to 
be collected. In estimating the allowance, management considers factors such as current overall economic conditions, 
historical  and  anticipated  customer  performance,  historical  experience  with  write-offs  and  the  level  of  past  due 
accounts.  The  Company’s  general  policy  for  uncollectible  accounts,  if  not  reserved  through  specific  examination 
procedures, is to reserve based upon the aging categories of accounts receivable. Account balances are charged off 
against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered 
remote. 

Activity in the allowance for doubtful accounts was as follows: 

    Year Ended December 31, 
      2015 
      2016 
    2017 

Beginning balance ...................................................................    $ (15,257)    $  (8,123)    $ (3,043) 
(9,534)      (5,990) 
910 
2,400 
Ending balance ........................................................................    $ (22,050)    $ (15,257)    $ (8,123) 

Charged to expense ..........................................................     
Write-offs, net of recoveries .............................................     

(9,424)     
2,631 

71

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
Inventories 

Inventories consist of prescription and over-the-counter medications and are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable 
value. Cost is determined using the first-in, first-out method. Prescription medications are returnable to the Company’s 
vendors and fully refundable before six months of expiration, and any remaining expired medication is relieved from 
inventory on a quarterly basis. 

Property and Equipment, net 

Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is  generally computed on a 
straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the assets. The costs of leasehold improvements are depreciated 
either over the life of the improvement or the lease term, whichever is shorter. For income tax purposes, accelerated 
methods  of  depreciation  are  generally  used.  Significant  improvements  are  capitalized,  and  disposed  or  replaced 
property is written off. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense in the period they are incurred. When items 
of  property  or  equipment  are  sold  or  retired,  the  related  cost  and  accumulated  depreciation  are  removed  from  the 
accounts, and any gain or loss is included in earnings. 

Capitalized Software for Internal Use, net 

The Company capitalizes certain development costs primarily related to a custom-developed, proprietary, scalable 
patient care system. The Company expenses the costs incurred during the preliminary project stage, and capitalizes 
the direct development costs, including the associated payroll and related costs for employees and outside contractors 
working  on  development,  during  the  application  development  stage.  The  Company  monitors  development  on  an 
ongoing basis and capitalizes the costs of any major improvements or that result in significant additional functionality. 

Capitalized internal use software costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the 
assets,  generally  three  years.  For  income  tax  purposes,  accelerated  methods  of  amortization  are  generally  used. 
Management evaluates the useful lives of these assets on an annual basis. 

Definite-Lived Intangible Assets, net 

Definite-lived intangible assets consist of assets related to acquisitions and are amortized over their estimated useful 
lives using an accelerated method for the majority of customer, patient and physician relationships, and the straight-
line method for the remaining intangible assets. 

Long-Lived Assets 

Long-lived assets, such as property and equipment, capitalized software for internal use and definite-lived intangible 
assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount 
of an asset may not be recoverable. If circumstances require a long-lived asset or asset group to be tested for possible 
impairment, the Company compares the undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by that asset or asset group 
to  its  carrying  amount.  If  the  carrying  amount  of  the  long-lived  asset  or  asset  group  is  not  recoverable  on  an 
undiscounted cash flow basis, an impairment charge is recognized to the extent that the carrying amount exceeds fair 
value.  Fair  values  of  long-lived  assets  are  determined  through  various  techniques,  such  as  applying  probability 
weighted,  expected  present  value  calculations  to  the  estimated  future  cash  flows  using  assumptions  a  market 
participant would utilize, or through the use of a third-party independent appraiser or valuation specialist. 

Goodwill 

Goodwill represents the excess acquisition cost of an acquired entity over the estimated fair values of the net tangible 
assets and the identifiable intangible assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized, but rather is reviewed for impairment 
annually during the fourth quarter, or more frequently if facts or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may 
not be recoverable. 

An entity has the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more-likely-than-not that the 
fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount prior to performing a quantitative impairment test. The 

72

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
qualitative assessment evaluates various events and circumstances, such as macro-economic conditions, industry and 
market conditions, cost factors, relevant events and financial trends that may impact a reporting unit’s fair value. If it 
is determined that the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is more-likely-than-not less than its carrying amount, 
including goodwill, a quantitative assessment is required. Otherwise, no further analysis is necessary. 

If a quantitative assessment is performed, a reporting unit’s fair value is compared to its carrying value. A reporting 
unit’s fair value is determined based upon consideration of various valuation methodologies, including the income 
approach, which utilizes projected future cash flows discounted at rates commensurate with the risks involved, and 
multiples  of  current  and  future  earnings.  If  the  fair  value  of  a  reporting  unit  is  less  than  its  carrying  amount,  an 
impairment charge is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; 
however, the loss recognized cannot exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. 

Debt Issuance Costs 

Costs incurred related to the issuance of the Company’s credit facility were deferred and are being amortized to interest 
expense using the effective interest method over the term of the agreement. 

Revenue Recognition 

The  Company  recognizes  revenue  from  dispensing  prescription  drugs  for  home  delivery  at  the  time  the  drugs  are 
shipped.  At  the  time  of  shipment,  the  Company  has  performed  substantially  all  of  its  obligations  under  its  payer 
contracts and does not experience a significant level of returns or reshipments. Revenues from dispensing prescription 
drugs  that  are  picked  up  by  patients  at  an  open-door  or  retail  pharmacy  location  are  recorded  at  prescription 
adjudication, which approximates the fill date. Revenue generated from dispensing prescription drugs was $4,444,486, 
$4,386,643 and $3,346,652 for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. 

The Company accrues an estimate of fees, including direct and indirect remuneration  fees (“DIR fees”), which are 
assessed or expected to be assessed by payers at some point after adjudication of a claim, as a reduction at the time 
revenue is recognized. Changes in the Company’s estimate of such fees are recorded when the change becomes known. 

The Company recognizes revenue from the sale of prescription drugs by its retail pharmacy network when the claim 
is adjudicated. When the Company acts as principal in the arrangement, exercises pricing latitude and independently 
has a contractual obligation to pay its network pharmacy providers for benefits provided to its clients’ members, the 
Company includes the total prescription price (ingredient cost plus dispensing fee) it has contracted with these clients 
as revenue, including member co-payments to pharmacies. Revenue generated from the sale of prescription drugs by 
retail pharmacies was $6,531 for the year ended December 31, 2017. When the Company merely administers a client’s 
network pharmacy contracts and does not assume credit risk, the Company earns an administrative fee for collecting 
payments  from  the  client  and  remits  the  corresponding  amount  to  the  pharmacies  in  the  client’s  network,  drug 
ingredient cost is not included in the Company’s revenues or cost of products sold. Administrative fee revenue was 
$1,724 for the year ended December 31, 2017. 

The Company recognizes revenue from service, data and consulting services when the services have been performed 
and the earnings process is therefore complete. Revenues generated from service, data and consulting services were 
$32,489, $23,745 and $19,979 for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. 

Sales taxes are presented on a net basis (excluded from revenues and costs). 

73

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Company derived its revenue from the following therapeutic classes: 

Year Ended December 31, 

    2017 

Oncology .................................................................    $  2,545,708 
617,904 
Specialty Infusion ....................................................     
Immunology(1) .........................................................     
561,730 
Hepatitis ...................................................................     
<10% 
759,888 
Other (none greater than 10% in the period) ...........     
Total revenue ...........................................................    $  4,485,230 

    2016 
  $  2,102,130 
505,240 
644,173 
583,751 
575,094 
  $  4,410,388 

    2015 
  $  1,432,091 
374,884 
510,708 
520,771 
528,177 
  $  3,366,631 

(1)  Includes drugs dispensed to treat arthritis, Crohn’s disease and psoriasis. 

Shipping and Handling Costs 

Shipping and handling costs are not billed to patients; therefore, there are no shipping and handling revenues. The 
Company recognizes shipping and handling costs as incurred as a component of “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses”  and  were  $15,689,  $15,144  and  $13,899  for  the  years  ended  December 31,  2017,  2016  and  2015, 
respectively. 

Advertising and Marketing Costs 

Advertising  and  marketing  costs  are  expensed  as  incurred  as  a  component  of  “Selling,  general  and  administrative 
expenses” and were $2,251, $3,868 and $3,553 for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. 

Defined Contribution Savings Plans 

The  Company  maintains  certain  defined  contribution  savings  plans  for  eligible  employees.  The  total  expenses 
attributable to the Company’s defined contribution savings plans are recognized as a component of “Selling, general 
and administrative expenses” and were $2,908, $2,665 and $1,877 for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 
2015, respectively. 

Share-Based Compensation 

The Company grants stock options to key employees, which are accounted for as equity awards. The exercise price of 
a granted stock option is equal to the closing market stock price of the underlying common share on the date the option 
is granted. The grant date fair value of these awards is measured using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model. 
Stock options generally become exercisable in installments of 25 percent per year, beginning on the first anniversary 
of the grant date and each of the three anniversaries thereafter, and have a maximum term of ten years. Certain stock 
option grants have performance-based conditions, which require the satisfaction of certain revenue and/or Adjusted 
EBITDA  targets  prior  to  vesting.  The  Company  expenses  the  grant  date  fair  value  of  its  stock  options  over  their 
respective vesting periods on a straight-line basis. 

The Company also grants restricted stock units (“RSU” or “RSUs”) to key employees, which are accounted for as 
equity awards. Some granted RSUs cliff vest after three years, whereas others vest one-third per year. The grant date 
fair  value  of  a  RSU  is  determined  by  the  closing  market  price  of  our  common  stock  as  of  the  date  of  grant.  The 
Company expenses the grant date fair value of the RSU over the three-year vesting period on a straight-line basis. 

The Company grants restricted stock awards (“RSA” or “RSAs”) to non-employee directors, which are accounted for 
as equity awards. Generally, such RSAs fully vest on the first anniversary of the grant date. The grant date fair value 
of a RSA is determined by the closing market price of the Company’s common stock as of the date of grant. The grant 
date fair value of the RSU is expensed over the vesting period on a straight-line basis. 

74

 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Income Taxes 

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized 
for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing 
assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets 
and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those 
temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a 
change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company provides a 
valuation allowance against net deferred tax assets unless, based upon the available evidence, it is more likely than 
not that the deferred tax assets will be realized. 

The  Company  records  interest  and  penalties  related  to  tax  uncertainties  as  income  tax  expense.  Based  on 
management’s  evaluation,  the  Company  concluded  there  were  no  significant  uncertain  tax  positions  requiring 
recognition in its consolidated financial statements. 

Segment Information 

The Company’s chief operating decision maker reviews the financial results of the Company in total when evaluating 
financial performance and for purposes of allocating resources. The Company has thus determined that it operates in 
a single reportable segment – specialty pharmacy services. 

Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) Adoption – Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes 

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 
740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (“ASU 2015-17”), eliminating the requirement for companies 
to present deferred tax assets and liabilities as current and noncurrent. Instead, companies are required to classify all 
deferred tax assets and liabilities as noncurrent. 

Effective January 1, 2017, the Company retrospectively adopted the accounting guidance contained within ASU 2015-
17. The following December 31, 2016 consolidated balance sheet line items were adjusted due to this adoption: 

As 
   Previously 
   Reported   
14,703 
Deferred income taxes (current asset) ..................    $ 
519,810 
Total current assets ...............................................     
Deferred income taxes (noncurrent asset) ............     
— 
Total assets ...........................................................      1,107,947 
Deferred income taxes (noncurrent liability) ........     
8,693 
494,223 
Total liabilities ......................................................     
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity ..............      1,107,947 

   Adjustment       As Adjusted   
— 
  $ 
505,107 
6,010 
1,099,254 
— 
485,530 
1,099,254 

(14,703)    $ 
(14,703)     
6,010 
(8,693)     
(8,693)     
(8,693)     
(8,693)     

ASU Adoption – Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment 

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the 
Test for Goodwill Impairment (“ASU 2017-04”), eliminating Step 2 from the quantitative goodwill impairment test. 
Instead, an entity will perform its annual, or interim, quantitative goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value 
of a reporting unit with its carrying amount (Step 1). An entity will recognize an impairment charge for the amount 
by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized cannot exceed the 
total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. This ASU is effective for an entity’s annual or any interim 
goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, though early adoption is permitted. 

Effective  January  1,  2017,  the  Company  adopted  the  accounting  guidance  contained  within  ASU  2017-04.  This 
adoption had no impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. 

75

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
New Accounting Pronouncements 

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (“ASU 2014-
09”), which will supersede the existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The new standard focuses 
on creating a single source of revenue guidance for revenue arising from contracts with customers for all industries. 
The objective of the new standard is for companies to recognize revenue  when it transfers the promised goods or 
services to its customers at an amount that represents what the company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those 
goods or services. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 
606) Deferral of the Effective Date, which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year to annual reporting 
periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, for public entities, 
though early adoption was permitted. Topic 606 permits two methods of adoption: retrospective approach reflecting 
the application of the standard in each prior reporting period presented (full retrospective method), or retrospective 
approach  with the cumulative effect of initially applying the guidance recognized at the  date of initial application 
(cumulative catch-up transition method). The new standard also includes a cohesive set of disclosure requirements 
intended to provide users of financial statements with comprehensive information about the nature, amount, timing 
and  uncertainty  of  revenue  and  cash  flows  arising  from  a  company’s  contracts  with  customers.  The  Company  is 
finalizing the impact of Topic 606 on the disclosures for its consolidated financial statement footnotes and expects the 
disclosures to be enhanced. 

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Topic 606 using the cumulative catch-up transition method and will record 
an immaterial after-tax adjustment to reduce retained earnings. This cumulative adjustment relates to a shift in the 
recognition  of  dispensing  prescription  drugs  for  home  delivery  from  the  date  the  drugs  are  shipped  under  the 
Company’s existing accounting policy to the date the drugs are physically delivered  (when control transfers) under 
the new standard. The effect of this change will not be significant as there is a very short timeframe from shipment to 
physical delivery of the prescription medication. 

For the Company’s PBM businesses acquired late in the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company has gathered most of its 
data from customer contracts, is finalizing its evaluation of the potential impact of the  new standard and is in the 
process of completing its applicable accounting policy memorandums. A portion of the Company’s PBM businesses 
includes  dispensing  prescription  drugs  for  home  delivery,  the  impact  of  which  will  be  included  in  the  cumulative 
adjustment previously discussed. For the remainder of its PBM businesses, the Company is finalizing the evaluation 
of reporting revenues on a gross or net basis under its payer contracts, however, based on the preliminary analysis to 
date,  it  is  not  expected  that  other  aspects  of  the  new  standard  will  have  a  significant  impact  on  the  Company’s 
consolidated financial statements. 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), requiring lessees to recognize a right-of-
use asset and a lease liability for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at lease commencement date. This 
ASU is effective for annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those 
annual periods, though early adoption is permitted. The Company is in the early stages of evaluating the impact that 
the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and/or notes thereto. 

In  May 2017,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  No. 2017-09,  Compensation  –  Stock  Compensation  (Topic  718):  Scope  of 
Modification  Accounting,  providing  guidance  about  which  changes  to  the  terms  or  conditions  of  a  share-based 
payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. This ASU is effective for annual 
periods beginning on or after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods. This ASU is 
to be applied prospectively to an award modified on or after the adoption date. The adoption of this guidance is not 
expected to have any immediate impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. 

3.  BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS 

The Company accounts for its business acquisitions using the acquisition method as required by FASB Accounting 
Standards Codification Topic 805, Business Combinations. The Company ascribes significant value to the synergies 
and other benefits that do not meet the recognition criteria of acquired identifiable intangible assets. Accordingly, the 
value of these components is included within goodwill. The Company’s business acquisitions described below, except 
for  portions  of  BioRx,  LLC  (“BioRx”)  and  LDI  (defined  below),  were  treated  as  asset  purchases  for  income  tax 

76

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
purposes and the related goodwill resulting from these business acquisitions is deductible for  income tax purposes. 
The results of operations for acquired businesses are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements 
from their respective acquisition dates. For the entities acquired by the Company during 2017, 2016 and 2015, their 
net  sales  following  their  acquisition  dates  and  solely  in  the  year  acquired  represented  approximately  2  percent,  6 
percent and 12 percent, respectively, of the Company’s consolidated net sales. 

The  assets  acquired  and  liabilities  assumed  in  the  business  combinations  described  below,  including  identifiable 
intangible assets, were based on their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. The excess of purchase price 
over the estimated fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired was recorded as goodwill. 
The allocation of the purchase price required management to make significant estimates in determining the fair values 
of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, especially with respect to identifiable intangible assets. These estimated fair 
values were based on information obtained from management of the acquired companies and historical experience 
and, with respect to the long-lived tangible and intangible assets, were made with the assistance of an independent 
valuation firm. These estimates included, but were not limited to, the cash flows that an asset is expected to generate 
in the future, and the cost savings expected to be derived from acquiring an asset, discounted at rates commensurate 
with  the  risks  and  uncertainties  involved.  For  acquisitions  that  involved  contingent  consideration,  the  Company 
recognized a liability equal to the fair value of the contingent consideration obligation as of the acquisition date. The 
estimate  of  fair  value  of  a  contingent  consideration  obligation  required  subjective  assumptions  regarding  future 
business  results,  discount  rates  and  probabilities  assigned  to  various  potential  business  result  scenarios.  These 
estimates are preliminary and subject to change up to one year following each acquired entity’s respective acquisition 
date. 

LDI Holding Company LLC 

On  December  20,  2017,  the  Company  acquired  LDI  Holding  Company  LLC,  doing  business  as  LDI  Integrated 
Pharmacy Services (“LDI”). LDI is a full-service PBM based in St. Louis, Missouri. LDI’s service offerings include 
URAC-accredited mail-order and specialty pharmacies, a national network of retail pharmacies and comprehensive 
clinical programs. The following table summarizes the consideration transferred to acquire LDI: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
4,113,188 restricted common shares .................................  

  $  521,300 
79,088 
  $  600,388 

The above share consideration at closing is based on 4,113,188 shares, in accordance with the purchase agreement, 
multiplied by the per share closing market price of the Company’s common stock as of December 19, 2017 ($20.24) 
and multiplied by 95 percent to account for the restricted nature of the shares. 

Approximately $7,500 of the purchase consideration was deposited into an escrow account to be held for 12 months 
after the closing date to satisfy any indemnification claims that may be made by the Company. 

The Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $948 which were charged to “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses” during the year ended December 31, 2017. 

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The following table summarizes the preliminary fair values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at 
the acquisition date: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
Accounts receivable ..........................................................  
Inventories ........................................................................  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........................  
Property and equipment ....................................................  
Capitalized software for internal use .................................  
Definite-lived intangible assets .........................................  
Accounts payable ..............................................................  
Accrued expenses – compensation and benefits ...............  
Accrued expenses – other .................................................  
Deferred income taxes ......................................................  
Total identifiable net assets ........................................  
Goodwill ...........................................................................  

  $ 

965 
38,273 
2,979 
837 
2,659 
791 
    201,523 
(35,472) 
(2,137) 
(4,862) 
(31,173) 
    174,383 
    426,005 
  $  600,388 

Definite-lived intangible assets that were acquired and their respective useful lives are as follows: 

Customer relationships ............................................     10 years 
4 years 
Trade names and trademarks ...................................   

    Useful 
    Life 

    Amount   
  $  184,973 
16,550 
  $  201,523 

Pharmaceutical Technologies, Inc. 

On  November  27,  2017,  the  Company  acquired  Pharmaceuticals  Technologies,  Inc.,  doing  business  as  National 
Pharmaceutical  Services  (“NPS”).  NPS  is  a  full-service  PBM  based  in  Omaha,  Nebraska.  The  following  table 
summarizes the consideration transferred to acquire NPS: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
835,017 restricted common shares ....................................  

  $ 

  $ 

34,437 
12,753 
47,190 

The above share consideration  at closing is based on 835,017 shares, in accordance  with the purchase agreement, 
multiplied by the per share closing market price of the Company’s common stock as of November 24, 2017 ($16.97) 
and multiplied by 90 percent to account for the restricted nature of the shares. 

Approximately $9,005 of the purchase consideration was deposited into an escrow account to be held for 12 months 
after the closing date to satisfy any indemnification claims that may be made by the Company. 

The Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $804 which were charged to “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses” during the year ended December 31, 2017. 

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The following table summarizes the preliminary fair values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at 
the acquisition date: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
Accounts receivable ..........................................................  
Inventories ........................................................................  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........................  
Property and equipment ....................................................  
Capitalized software for internal use .................................  
Definite-lived intangible assets .........................................  
Accounts payable ..............................................................  
Accrued expenses – other .................................................  
Total identifiable net assets ........................................  
Goodwill ...........................................................................  

  $  10,151 
21,286 
100 
650 
13,713 
1,800 
6,720 
(23,084) 
(4,881) 
26,455 
20,735 
  $  47,190 

Definite-lived intangible assets that were acquired and their respective useful lives are as follows: 

Customer relationships ............................................     10 years 
2 years 
Trade names and trademarks ...................................   

    Useful 
    Life 

    Amount   
5,900 
  $ 
820 
6,720 

  $ 

Focus Rx Pharmacy Services Inc. and Focus Rx Inc. 

On September 1,  2017, the Company acquired Focus Rx Pharmacy Services Inc. and Focus Rx Inc. (collectively, 
“Focus”), a specialty pharmacy focusing on infusion services located in Ronkonkoma, New York. The following table 
summarizes the consideration transferred to acquire Focus: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
374,297 restricted common shares ....................................  
Contingent consideration at fair value ..............................  

  $ 

  $ 

17,252 
5,643 
2,080 
24,975 

The above share consideration  at closing is based on 374,297 shares, in accordance  with the purchase agreement, 
multiplied by the per share closing market price of the Company’s common stock as of August 31, 2017 ($16.75) and 
multiplied by 90 percent to account for the restricted nature of the shares. 

The  purchase  price  includes  a  contingent  consideration  arrangement  that  requires  the  Company  to  pay  the  former 
owners additional cash payouts of up to $1,500 per performance period based upon the achievement of certain gross 
profit targets in each of the 12-month periods ending September 30, 2018 and 2019. The maximum additional cash 
payout is $3,000. 

Approximately $1,200 of the purchase consideration was deposited into an escrow account to be held for 12 months 
after the closing date to satisfy any of the Company’s indemnification claims. 

The Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $329 which were charged to “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses” during the year ended December 31, 2017. 

79

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table summarizes the preliminary fair values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at 
the acquisition date: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
Accounts receivable ..........................................................  
Inventories ........................................................................  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........................  
Definite-lived intangible assets .........................................  
Other noncurrent assets .....................................................  
Accounts payable ..............................................................  
Accrued expenses – compensation and benefits ...............  
Total identifiable net assets ........................................  
Goodwill ...........................................................................  

  $ 

1,809 
4,936 
1,177 
20 
7,100 
21 
(5,169) 
(156) 
9,738 
15,237 
  $  24,975 

Definite-lived intangible assets that were acquired and their respective useful lives are as follows: 

Patient relationships...................................................   
Non-compete employment agreements .....................   
Trade names and trademarks .....................................   

7 years 
3 years 
3 years 

    Useful 
    Life 

    Amount   
3,700 
  $ 
2,200 
1,200 
7,100 

  $ 

Accurate Rx Pharmacy Consulting, LLC 

On July 5, 2017, the Company acquired Accurate Rx Pharmacy Consulting, LLC (“Accurate”), a specialty pharmacy 
focusing  on  infusion  services  located  in  Columbia,  Missouri.  The  following  table  summarizes  the  consideration 
transferred to acquire Accurate: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
131,108 restricted common shares ....................................  
Contingent consideration at fair value ..............................  

  $ 

  $ 

9,408 
1,776 
1,980 
13,164 

The above share consideration  at closing is based on 131,108 shares, in accordance  with the purchase agreement, 
multiplied by the per share closing market price of the Company’s common stock as of July 3, 2017 ($15.05) and 
multiplied by 90 percent to account for the restricted nature of the shares. 

The  purchase  price  includes  a  contingent  consideration  arrangement  that  requires  the  Company  to  pay  the  former 
owners additional cash payouts of up to $3,600 per performance period based upon the achievement of certain gross 
profit targets in each of the 12-month periods ending July 31, 2018 and 2019. The maximum additional cash payout 
is $7,200. 

Approximately $1,000 of the purchase consideration was deposited into an escrow account to be held for 15 months 
after the closing date to satisfy any of the Company’s indemnification claims. 

The Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $218 which were charged to “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses” during the year ended December 31, 2017. 

80

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table summarizes the preliminary fair values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at 
the acquisition date: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
Accounts receivable ..........................................................  
Inventory ...........................................................................  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........................  
Definite-lived intangible assets .........................................  
Other noncurrent assets .....................................................  
Accounts payable ..............................................................  
Accrued expenses – compensation and benefits ...............  
Accrued expenses – other .................................................  
Total identifiable net assets ........................................  
Goodwill ...........................................................................  

  $ 

1,295 
2,196 
936 
34 
3,420 
3 
(3,303) 
(152) 
(6) 
4,423 
8,741 
  $  13,164 

Definite-lived intangible assets that were acquired and their respective useful lives are as follows: 

Patient relationships...................................................   
Non-compete employment agreements .....................   
Trade names and trademarks .....................................   

7 years 
5 years 
4 years 

    Useful 
    Life 

    Amount   
2,100 
  $ 
670 
650 
3,420 

  $ 

WRB Communications, LLC 

On May 8, 2017, the Company acquired WRB Communications, LLC (“WRB”), a communications and contact center 
company  based  in  Chantilly,  Virginia  that  specializes  in  relationship  management  programs  for  leading 
pharmaceutical  manufacturers  and  service  organizations.  The  following  table  summarizes  the  consideration 
transferred to acquire WRB: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
299,325 restricted common shares ....................................  
Contingent consideration at fair value ..............................  

  $ 

  $ 

26,804 
4,291 
530 
31,625 

The  above  share consideration  at closing is based on 299,325 shares, in accordance  with the purchase agreement, 
multiplied by the per share closing market price of the Company’s common stock as of May 5, 2017 ($15.93) and 
multiplied by 90 percent to account for the restricted nature of the shares. 

The  purchase  price  includes  a  contingent  consideration  arrangement  that  requires  the  Company  to  pay  the  former 
owners additional cash payouts of up to $500 per performance period based upon the achievement of certain earnings 
before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization targets in each of the 12-month periods ending May 31, 2018 and 
2019. During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company guaranteed a full payout to allow for the acceleration of certain 
integration. The formers owners received $1,000 in cash in January 2018. 

Approximately $1,950 of the purchase consideration was deposited into an escrow account to be held for 18 months 
after the closing date to satisfy any of the Company’s indemnification claims. 

The Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $259 which were charged to “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses” during the year ended December 31, 2017. 

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The following table summarizes the preliminary fair values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at 
the acquisition date: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
Accounts receivable ..........................................................  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........................  
Property and equipment ....................................................  
Definite-lived intangible assets .........................................  
Other noncurrent assets .....................................................  
Accounts payable ..............................................................  
Accrued expenses – other .................................................  
Total identifiable net assets ........................................  
Goodwill ...........................................................................  

  $ 

1,018 
2,593 
179 
498 
7,730 
24 
(100) 
(498) 
11,444 
20,181 
  $  31,625 

Definite-lived intangible assets that were acquired and their respective useful lives are as follows: 

Customer relationships ..............................................   
Non-compete employment agreements .....................   
Trade names and trademarks .....................................   

7 years 
4 years 
2 years 

    Useful 
    Life 

    Amount   
5,200 
  $ 
1,530 
1,000 
7,730 

  $ 

Comfort Infusion, Inc. 

On March 22, 2017, the Company acquired Comfort Infusion, Inc. (“Comfort”), a specialty pharmacy and infusion 
services company based in Birmingham, Alabama that specializes in intravenous immune globulin therapy to support 
patients’ immune systems. The following table summarizes the consideration transferred to acquire Comfort: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
Contingent consideration at fair value ..............................  

  $ 

  $ 

10,613 
3,800 
14,413 

The  purchase  price  includes  a  contingent  consideration  arrangement  that  requires  the  Company  to  pay  the  former 
owners additional cash payouts of up to $2,000 per performance period based upon the achievement of certain gross 
profit  targets  in  each  of  the  12-month  periods  ending  March  31,  2018,  2019  and  2020.  The  maximum  payout  of 
contingent consideration is $6,000. 

Approximately $1,050 of the purchase consideration was deposited into an escrow account to be held for 18 months 
after the closing date to satisfy any of the Company’s indemnification claims. 

The Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $204 which were charged to “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses” during the year ended December 31, 2017. 

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The following table summarizes the preliminary fair values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at 
the acquisition date: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
Accounts receivable ..........................................................  
Inventories ........................................................................  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........................  
Definite-lived intangible assets .........................................  
Other noncurrent assets .....................................................  
Accounts payable ..............................................................  
Accrued expenses – other .................................................  
Total identifiable net assets ........................................  
Goodwill ...........................................................................  

  $ 

104 
575 
118 
15 
2,400 
5 
(372) 
(101) 
2,744 
11,669 
  $  14,413 

Definite-lived intangible assets that were acquired and their respective useful lives are as follows: 

Physician relationships ..............................................   
Non-compete employment agreements .....................   

7 years 
5 years 

    Useful 
    Life 

    Amount   
1,200 
  $ 
1,200 
2,400 

  $ 

Affinity Biotech, Inc. 

On February 1, 2017, the Company acquired Affinity Biotech, Inc. (“Affinity”), a specialty pharmacy and infusion 
services company based in Houston, Texas that provides treatments and nursing services for patients with hemophilia. 
The following table summarizes the consideration transferred to acquire Affinity: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
Contingent consideration at fair value ..............................  

  $ 

  $ 

17,377 
35 
17,412 

The  purchase  price  includes  a  contingent  consideration  arrangement  that  requires  the  Company  to  pay  the  former 
owners an additional cash payout based upon the achievement of a certain earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation 
and  amortization  target  in  the  12-month  period  ending  February  28,  2018.  The  maximum  payout  of  contingent 
consideration is $4,000. 

Approximately $2,000 of the purchase consideration was deposited into an escrow account to be held for 18 months 
after the closing date to satisfy any of the Company’s indemnification claims. 

The Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $204 which were charged to “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses” during the year ended December 31, 2017. 

83

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
The following table summarizes the preliminary fair values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at 
the acquisition date: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
Accounts receivable ..........................................................  
Inventories ........................................................................  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........................  
Definite-lived intangible assets .........................................  
Other noncurrent assets .....................................................  
Accounts payable ..............................................................  
Accrued expenses – compensation and benefits ...............  
Accrued expenses – other .................................................  
Total identifiable net assets ........................................  
Goodwill ...........................................................................  

  $ 

1,043 
3,583 
79 
74 
5,100 
5 
(1,075) 
(144) 
(25) 
8,640 
8,772 
  $  17,412 

Definite-lived intangible assets that were acquired and their respective useful lives are as follows: 

Patient relationships...................................................   
Non-compete employment agreements .....................   

7 years 
5 years 

    Useful 
    Life 

    Amount   
4,000 
  $ 
1,100 
5,100 

  $ 

Valley Campus Pharmacy, Inc. 

On June 1, 2016, the Company acquired Valley Campus Pharmacy, Inc., doing business as TNH Advanced Specialty 
Pharmacy (“TNH”). TNH, a specialty pharmacy based in Van Nuys, California, provides medication management 
programs  for  individuals  with  complex  chronic  diseases,  including  oncology,  hepatitis  and  immunology.  The 
following table summarizes the consideration transferred to acquire TNH: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
324,244 restricted common shares ....................................  

  $ 

  $ 

70,267 
9,507 
79,774 

The above share consideration  at closing is based on 324,244 shares, in accordance  with the purchase agreement, 
multiplied by the per share closing market price of the Company’s common stock as of May 31, 2016 ($32.58) and 
multiplied by 90 percent to account for the restricted nature of the shares. 

Approximately $3,800 of the purchase consideration was deposited into an escrow account to be held for 12 months 
after the closing date to satisfy any indemnification claims  that  may be  made by the Company.  All but $150  was 
released to the sellers from escrow in January 2018. 

The Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $410 which were charged to “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses” during the year ended December 31, 2016. 

84

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
The following table summarizes the fair values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition 
date: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
Accounts receivable ..........................................................  
Inventories ........................................................................  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........................  
Property and equipment ....................................................  
Capitalized software for internal use .................................  
Definite-lived intangible assets .........................................  
Other noncurrent assets .....................................................  
Accounts payable ..............................................................  
Accrued expenses – compensation and benefits ...............  
Accrued expenses – other .................................................  
Total identifiable net assets ........................................  
Goodwill ...........................................................................  

  $ 

2,114 
16,271 
4,740 
46 
200 
14,000 
13,890 
21 
(29,773) 
(400) 
(1,962) 
19,147 
60,627 
  $  79,774 

Definite-lived intangible assets that were acquired and their respective useful lives are as follows: 

Physician relationships ............................................     10 years 
5 years 
Non-compete employment agreements ...................    
1 year 
Trade names and trademarks ...................................   

    Useful 
    Life 

    Amount   
7,700 
  $ 
4,490 
1,700 
13,890 

  $ 

Burman’s Apothecary, LLC 

On  June  19,  2015,  the  Company  acquired  all  of  the  outstanding  equity  interests  of  Burman’s  Apothecary,  LLC 
(“Burman’s”).  Burman’s,  located  in  the  greater  Philadelphia  area  of  Pennsylvania,  is  a  provider  of  individualized 
patient care with a primary focus on those infected with the hepatitis C virus. The Company acquired Burman’s to 
expand  its  existing  hepatitis  business,  enhance  its  proprietary  technology,  and  increase  its  national  presence.  The 
following table summarizes the consideration transferred to acquire Burman’s: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
253,036 restricted common shares ....................................  

  $ 

  $ 

77,416 
9,578 
86,994 

The above share consideration is based on 253,036 shares, as computed in accordance with the purchase agreement, 
multiplied by the per share closing market price of the Company’s common stock as of June 18, 2015 ($42.06), and 
multiplied by 90 percent to account for the restricted nature of the shares. 

Approximately $5,000 of the purchase consideration was deposited into an escrow account to be held for two years 
after the closing date to satisfy any indemnification claims that may be made by the Company. The full amount was 
released to the sellers from escrow in the third quarter of 2017. 

The Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $860 which were charged to “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses” during the year ended December 31, 2015. 

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The following table summarizes the fair values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition 
date: 

Accounts receivable ..........................................................  
Inventories ........................................................................  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........................  
Property and equipment ....................................................  
Capitalized software for internal use .................................  
Definite-lived intangible assets .........................................  
Accounts payable ..............................................................  
Accrued expenses – compensation and benefits ...............  
Accrued expenses – other .................................................  
Total identifiable net assets ........................................  
Goodwill ...........................................................................  

  $  17,109 
8,064 
7,513 
88 
17,000 
22,200 
(25,761) 
(169) 
(6) 
46,038 
40,956 
  $  86,994 

Definite-lived intangible assets that were acquired and their respective useful lives are as follows: 

Physician relationships ..............................................    10 years 
5 years 
Noncompete employment agreements .......................   
1 year 
Favorable supply agreement ......................................   

    Useful 
    Life 

    Amount   
14,000 
  $ 
5,500 
2,700 
22,200 

  $ 

BioRx 

On April 1, 2015, the Company acquired BioRx, a highly specialized pharmacy and infusion services company based 
in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  BioRx  provides  treatments  for  patients  with  ultra-orphan  and  rare,  chronic  diseases  – 
predominately administered in the home and often via intravenous infusion. The Company acquired BioRx to expand 
its  existing  specialty  infusion  business  and  increase  its  national  presence.  The  following  table  summarizes  the 
consideration transferred to acquire BioRx: 

Cash ..................................................................................  
4,038,853 restricted common shares .................................  
Contingent consideration at fair value ..............................  

  $  217,024 
125,697 
41,000 
  $  383,721 

The above share consideration at closing is based on 4,038,853 shares, in accordance with the purchase agreement, 
multiplied by the per share closing market price of the Company’s common stock as of March 31, 2015 ($34.58), and 
multiplied by 90 percent to account for the restricted nature of the shares. 

The  purchase  price  included  a  contingent  consideration  arrangement  that  required  the  Company  to  issue  up  to 
1,350,309  shares  of  its  restricted  common  stock,  as  computed  in  accordance  with  the  purchase  agreement,  to  the 
former holders of BioRx’s equity interests based upon the achievement of a certain earnings before interest, taxes, 
depreciation and amortization target in the 12-month period ending March 31, 2016. An independent valuation firm 
assisted with the Company’s determination of the fair value of the contingent consideration utilizing a Monte Carlo 
simulation.  The  fair  value  of  the  contingent  consideration  liability  was  $46,208  as  of  December  31,  2015.  The 
Company issued 1,346,282 shares of its common stock, with a fair value of $36,888, along with $104 in cash, in full 
payout of the contingent consideration arrangement in April 2016. 

Approximately $10,000 of the purchase consideration was deposited into an escrow account to be held for two years 
after the closing date to satisfy any indemnification claims made by the Company. The full amount was released to 
the sellers from escrow in the second quarter of 2017. 

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The Company incurred acquisition-related costs of $1,398 which were charged to “Selling, general and administrative 
expenses” during the year ended December 31, 2015. 

The following table summarizes the fair values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition 
date: 

Cash and cash equivalents .................................................  
Accounts receivable ..........................................................  
Inventories ........................................................................  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........................  
Property and equipment ....................................................  
Definite-lived intangible assets .........................................  
Other noncurrent assets .....................................................  
Accounts payable ..............................................................  
Accrued expenses – compensation and benefits ...............  
Accrued expenses – other .................................................  
Deferred income taxes ......................................................  
Total identifiable net assets ........................................  
Goodwill ...........................................................................  

  $ 

1,786 
37,716 
5,546 
287 
494 
    181,700 
163 
(25,088) 
(1,653) 
(852) 
(7,780) 
    192,319 
    191,402 
  $  383,721 

Definite-lived intangible assets that were acquired and their respective useful lives are as follows: 

Patient relationships...................................................    10 years 
5 years 
Noncompete employment agreements .......................   
8 years 
Trade names and trademarks .....................................   

    Useful 
    Life 

    Amount   
  $  130,000 
39,700 
12,000 
  $  181,700 

Pro Forma Operating Results 

The following 2017 unaudited pro forma  summary presents consolidated  financial information as if the  Accurate, 
Affinity, Comfort, Focus, LDI, NPS and WRB acquisitions had occurred on January 1, 2016. The following 2016 
unaudited  pro  forma  summary  presents  consolidated  financial  information  as  if  the  Accurate,  Affinity,  Comfort, 
Focus, LDI, NPS and WRB acquisitions had occurred on January 1, 2016 and the TNH acquisition had occurred on 
January  1,  2015.  The  unaudited  pro  forma  results  reflect  certain  adjustments  related  to  the  acquisitions,  such  as 
amortization expense resulting from intangible assets acquired and adjustments to reflect the Company’s borrowings 
and tax rates. Accordingly, such pro forma operating results were prepared for comparative purposes only and do not 
purport to be indicative of what would have occurred had the acquisitions been made as of the as if dates or of results 
that may occur in the future. 

Net sales .....................................................................................    $  4,954,494 
6,733 
Net income attributable to Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. .................    $ 
0.09 
Net income per common share – basic ......................................    $ 
0.09 
Net income per common share – diluted ...................................    $ 

2017 

2016 
  $  5,117,678 
8,498 
  $ 
0.12 
  $ 
0.11 
  $ 

   Year Ended December 31,  

87

 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
4.  FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS 

The  Company  utilizes  valuation  techniques  that  maximize  the  use  of  observable  inputs  and  minimize  the  use  of 
unobservable inputs to the extent possible. Fair value is defined as the amount that would be received to sell an asset 
or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. As such, 
fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based upon assumptions that market participants 
would use in pricing an asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, a three-tier fair value hierarchy 
was established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows: 

Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets; 

Level 2: Inputs, other than quoted prices in active markets, that are observable either directly or indirectly; 

and 

Level 3: Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to 

develop its own assumptions.  

An asset or liability’s fair value measurement level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any 
input  that  is  significant  to  the  fair  value  measurement.  Valuation  techniques  used  need  to  maximize  the  use  of 
observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. 

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are based on one or more of the following three valuation techniques: 

A.  Market approach: Prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical 

or comparable assets or liabilities. 

B.  Cost approach: Amount that would be required to replace the service capacity of an asset (replacement cost). 

C.  Income  approach:  Techniques  to  convert  future  amounts  to  a  single  present  amount  based  upon  market 

expectations (including present value techniques, option-pricing and excess earnings models). 

The following table presents the placement in the fair value hierarchy of assets and liabilities that were measured and 
disclosed at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2017: 

Contingent consideration .............    $  (12,100)   $  (12,100) 

C 

  Valuation 
    Asset / 
  (Liability)     Level 3     Technique 

88

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
The following table sets forth a roll forward of the Level 3 measurements: 

Balance at January 1, 2015 ...............................................  
BioRx acquisition .......................................................  
Change in fair value ...................................................  
Payments ....................................................................  
Balance at December 31, 2015..........................................  
Change in fair value ...................................................  
Payments ....................................................................  
Balance at December 31, 2016..........................................  
Affinity acquisition ....................................................  
Comfort acquisition ....................................................  
WRB acquisition ........................................................  
Accurate acquisition ...................................................  
Focus acquisition ........................................................  
Changes in fair values ................................................  
Balance at December 31, 2017..........................................  

   Contingent 
Consideration 
  $ 

(11,691) 
(41,000) 
(6,724) 
6,750 
(52,665) 
8,922 
43,743 
— 
(35) 
(3,800) 
(530) 
(1,980) 
(2,080) 
(3,675) 
(12,100) 

  $ 

The carrying amounts of the  Company’s financial instruments – consisting primarily of cash and cash equivalents, 
accounts receivable, accounts payable and other liabilities – approximate their estimated fair values due to the relative 
short-term nature of the amounts. The carrying amount of debt approximates fair value due to variable interest rates 
at customary terms and rates the Company could obtain in current financing. 

5.  PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT 

Property and equipment consisted of the following: 

December 31, 

Land ................................................................  
Buildings ........................................................  
Leasehold improvements ................................   5 - 15 years*     
Equipment and fixtures ...................................  
Computer equipment ......................................  
Construction in progress .................................  

Useful Life 

    2016 
    2017 
332 
  $ 
—    $  5,232 
    10,007 
40 years      18,818 
1,644 
5,247 
    12,178 
5 - 10 years      14,116 
6,657 
8,527 
485 
2,425 
    54,365 
    31,303 
    (15,375)      (10,931) 
  $  20,372 
  $  38,990 

3 - 5 years     

Accumulated depreciation ..............................  

* Unless applicable lease term is shorter. 

Depreciation  expense  for  the  years  ended  December 31,  2017,  2016  and  2015  was  $4,941,  $3,075  and  $2,071, 
respectively. 

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6.  CAPITALIZED SOFTWARE FOR INTERNAL USE 

Capitalized software, consisting of software acquired and developed internally, was comprised as follows: 

Capitalized software for internal use ..............    
Construction in progress .................................  

Accumulated amortization ..............................  

Useful Life 
3 years 

December 31, 

    2016 
    2017 
  $  74,471 
  $  82,017 
1,994 
502 
    76,465 
    82,519 
    (45,999)      (26,218) 
  $  50,247 
  $  36,520 

Amortization  expense  for  the  years  ended  December 31,  2017,  2016  and  2015  was  $19,781,  $13,102  and  $4,541, 
respectively. Estimated future amortization expense is as follows: 

2018 ....................................................................    $  22,198 
13,599 
2019 ....................................................................   
640 
2020 ....................................................................   
83 
2021 ....................................................................   
  $  36,520 

7.  GOODWILL AND DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS 

The following table sets forth a roll forward of goodwill: 

Balance at January 1, 2015 ...............................................  
BioRx acquisition .......................................................  
Burman’s acquisition .................................................  
Miscellaneous .............................................................  
Balance at December 31, 2015..........................................  
TNH acquisition .........................................................  
Miscellaneous .............................................................  
Balance at December 31, 2016..........................................  
Affinity acquisition ....................................................  
Comfort acquisition ....................................................  
WRB acquisition ........................................................  
TNH purchase price adjustment .................................  
Accurate acquisition ...................................................  
Focus acquisition ........................................................  
NPS acquisition ..........................................................  
LDI acquisition...........................................................  
Miscellaneous .............................................................  
Balance at December 31, 2017..........................................  

  $ 

  $ 

23,148 
191,402 
40,956 
812 
256,318 
59,275 
1,023 
316,616 
8,772 
11,669 
20,181 
1,351 
8,741 
15,237 
20,735 
426,005 
3,317 
832,624 

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Definite-lived intangible assets consisted of the following: 

December 31, 2017 

December 31, 2016 

Gross 
Carrying  
Amount 
Customer relationships .............................    $ 196,073 
  170,100 
Patient relationships ..................................   
61,389 
Non-compete employment agreements .....   
44,020 
Trade names and trademarks ....................   
21,700 
Physician relationships .............................   
  $ 493,282 

Net 
Carrying 
Amount 

Accumulated 
Amortization 
  $ 

(1,141)    $ 194,932   
  120,457   
(49,643)   
  30,829   
(30,560)   
  30,396   
(13,624)   
  15,397   
(6,303)   
  $(101,271)    $ 392,011   

  $ 

Gross 
Carrying  
Amount 
— 
  159,100 
54,689 
23,800 
21,700 
  $ 259,289 

— 

  $ 

Accumulated 
Amortization 
  $ 

Net 
Carrying 
Amount 
— 
  127,655 
  36,015 
  17,323 
  18,869 
  $  (59,427)    $ 199,862 

(31,445)   
(18,674)   
(6,477)   
(2,831)   

Amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $41,844, $33,868 and $24,229, 
respectively. As of December 31, 2017, the weighted average remaining useful lives for the net carrying amounts of 
customer relationships, patient relationships, non-compete employment agreements, trade names and trademarks, and 
physician  relationships  are  9.9  years,  6.8  years,  2.6  years,  3.1  years  and  5.7  years,  respectively.  Estimated  future 
amortization expense is as follows: 

2018 ....................................................................    $  67,630 
66,420 
2019 ....................................................................   
54,184 
2020 ....................................................................   
44,130 
2021 ....................................................................   
2022 ....................................................................   
37,233 
  122,414 
Thereafter ...........................................................   
  $  392,011 

On  August 28, 2014, the Company and two unrelated third party entities entered into a contribution agreement to 
form a  new  company,  Primrose  Healthcare, LLC  (“Primrose”).  Primrose  functioned  as  a  management  company, 
managing a network of physicians and medical professionals providing continuum care for patients infected with the 
hepatitis C virus. The Company contributed $5,000 for its 51 percent ownership interest, of which $2,000 and $3,000 
were contributed during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The unrelated third party entities 
contributed a software licensing agreement valued at $2,647 and intellectual property valued at $2,157.  During the 
third  quarter  of  2016,  primarily  due  to  updated  projections  of  continuing  losses  into  the  foreseeable  future,  the 
Company fully impaired Primrose’s intangible assets. The $4,804 impairment is contained within “Selling, general 
and administrative expenses” for the year ended December 31, 2016. Primrose was dissolved during the fourth quarter 
of 2017. 

8.  INVESTMENTS IN NON-CONSOLIDATED ENTITIES 

Ageology 

From October 2011 through January 2017, the Company maintained a 25 percent minority interest in Worksmart MD, 
LLC, also known as Ageology, though it fully impaired its investment during the fourth quarter of 2014. In transactions 
unrelated to the Company, SkyPoint Ventures LLC (“SkyPoint”), an affiliated entity of the Company’s former chief 
executive officer, loaned $16,000 to Ageology through January 2017. In February 2017, SkyPoint elected to convert 
its $16,000 in outstanding loans into equity in Ageology, which equated to an approximate ownership of 43 percent. 
Concurrently, the Company converted its $2,500 in outstanding loans (which the Company had written off during the 
fourth quarter of 2014) into equity in Ageology, which resulted in the Company having an approximate 22 percent 
minority  interest  following  the  recapitalization.  Because  the  Company  does  not  direct  the  activities  that  most 
significantly impact the economic performance of Ageology, management has determined that the Company is not 
nor ever has been Ageology’s primary beneficiary. 

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Subsequent to the February 2017 concurrent conversion transactions, SkyPoint loaned Ageology $3,970 during the 
remainder of the year ended December 31, 2017. 

Physician Resource Management, Inc. 

In December 2014, the Company invested $3,500 in Physician Resource Management, Inc. (“PRM”) in exchange for 
a 15 percent equity position. In October 2015, the Company invested an additional $1,459, which increased its equity 
position in PRM to 19.9 percent. The Company accounted for this investment under the cost method, as the Company 
does  not  have  significant  influence  over  its  operations.  In  transactions  unrelated  to  the  Company,  the  Company’s 
former chief executive officer personally invested $250 in PRM through December 31, 2016. 

During  January  2017,  PRM  completed  the  planned  sale  of  its  primary  asset.  Based  upon  the  terms  of  the  sales 
agreement, the Company anticipates that it will receive approximately $300  in future proceeds from this sale. The 
Company  recognized  a  $4,659  impairment,  which  is  contained  within  “Equity  loss  and  impairment  of  non-
consolidated  entities,”  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2016  to  write  its  cost  method  investment  in  PRM  to  net 
realizable value. 

9.  DEBT 

On  December  20,  2017,  in  conjunction  with  the  LDI  acquisition,  the  Company  fully  syndicated  an $800,000 debt 
financing led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Capital One, National Association (“Capital One”), comprised of 
a $250,000 line  of  credit  and  a $150,000 Term  Loan  A,  each  with  a  December  20,  2022  maturity  date,  and 
a $400,000 Term Loan B with a December 20, 2024 maturity date (“credit facility”). The credit facility is secured by 
substantially all of the Company’s assets. The proceeds of this credit facility were used to finance the LDI acquisition, 
pay related transaction fees and expenses, and repay the Company’s former credit facility (as defined below), as well 
as provide sufficient liquidity for the Company's future needs. The Company incurred debt issuance costs of $21,507 
associated with the credit facility, of which all but $744 were capitalized. These capitalized costs, along with $2,079 
in previously incurred unamortized debt issuance costs, are being amortized to interest expense over the term of the 
credit facility. The Company also expensed $636 in previously incurred unamortized debt issuance costs to interest 
expense upon entering into the credit facility. 

On  April  1,  2015,  in  conjunction  with  the  BioRx  acquisition,  the  Company  entered  into  a  Second  Amended  and 
Restated Credit Agreement with Capital One, as agent and as a lender, the other lenders party thereto, and the other 
credit parties thereto, which provided for an increase in the Company’s line of credit from $120,000 to $175,000, a 
fully drawn term loan for $120,000 and a delayed draw term loan (“DDTL”) for an additional $25,000 (“former credit 
facility”). The Company fully drew upon the $25,000 DDTL during the first quarter of 2017. The former credit facility 
was subsequently extinguished with the proceeds of the credit facility. 

At December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had $550,000 and $111,000, respectively, in outstanding term loans. 
Term  loan-related  unamortized  debt  issuance  costs  of  $17,402  and  $3,316  as  of  December  31,  2017  and  2016, 
respectively, are presented in the consolidated balance sheets as direct deductions to the outstanding debt balances. 
The Company had $188,250 and $39,255 outstanding on its line of credit at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. 
The Company had $61,750 and $129,908 available to borrow on its line of credit at December 31, 2017 and 2016, 
respectively.  The  Company  had  weighted  average  borrowings  on  its  line  of  credit  of  $28,238  and  $11,986  and 
maximum borrowings on its line of credit of $188,250 and $82,683 during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 
2016, respectively. Line of credit-related unamortized debt issuance costs of $5,316 and $550 as of December 31, 
2017 and 2016, respectively, are classified within “Other noncurrent assets” in the consolidated balance sheets.  

The interest rates the Company pays under the credit facility are a function of a defined margin above LIBOR.  The 
Company’s  Term  Loan  A  and  Term  Loan  B  interest  rates  were  4.04  percent  and  6.04  percent,  respectively,  at 
December 31, 2017. The Company’s term loan interest rate was 3.13 percent at December 31, 2016. The Company’s 
line  of  credit  interest  rate  was  4.04  percent  and  4.75  percent  at  December  31,  2017  and  2016,  respectively.  The 
Company is charged a monthly unused commitment fee ranging from 0.3 percent to 0.4 percent on the average unused 
daily balance on its $250,000 line of credit. 

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The credit facility contains, and former credit facility contained, certain financial and non-financial covenants. The 
Company was in compliance with all such covenants as of December 31, 2017 and 2016. 

The Company has the following contractual debt obligations outstanding associated with its term loans at December 
31, 2017: 

2018 ....................................................................    $  11,500 
11,500 
2019 ....................................................................   
11,500 
2020 ....................................................................   
2021 ....................................................................   
11,500 
  124,000 
2022 ....................................................................   
  380,000 
Thereafter ...........................................................   
  $  550,000 

10.  SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION 

Effective October 2014, the Company established the 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2014 Plan”), which permits 
the granting of stock options, stock appreciation rights, RSAs, RSUs and other stock-based awards. The 2014 Plan 
initially  authorized  up  to  4,000,000  shares  of  common  stock  for  awards  to  be  issued  to  employees,  directors  or 
consultants  of  the  Company,  and  each  fiscal  year,  the  number  of  shares  reserved  for  issuance  under  the  plan 
automatically increases by an amount equal to 2 percent of the total number of outstanding shares of common stock 
as of the beginning of such fiscal year. 

The Company’s 2007 Stock Option Plan, as amended (the “2007 Plan”), authorized the granting of stock options to 
employees,  directors  or  consultants  at  no  less  than  the  market  price  on  the  date  the  option  was  granted.  Options 
generally become exercisable in installments of 25 percent per year, beginning on the first anniversary of the grant 
date and each of the three anniversaries thereafter, and have a maximum term of 10 years. No further awards will be 
granted under the 2007 Plan. All outstanding awards previously granted under the 2007 Plan, including those granted 
in 2014, will continue to be governed by their existing terms. 

Prior Year Adoption of ASU 2016-09 

Effective  January  1,  2016,  the  Company  early  adopted  the  accounting  guidance  contained  within  ASU  2016-09, 
Compensation  –  Stock  Compensation  (Topic  718):  Improvements  to  Employee  Share-Based  Payment  Accounting 
(“ASU 2016-09”). The Company recorded a $16,903 deferred tax asset and a $16,903 increase to retained earnings 
on January 1, 2016 to recognize the Company’s excess tax benefits related to share-based awards that existed as of 
December  31,  2015 (modified  retrospective  application). Beginning  January  1,  2016,  the  Company  recognizes  all 
newly arising excess tax benefits  related to share-based awards  as a reduction  to income taxes in its consolidated 
statement of operations,  which resulted in the Company’s  recognition of $3,003 and $4,148 in benefits to income 
taxes  during  the  years  ended  December  31,  2017  and  2016,  respectively.  Also  beginning  January  1,  2016,  the 
Company elected the prospective transition method such that excess tax benefits related to share-based awards will 
no longer be reflected as a decrease to cash flows from operating activities and as an increase to cash flows from 
financing  activities  on  the  consolidated  statement  of  cash  flows.  Finally,  effective  January  1,  2016,  the  Company 
elected to account for share-based compensation forfeitures when they occur. There was no impact of this election 
because prior to the adoption the Company did not have adequate historical information to estimate forfeitures. No 
prior period amounts were adjusted as a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-09. 

93

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock Options 
A  summary of the  Company’s stock option activity  for the  years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017  is as 
follows: 

Weighted 
Weighted  Average 
Average  Remaining  Aggregate 
Exercise  Contractual  Intrinsic 

    Price 

     Life 

    Value 

    Number 
  of Options 

Outstanding at January 1, 2015 ...................      7,217,331 
Granted ......................................................      1,284,939 
Repurchased ..............................................      (1,641,387)     
Exercised ...................................................      (1,943,022)     
(803,176)     
Expired/cancelled ......................................     

Outstanding at December 31, 2015 .............      4,114,685 
Granted ......................................................      1,546,532 
Exercised ...................................................     
Expired/cancelled ......................................     

(564,844)     
(683,032)     

Outstanding at December 31, 2016 .............      4,413,341 
Granted ......................................................      4,066,735 
Exercised ...................................................      (1,217,320)     
Expired/cancelled ......................................      (1,154,464)     

Outstanding at December 31, 2017 .............      6,108,292 

  $ 

7.54 
39.11 
5.44 
5.32 
16.59 
17.53 
22.64 
7.87 
27.41 
19.02 
16.43 
6.47 
25.25 
  $  18.62 

(In years) 
6.9 

  $ 142,262 

7.7 

76,567 

7.0 

11,558 

8.5 

  $  16,205 

Exercisable at December 31, 2017 ..............      1,459,459 

  $  19.09 

6.0 

  $ 

8,058 

The Company recorded share-based compensation expense associated with stock options of $6,628, $5,073 and $3,748 
for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. 

The Company granted service-based awards of 2,805,976, 1,165,000 and 893,896 options to purchase common stock 
to key employees under its 2014 Plan during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The 
options become exercisable in installments of 25 percent per year, beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date 
and each of the three anniversaries thereafter, and have a maximum term of 10 years. 

The Company granted service-based awards of 200,000 options to purchase common stock to key employees under 
its 2014 Plan during the year ended December 31, 2017 that were immediately vested at time of grant. These options 
have a maximum term of 10 years. 

The Company granted performance-based awards of 260,759, 381,532 and 391,043 options to purchase common stock 
to key employees under the 2014 Plan during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, that 
are earned based upon the Company’s performance relative to specified revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, 
taxes, depreciation and amortization goals corresponding to the year in which granted. None of the performance-based 
awards granted during 2017 and 2016 were earned and, therefore, no share-based compensation expense was recorded 
for these awards in either 2017 or 2016. All but 2,084 of the performance-based awards granted during 2015 were 
earned. The earned options vest in four installments of 25%, with the first installment vesting upon Audit Committee 
confirmation of the satisfaction of the applicable performance goals, and the remaining installments vesting annually 
thereafter. These options have a maximum term of 10 years. 

The Company granted performance-based awards of 800,000 options to purchase common stock to key employees 
under its 2014 Plan during the year ended December 31, 2017 that will be earned or forfeited in increments based on 
the cumulative growth in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of a certain therapeutic 
category  during  the  years  ending  December  31,  2017,  2018,  2019  and  2020.  The  earned  options,  if  any,  will  be 
determined annually each March 31 of the subsequent year and vest as of that date. These options have a maximum 
term of 10 years. 

94

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At December 31, 2017, the total compensation cost related to non-vested options not yet recognized was $25,633, 
which  will  be  recognized  over  a  weighted  average  period  of  3.3 years,  assuming  all  employees  complete  their 
respective service periods for vesting of the options. 

The total intrinsic value of options exercised/repurchased during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 
was $11,973, $13,048 and $103,317, respectively. 

The weighted average grant date fair value of options granted during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 
2015 was $6.23, $6.34 and $11.84, respectively. The grant-date fair value of each option award was estimated using 
the Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing model using the assumptions set forth in the following table: 

2015 
$27.80 - $48.72 
Exercise price ..............................................   $14.36 - $20.87  $14.40 - $36.60 
Expected volatility .......................................  33.44% - 36.38%  23.90% - 24.76%  25.12% - 26.70% 
Expected dividend yield ..............................  
Risk-free rate for expected term ..................   1.88% - 2.34% 
Expected term (in years) ..............................  

0% 
1.23% - 2.06% 
6.25 

0% 
1.53% - 2.01% 
6.25 

5.00 - 6.25 

2017 

0% 

Year Ended December 31, 
2016 

Estimating grant date fair values for employee stock options requires management to make  assumptions regarding 
expected volatility of value of those underlying shares, the risk-free rate over the expected life of the stock options 
and the date on which share-based payments will be settled. Expected volatility is based on a weighted average of the 
Company’s historic volatility and an implied volatility for a group of industry-relevant healthcare companies as of the 
measurement date. Risk-free rate is determined based upon U.S. Treasury rates over the estimated expected option 
lives. Expected dividend yield is zero as the Company does not anticipate that any dividends will be declared during 
the expected term of the options. The expected term of options granted is calculated using the simplified method (the 
midpoint between the end of the vesting period and the end of the maximum term). Forfeitures are accounted for when 
they occur. 

In March 2015, the Company repurchased vested stock options to buy 1,641,387 shares of common stock from certain 
current employees, including certain executive officers, for cash consideration totaling $36,298. All repurchased stock 
options  were  granted  under  the  Company’s  2007  Stock  Option  Plan.  No  incremental  compensation  expense  was 
recognized as a result of these repurchases. 

For U.S. GAAP purposes, share-based compensation expense associated with stock options is based upon recognition 
of the grant date fair value over the vesting period of the option. For income tax purposes, share-based compensation 
tax  deductions  associated  with  nonqualified  stock  option  exercises  and  repurchases  are  based  upon  the  difference 
between the stock price and the exercise price at time of exercise or repurchase. Prior to the Company’s adoption of 
ASU 2016-09, in instances where share-based compensation expense for income tax purposes was in excess of share-
based compensation expense for U.S. GAAP purposes, which had historically been the case for the Company, U.S. 
GAAP required that the tax benefit associated with this excess expense be recorded to shareholders’ equity to the 
extent that it reduced cash taxes payable. During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company recorded excess 
tax benefits related to share-based awards of $20,805 as an increase to shareholders’ equity. 

Prior to the Company’s adoption of ASU 2016-09, U.S. GAAP also required that excess tax benefits related to share-
based awards be reported as a decrease to cash flows from operating activities and as an increase to cash flows from 
financing activities. The Company reported $20,805 of excess tax benefits related to share-based awards as a decrease 
to cash flows from operating activities and as an increase to cash flows from financing activities for the year ended 
December 31, 2015. 

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Restricted Stock Units 
A summary of the Company’s RSU activity as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017 is as follows: 

Nonvested at January 1, 2017 .............................     
Granted .............................................................     
Expired/cancelled .............................................     
Nonvested at December 31, 2017 .......................     

— 
90,718 
(24,079)     
66,639 

Number 
    of RSUs 

Weighted 
Average 
Grant Date 
      Fair Value   
— 
  $ 
14.65 
14.65 
14.65 

  $ 

The Company granted 90,718 RSUs to key employees under its 2014 Plan during the year ended December 31, 2017. 
The value of an RSU is determined by the market value of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant. This 
value is recorded as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, which is three years. Of 
the 66,639 RSUs as of December 31, 2017, 34,747 RSUs cliff vest after three years, while the remaining 31,892 RSUs 
vest one-third per year. 

The  Company  recorded  share-based  compensation  expense  associated  with  RSUs  of  $203  for  the  year  ended 
December 31, 2017. At December 31, 2017, the total compensation cost related to non-vested RSUs not yet recognized 
was $615, which will be recognized over the next 2.3 years, assuming all employees complete their respective service 
periods for vesting of the RSUs. 

Restricted Stock Awards 
A summary of the Company’s RSA activity for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017 is as follows: 

Nonvested at January 1, 2015 .............................     
Granted .............................................................     
Vested ..............................................................     
Nonvested at December 31, 2015 .......................     
Granted .............................................................     
Vested ..............................................................     
Nonvested at December 31, 2016 .......................     
Granted .............................................................     
Vested ..............................................................     
Nonvested at December 31, 2017 .......................     

  $ 

Weighted 
Average 

Number 
of Shares 
Subject to  Grant Date 
    Restriction       Fair Value   
18.12 
26.60 
18.12 
26.60 
32.97 
26.60 
32.97 
17.13 
26.80 
17.45 

8,277 
10,805 
(8,277)     
10,805 
5,765 
(10,805)     
5,765 
36,814 
(8,288)     
34,291 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

Under the 2014 Plan, the Company issued RSAs to non-employee directors. The value of a RSA is determined by the 
market value of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant. The value of a RSA is recorded as share-based 
compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, which is typically one year. 

The Company recorded share-based compensation expense associated  with RSAs of $450, $339 and $188 for the 
years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. At December 31, 2017, the total compensation cost 
related to non-vested RSAs not yet recognized was $255, which will be recognized during 2018, assuming the non-
employee directors complete their service period for vesting of the RSAs. 

96

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
11.  INCOME TAXES 

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act reduces the U.S. federal 
corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. At December 31, 2017, the Company has not completed its accounting 
for the tax effects of enactment of the Tax Act; however, as described below, the Company made a reasonable estimate 
of the effects on its existing deferred tax balances. In December 2017, the SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin 
No.  118,  which  addresses  how  a  company  recognizes  provisional  amounts  when  a  company  does  not  have  the 
necessary information available, prepared or analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete its 
accounting for the effect of the changes in the Tax Act. The measurement period ends when a company has obtained, 
prepared and analyzed the information necessary to finalize its accounting, but cannot extend beyond one year. 

For  existing  deferred  tax  balances  for  which  the  Company  was  able  to  determine  an  impact  and  those  which  the 
Company  was  able  to  determine  a  reasonable  estimate  including  the  provisional  amounts  discussed  below,  the 
Company recognized an income tax benefit of $7,828, which is included as a component of income tax benefit for the 
year ended December 31, 2017. The Company re-measured these deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates 
at which they are expected to reverse in the future. 

Provisional amounts were provided for deferred tax assets and liabilities for which reasonable estimates were available 
associated with the Company’s 2017 acquisitions (Note 3); certain equity interest; and deferred assets impacted by 
cash payments after December 31, 2017. The Company re-measured these deferred tax assets and liabilities based on 
the rates at which they are expected to reverse in the future, which is generally 21 percent. The provisional amount 
recorded related to the re-measurement of these deferred tax balances was an income tax benefit of $9,069, which is 
included in the Company’s Tax Act effect of $7,828. 

Significant components of the benefit (expense) for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 
2015 are as follows: 

Current: 

Federal ......................................................................    $  (1,748)   $ 
State and local ..........................................................     
Total current ......................................................     

(1,921)    
(3,669)    

(703)   $  (17,592) 
(3,257) 
(1,713)    
(2,416)     (20,849) 

    2017 

      2016 

      2015 

Deferred: 

Federal ......................................................................      10,343     
452     
State and local ..........................................................     
Total deferred ....................................................      10,795     

(7,989)    
(790)    
(8,779)    

4,061 
554 
4,615 

  $  7,126    $  (11,195)   $  (16,234) 

The reconciliation of income taxes computed at the U.S. federal statutory tax rate to income tax benefit (expense) is 
as follows: 

    Year Ended December 31, 
      2015 
      2016 
    2017 

Income tax expense at U.S. statutory rate .............................................    $ 
Tax effect from: 

(2,822)   $  (12,675)   $  (14,352) 

Share-based compensation (Note 3) ..............................................     
State income taxes, net of federal benefit ......................................     
Loss on noncontrolling interest .....................................................     
Tax Act effect ................................................................................     
Other ..............................................................................................     

Income tax benefit (expense) ................................................................    $ 

3,003     
— 
(418)    
(1,563) 
(113)    
(351) 
7,828     
— 
32 
(352)    
7,126    $  (11,195)   $  (16,234) 

4,148     
(1,904)    
(1,138)    
—     
374     

97

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
     
     
 
 
 
Significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:  

December 31, 

    2017 

      2016 

Deferred tax assets: 

Allowance for doubtful accounts ...............................    $ 
Net operating loss and credit carryforwards ..............     
Compensation and benefits .......................................     
Investments ...............................................................     
Other temporary differences ......................................     
Total deferred tax assets .....................................     

5,696   $ 
2,114    
4,611    
—    
679    
13,100    

8,861 
6,383 
3,598 
1,101 
1,014 
20,957 

Deferred tax liabilities: 

Property and intangible assets ...................................     
Prepaid expenses and other current assets .................     
Investments ...............................................................     
Total deferred tax liabilities ...............................     

(26,406)    
(740)    
(321)    
(27,467)    

(13,825) 
(1,122) 
— 
(14,947) 

Net deferred tax (liabilities) assets ................    $  (14,367)   $ 

6,010 

At December 31, 2017, the Company had $53,148 of state and local gross net operating loss carry-forwards. The state 
and local gross net operating loss carry-forwards expire at various times through 2036. 

The Company prepares and files tax returns based on interpretations of tax laws and regulations. In the normal course 
of business, the Company’s tax returns are subject to examination by various taxing authorities. Such examinations 
may  result  in  future  tax  and  interest  assessments  by  these  taxing  authorities.  In  determining  the  Company’s  tax 
provision for financial reporting purposes, the Company establishes a reserve for uncertain income tax positions unless 
it is determined to be more likely than not that such tax positions would be sustained upon examination, based on their 
technical merits. That is, for financial reporting purposes, the Company only recognizes a tax benefit taken on its tax 
return if it believes it is more likely than not that such tax position would be sustained. There is considerable judgment 
involved in determining whether it is more likely than not that such tax positions would be sustained. 

As  of  both  December  31,  2017  and  2016,  the  Company  had  unrecognized  tax  benefits  of  $268;  all  of  which,  if 
recognized, would reduce both tax expense and the effective tax rate. 

The Company would adjust its tax reserve estimates periodically because of ongoing examinations by, and settlements 
with, varying taxing authorities, as well as changes in tax laws, regulations and interpretations. The consolidated tax 
provision  of  any  given  year  includes  adjustments  to  prior  year  income  tax  accruals  and  related  estimated  interest 
charges that are considered appropriate. The Company’s 2016, 2015 and 2014 C corporation tax returns are open to 
examination by U.S. federal, state and local taxing authorities. The Company’s 2014 and 2015 tax years are currently 
under examination by the U.S. federal tax authority. To date, no material adjustments have been proposed. 

98

 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12.  INCOME PER COMMON SHARE 

Basic  income  per  common  share  is  computed  by  dividing  net  income  allocable  to  common  shareholders  by  the 
weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted income per common share further 
includes any common shares available to be issued upon: exercise of outstanding service-based stock options; exercise 
of outstanding performance-based stock options for which all performance conditions were satisfied; and satisfaction 
of all contingent consideration performance conditions; and RSAs and RSUs, if such inclusions would be dilutive. 

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted income per common share: 

Year Ended December 31, 

    2017 

    2016 

    2015 

Numerator: 

Net income attributable to Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. ................    $ 

15,510 

  $ 

28,273 

  $ 

25,776 

Denominator: 

Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic ..............      68,130,322 
Weighted average dilutive effect of stock options, RSAs and 

    65,970,396 

    60,730,133 

RSUs ......................................................................................  
Weighted average dilutive effect of contingent consideration ..     

649,731 
— 
Weighted average common shares outstanding, diluted ......      68,780,053 

    1,739,750 
337,577 
    68,047,723 

    2,029,241 
337,577 
    63,096,951 

Net income per common share: 

Basic ..........................................................................................    $ 
Diluted .......................................................................................    $ 

0.23 
0.23 

  $ 
  $ 

0.43 
0.42 

  $ 
  $ 

0.42 
0.41 

Service-based and earned performance-based stock options to purchase a weighted average of 3,242,919, 1,542,064 
and  649,564  common  shares  were  excluded  from  the  computation  of  diluted  weighted  average  common  shares 
outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, as inclusion of such options would 
be  anti-dilutive.  Performance-based  stock  options  to  purchase  up  to  a  weighted  average  of  770,503,  291,277  and 
410,452 common shares were excluded from the computation of diluted weighted average common shares outstanding 
for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, as all performance conditions were not satisfied 
at some/all quarter-end periods within the respective years. Weighted average RSUs of 21,623 common shares were 
excluded from the computation of diluted weighted average common shares outstanding for the year ended December 
31, 2017 as inclusion of such RSUs would be anti-dilutive. Weighted average RSAs of 10,038 and 475 common shares 
were excluded from the computation of diluted  weighted average common shares outstanding  for the  years ended 
December  31,  2017  and  2016,  respectively,  as  inclusion  of  such  RSAs  would  be  anti-dilutive.  Contingent 
consideration to issue a weighted average of 1,012,732 common shares was excluded in the computation of diluted 
weighted average common shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2015, as all performance conditions 
were not satisfied until the quarter ended December 31, 2015. 

13.  COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES 

Legal Proceedings 
On November 10, 2016, a putative class action complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District 
of Michigan against Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. and certain officers of the Company. Following appointment of lead 
plaintiffs  and  lead  counsel,  an  amended  complaint  was  filed  on  April  11,  2017.  The  amended  complaint  alleges 
violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in connection with public filings made 
between February 29, 2016 and November 2, 2016 (the “potential class period”). The plaintiff seeks to represent a 
class of shareholders who purchased stock in the potential class period. The complaint seeks unspecified monetary 
damages and other relief. The Company filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint on May 24, 2017. The court 
issued an order denying the  Company’s  motion to dismiss on January 19, 2018. The Company  filed a  motion  for 
reconsideration of its motion to dismiss on February 2, 2018. The Company believes the complaint and allegations to 
be without merit and intends to vigorously defend itself against the action. The Company is unable at this time to 

99

 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
determine whether the outcome of the litigation would have a material impact on its results of  operations, financial 
condition or cash flows. 

On February 10, 2017, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) received a demand letter from a purported 
shareholder containing allegations similar to those contained in the putative class action complaint described above. 
The letter demanded that the Board take action to remedy the alleged violations. In response, the Board established a 
Special Independent Committee of its disinterested and independent members to investigate the claims. Subsequently, 
on June 2, 2017, the shareholder filed a putative shareholder’s derivative lawsuit in the Michigan Circuit Court for the 
County of Genesee regarding the same matters alleged in the demand letter. The complaint names the Company as a 
nominal defendant and names a number of the Company’s current and former officers and directors as defendants. 
The  complaint  seeks  unspecified  monetary  damages  and  other  relief.  In  connection  with  the  ongoing  Special 
Independent Committee investigation, on July 20, 2017, by agreement between the Company and the shareholder, the 
court ordered a stay of legal proceedings for 90 days, after which time by further agreement of the Company and the 
shareholder, the court has extended the stay until April 3, 2018. The Company is unable at this time to determine 
whether the outcome of the litigation would have a material impact on its results of operations, financial condition or 
cash flows. 

The results of legal proceedings are often uncertain and difficult to predict, and the Company could from time to time 
incur  judgments,  enter  into  settlements,  materially  change  its  business  practices  or  technologies  or  revise  its 
expectations regarding the outcome of certain matters. In addition, the costs incurred in litigation can be substantial, 
regardless of the outcome. 

The  Company’s  business  of  providing  specialized  pharmacy  services  and  other  related  services  may  subject  it  to 
litigation and liability for damages in the ordinary course of business. Nevertheless, the Company believes there are 
no other legal proceedings, the outcome of which, if determined adversely to the Company, would individually or in 
the aggregate be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on its business, financial position, cash flows 
or results of operations. 

Purchase Commitments 
The Company’s amended contract with AmerisourceBergen expires on September 30, 2018. This amended contract 
commits the Company to a minimum purchase obligation of approximately $2,000,000 per contract year to maintain 
its current negotiated discounts and rates. 

Lease Commitments 
The Company leases multiple pharmacy and distribution facilities and office equipment under various operating lease 
agreements  expiring  through  December  2027.  Total  rental  expense  under  operating  leases  for  the  years  ended 
December 31,  2017,  2016  and  2015  was  $4,215,  $4,179  and  $3,295,  respectively,  exclusive  of  property  taxes, 
insurance and other occupancy costs generally payable by the Company. 

Future minimum payments under non-cancelable operating leases with initial or remaining terms in excess of one year 
as of December 31, 2017 are as follows: 

2018 ....................................................................    $ 
2019 ....................................................................   
2020 ....................................................................   
2021 ....................................................................   
2022 ....................................................................   
Thereafter ...........................................................   

2,740 
2,761 
2,476 
2,142 
1,677 
2,348 
  $  14,144 

100

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14.  SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) 

The following table presents selected quarterly financial data for each of the quarters in the years ended December 31, 
2017 and 2016: 

Net sales .................................................................    $ 1,078,740 
85,049 
Gross profit ............................................................     
6,532 
Income (loss) before income taxes .........................     
4,225 
Net income .............................................................     
4,367 
Net income attributable to Diplomat ......................     
0.07 
Basic income per common share ............................     
0.06 
Diluted income per common share.........................     

For the 2017 Quarter Ended 
    March 31       June 30    September 30  December 31 
1,155,069 
  $ 
93,492 
(1,714) 
6,513 
6,536 
0.09 
0.09 

  $ 1,126,464 
84,834 
2,946 
3,490 
3,591 
0.05 
0.05 

1,124,957 
85,303 
299 
961 
1,016 
0.01 
0.01 

  $ 

Net sales .................................................................    $  995,870 
79,238 
Gross profit ............................................................     
23,717 
Income (loss) before income taxes .........................     
15,183 
Net income (loss) ...................................................     
15,429 
Net income (loss) attributable to Diplomat ............     
0.24 
Basic income (loss) per common share ..................     
0.23 
Diluted income (loss) per common share ...............     

For the 2016 Quarter Ended 
    March 31       June 30    September 30  December 31 
1,144,838 
  $ 
83,808 
468 
(1,284) 
(1,098) 
(0.02) 
(0.02) 

  $ 1,088,506 
83,270 
12,438 
8,293 
8,534 
0.13 
0.13 

(408)     
2,828 
5,408 
0.08 
0.08 

1,181,173 
78,512 

  $ 

The Company’s results were impacted by the following: 

-  Quarter ended December 31, 2017: The Company recognized $1,710 of changes in the fair values of contingent 
consideration. The Company recognized a $7,828 income tax benefit due to the enactment of the Tax Act (Note 
11). 

-  Quarter ended September 30, 2017: The Company recognized $1,965 of changes in the fair values of contingent 

consideration. 

-  Quarter  ended  December  31,  2016:  The  Company  recognized  a  $4,659  impairment  of  its  cost  method 

investment in PRM (Note 9). 

-  Quarter  ended  September  30,  2016:  The  Company  was  assessed  and  recorded  approximately  $8,000  in 
additional  DIR  fees,  of  which  approximately  $4,000  were  retroactive  DIR  fees  that  increased  its  previous 
estimates  by  approximately  $1,700  and  $2,300  for  the  first  and  second  quarters  of  2016,  respectively.  The 
Company recognized a $4,804 impairment of its Primrose intangible assets (Note 8), partially offset by $2,354 
which  was  the  noncontrolling  interests’  allocation  of  the  recognized  impairment.  The  Company  recognized 
$3,076 in excess tax benefits related to share-based awards (Note 3). 

-  Quarter  ended  March  31,  2016:  The  Company  recognized  a  $9,071  change  in  the  fair  value  of  contingent 
consideration, primarily due to a reduction in its BioRx contingent consideration liability caused by a decrease 
in the Company’s stock price. 

101

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 9.  CHANGES  IN  AND  DISAGREEMENTS  WITH  ACCOUNTANTS  ON  ACCOUNTING  AND 

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE 

None 

ITEM 9A.  CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 

Limitations on Controls 

A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance 
that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there 
are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent 
limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and 
instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected. 

Disclosure Controls and Procedures 

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required 
to be disclosed in  our reports that  we file or submit  under the  Securities Exchange  Act of 1934, as amended (the 
“Exchange Act”), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the specified time periods in the rules and 
forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to 
our  management,  including  our  chief  executive  officer  and  chief  financial  officer,  as  appropriate,  to  allow  timely 
decisions regarding required disclosure. 

Our management, with the participation of the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer, evaluated the 
effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) promulgated under 
the Exchange Act) as of December 31, 2017. Based on these evaluations, the chief executive officer and the chief 
financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures required by paragraph (b) of Rule 13a-15 or 
15d-15 were effective as of December 31, 2017. 

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting and Attestation Report of the Registered 
Public Accounting Firm 

Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we included within this Annual Report on Form 10-K 
Management’s  Report  on  Internal  Control  over  Financial  Reporting  as  of  December  31,  2017.  Our  independent 
registered public accounting firm also attested to, and reported on,  the Company’s Internal Control over Financial 
Reporting. Management’s report and the independent registered public accounting firm’s report are included in Item 
8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

Remediation of Prior Material Weakness in Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

As reported  in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the  year ended December 31, 2016, we identified a  material 
weakness in the operating effectiveness of our evaluation and review of recorded inventory balances. Specifically, at 
certain locations the initial costs used to value ending inventories were not correct and we did not initially identify all 
items necessary to accurately complete our inventory reconciliation. 

In the fourth quarter of 2017, management completed its remediation plan to ensure that deficiencies that contributed 
to  the  material  weakness  were  remediated  such  that  these  controls  operate  effectively,  which  included  steps  to 
strengthen  our  inventory  costing  and  reconciliation  controls.  The  remediation  actions  that  were  taken  included: 
additional testing of the pricing file utilized to cost physical inventory; and strengthening the depth and breadth of 
review  of  the  inventory  reconciliation  by  senior  accounting  and  finance  personnel.  As  a  result  of  these  measures, 
management has concluded that it has remediated the material weaknesses that existed as of December 31, 2016. 

102

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

Except as otherwise discussed above, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined 
in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2017 that have materially affected, 
or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. 

ITEM 9B.  OTHER INFORMATION 

On  January  4,  2018,  the  Board  appointed  Jeff  Park  as  interim  CEO  and  the  Board’s  Compensation  Committee 
approved a compensation package for Mr. Park that provided he would continue to receive compensation pursuant to 
the  non-employee  director  compensation  program  of  the  Board,  and  also  would  receive  (i) cash  compensation  of 
$41,666.67 per month (with pro ration) and (ii) a grant of restricted stock with a  value of $1,000,000 (“Restricted 
Stock Grant”), vesting quarterly over one year. On February 26, 2018, the Board’s Compensation Committee further 
refined Mr. Park’s compensation package by (i) terminating the receipt of (a) the compensation pursuant to the non-
employee  director  compensation  program  of  the  Board,  and  (b) the  aforementioned  cash  compensation,  and  (ii) 
cancelling the Restricted Stock Grant, and in lieu thereof approved a grant of 69,349 restricted stock units (“RSUs”) 
in accordance with the 2014 Omnibus Plan. The RSUs will vest during his service as interim CEO, with 9,166 RSUs 
vesting on February 26, 2018 and 60,183 RSUs vesting in five equal monthly installments on the fourth day (or the 
immediate prior business day) of each month between March and July 2018 (with pro rata vesting). 

103

 
 
 
 
 
PART III 

ITEM 10.  DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERANCE 

The information required by this item is set forth under the following captions in our proxy statement to be filed with 
respect to the 2018 annual meeting of shareholders (the “Proxy Statement”), all of which is incorporated herein by 
reference: “Proposal No. 1  – Election of Directors,” “Board Matters  – The Board of Directors,” “Board Matters – 
Committees  of  the  Board,”  “Board  Matters  –  Corporate  Governance,”  “Certain  Relationships  and  Related  Person 
Transactions,”  “Additional  Information  –  Section  16(a)  Beneficial  Ownership  Reporting  Compliance,”  and 
“Additional Information – Requirements for Submission of Shareholder Proposals and Nominations for 2019 Annual 
Meeting.” 

ITEM 11.  EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 

The information required by this item is set forth under the following captions in our Proxy Statement, all of which is 
incorporated  herein  by  reference:  “Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis,”  “Named  Executive  Officer 
Compensation Tables,” “Board Matters – Director Compensation,” “Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider 
Participation” and “Compensation Committee Report.” 

ITEM 12.  SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND 
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 

The information required by this item is set forth under the following captions in our Proxy Statement, all of which is 
incorporated herein by reference: “Additional Information – Equity Compensation Plans” and “Security Ownership 
of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management.” 

ITEM  13. 
INDEPENDENCE 

  CERTAIN  RELATIONSHIPS  AND  RELATED  TRANSACTIONS,  AND  DIRECTORS 

The information required by this item is set forth under the following captions in our Proxy Statement, all of which is 
incorporated herein by reference: “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions” and “Proposal No. 1  – 
Election of Directors – Director Independence.” 

ITEM 14.  PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES 

The  information  required  by  this  item  is  set  forth  under  the  following  captions  in  our  Proxy  Statement,  which  is 
incorporated herein by reference: “Audit Committee Matters.” 

104

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PART IV 

ITEM 15.  EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES  

1.  Financial Statements 

The financial statements of the Company filed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are listed in Part II, 
Item 8. 

2.   Financial Statement Schedules 

All  financial  statement  schedules  have  been  omitted  because  they  are  not  required  or  applicable  under 
instructions contained in Regulation S-X or because the information called for is shown in the financial 
statements and notes thereto.  

3.   Exhibits 

Exhibit 
number 

Exhibit description 

Filed/Furnished 
herewith 

2.1**  Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, 

dated June 19, 2015, by and among Diplomat, 
Burman’s Apothecary, L.L.C., and the other 
parties named therein 

2.2** 

Securities Purchase Agreement and Plan of 
Merger by and among Diplomat 
Pharmacy, Inc., LDI Holding Company, LLC 
and the other parties named therein, dated 
November 15, 2017 

3.1 

Third Amended and Restated Articles of 
Incorporation  

Incorporated by reference 

Period 
ending 

Exhibit 
number 

Filing 
date 

2.1 

06/22/15 

Form 

8-K 

8-K 

2.1 

11/16/17 

  S-1/A 

3.1 

09/17/14 

3.2 

Bylaws  

8-K 

3.1 

01/05/18 

4.1 

Form of Common Stock Certificate 

  S-1/A 

4.1 

09/11/14 

10.1* 

Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. 2007 Option Plan 

10.2* 

Form of Amended and Restated 2007 Option 
Plan Grant Agreement 

10.3* 

Form of 2007 Option Plan Grant (Performance-
Based) Agreement 

10.4* 

Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. 2014 Omnibus 
Incentive Plan 

10.5* 

Form of Stock Option Award Agreement 
(Time-Based) (2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan) 

S-1 

S-1 

10.4 

07/03/14 

10.5 

07/03/14 

  S-1/A 

10.6 

09/11/14 

  S-1/A 

10.7 

09/29/14 

S-1/A 

10.11 

10/03/14 

105

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 
number 
10.6* 

10.7* 

Exhibit description 

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement 
(2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan) 

Form of Stock Option Award Agreement 
(Performance-Based) (2014 Omnibus Incentive 
Plan) 

10.8* 

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement 
(Non-Employee Directors) (2014 Omnibus 
Incentive Plan) 

10.9* 

Form of Stock Option Award Agreement 
(Time-Based) (2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan) 

10.10* 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award 
Agreement (Time-Based) 

Filed/Furnished 
herewith 

Incorporated by reference 

Period 
ending 

Exhibit 
number 

Filing 
date 

10.12 

10/03/14 

Form 
S-1/A 

8-K 

10.1 

06/09/15 

10-Q 

09/30/15 

10.3 

11/04/15 

8-K 

8-K 

10.1 

12/09/16 

10.1 

04/06/17 

10.11.1†  Pharmacy Distribution and Services 

  S-1/A 

10.8.1 

08/19/14 

Agreement, dated July 1, 2013, by and between 
Celgene Corporation and Diplomat 

10.11.2†  First Amendment to Pharmacy Distribution and 
Services Agreement, dated July 8, 2013, by and 
between Celgene Corporation and Diplomat 

  S-1/A 

10.8.2 

08/19/14 

10.11.3†  Adoption and Amendment of Pharmacy 

S-1/A 

10.8.3 

08/19/14 

Distribution and Services Agreement, dated 
March 21, 2014, by and between Celgene 
Corporation and Diplomat 

10.11.4†  Amendment to Pharmacy Distribution and 
Services Agreement, executed October 19, 
2015 and effective as of June 1, 2016, by and 
between Diplomat and Celgene Corporation 

10-K 

12/31/15 

10.18 

02/29/16 

10.11.5†  Pharmacy Distribution and Services 

  10-Q 

03/31/17 

10.1 

05/09/17 

Agreement, dated as of March 31, 2017 and 
effective as of July 1, 2017 by and between 
Celgene Corporation and the Company 

10.12.1†  Prime Vendor Agreement, dated January 1, 

  S-1/A 

10.9.1 

08/19/14 

2012, by and among AmerisourceBergen Drug 
Corporation, Diplomat and its subsidiaries 
named therein 

10.12.2 

First Amendment to Prime Vendor Agreement, 
dated July 20, 2012, by and among 
AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation, 
Diplomat and its subsidiaries named therein 

106

  S-1/A 

10.9.2 

08/19/14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 
number 
10.12.3†  Second Amendment to Prime Vendor 

Exhibit description 

Agreement, effective August 1, 2015, by and 
among Diplomat, AmerisourceBergen Drug 
Corporation, and each Company subsidiary 
named therein 

Filed/Furnished 
herewith 

Incorporated by reference 

Period 
ending 

Exhibit 
number 

Filing 
date 

10.1 

09/15/15 

Form 
8-K 

10.12.4†  Third Amendment to Prime Vendor Agreement, 

8-K 

10.1 

10/06/16 

effective October 1, 2016, by and among 
AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation and the 
Company subsidiaries named therein 

10.12.5†  Fourth Amendment to Prime Vendor 

10-Q 

09/30/17 

10.3 

11/06/17 

Agreement, effective May 9, 2017, by and 
among AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation 
and each Company subsidiary named therein 

10.12.6†  Fifth Amendment to Prime Vendor Agreement, 

10-Q 

09/30/17 

10.4 

11/06/17 

effective August 3, 2017, by and among 
AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation and each 
Company subsidiary named therein 

10.12.7†  Sixth Amendment to Prime Vendor Agreement, 

X 

10.13 

10.14 

10.15 

10.16 

effective October 24, 2017, by and among 
AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation and each 
Company subsidiary named therein 

Joinder Agreement, dated November 1, 2015, 
by and among AmerisourceBergen Drug 
Corporation, Diplomat and the Diplomat 
subsidiaries named therein 

Commitment Letter by and among Diplomat 
Pharmacy, Inc., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 
and Capital One, National Association dated 
November 15, 2017 

Credit Agreement, dated December 20, 2017, 
by and among the Company, the Lenders party 
thereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as 
Administrative Agent 

Guarantee and Collateral Agreement, dated 
December 20, 2017, by and among the 
Company, the other Loan Parties, and 
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative 
Agent 

10-K 

12/31/15 

10.20 

02/29/16 

8-K 

10.1 

11/16/17 

8-K 

10.1 

12/21/17 

8-K 

10.2 

12/21/17 

10.17*  Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. Annual Performance 

8-K 

10.2 

06/09/15 

Bonus Plan 

107

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 
number 
10.18 

Exhibit description 

Consent to Sale of Compounding Business, 
dated August 27, 2015, by and among 
Diplomat, General Electric Capital Corporation, 
and the other lender parties thereto 

10.19*  Diplomat Non-Employee Director 

Compensation Program (April 2017) 

10.20* 

10.21* 

Permanent Release and Settlement Agreement, 
dated October 25, 2016, by and between the 
Company and Sean Whelan 

Employment Agreement, dated October 25, 
2016, by and between the Company and Paul 
Urick 

Incorporated by reference 

Filed/Furnished 
herewith 

Form 
10-Q 

Period 
ending 

Exhibit 
number 

Filing 
date 

9/30/16 

10.2 

11/04/15 

10-Q 

03/31/17 

10.2 

05/09/17 

8-K 

10.2 

10/26/16 

8-K 

10.1 

10/26/16 

10.22†  Distribution and Services Agreement dated 

10-K 

12/31/16 

10.24 

03/08/17 

10-K 

12/31/16 

10.25 

03/08/17 

8-K 

8-K 

10.1 

08/07/17 

10.2 

08/07/17 

August 7, 2013 by and between Pharmacyclics, 
Inc. and Diplomat 

10.23†  Amendment No. 1 to Distribution and Services 
Agreement by and between Pharmacyclics, Inc. 
and Diplomat, dated March 3, 2014 

10.24* 

Employment Agreement, dated August 7, 2017, 
by and between the Company and Joel Saban 

10.25* 

Separation and Release Agreement, dated 
August 7, 2017, by and between the Company 
and Paul Urick 

21 

23 

List of subsidiaries of Diplomat 

Consent of BDO USA, LLP 

31.1 

Section 302 Certification—CEO 

31.2 

Section 302 Certification—CFO 

32.1 

Section 906 Certification—CEO 

32.2 

Section 906 Certification—CFO 

101.INS  XBRL Instance Document  

101.SCH  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document 

101.CAL  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation 

Linkbase Document  

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

108

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 
number 
101.DEF  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition 

Exhibit description 

Linkbase Document 

101.LAB  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase 

Document 

101.PRE  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation 

Linkbase Document 

Incorporated by reference 

Filed/Furnished 
herewith 

Form 

Period 
ending 

Exhibit 
number 

Filing 
date 

X 

X 

X 

* 

** 

† 

Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement. 

Exhibits  and  schedules  have  been  omitted  in  accordance  with  Item  601(b)(2)  of  Regulation  S-K. A  copy  of  omitted 
exhibits and schedules will be furnished to the Commission upon request. 

Confidential  treatment  has  been  requested  for  portions  of  this  exhibit.  These  portions  have  been  omitted  from  these 
exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and submitted separately to the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

ITEM 16.  FORM 10-K SUMMARY 

None 

109

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly 
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. 

SIGNATURES 

DIPLOMAT PHARMACY, INC. 
(Registrant) 

By:                   /s/ ATUL KAVTHEKAR 

Atul Kavthekar 
Chief Financial Officer 
(Principal Financial Officer and 
Principal Accounting Officer) 

Date:  March 1, 2018 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below as of March 
1, 2018 by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated. 

/s/ JEFFREY PARK 

Jeffrey Park 

Interim Chief Executive Officer and Director 
(Principal Executive Officer) 

/s/ ATUL KAVTHEKAR 
Atul Kavthekar 

/s/ BENJAMIN WOLIN 
Benjamin Wolin 

/s/ REGINA BENJAMIN 
Regina Benjamin 

/s/ DAVID DREYER 

David Dreyer 

/s/ PHILIP R. HAGERMAN 

Philip R. Hagerman 

/s/ KENNETH O. KLEPPER 

Kenneth O. Klepper 

/s/ SHAWN CLINE TOMASELLO 
Shawn Cline Tomasello 

110

Chief Financial Officer 
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal 
Accounting Officer) 

Chairman of the Board of Directors 

Director 

Director 

Director 

Director 

Director 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 21 

DIPLOMAT PHARMACY, INC. SUBSIDIARIES 

The direct and indirect operating subsidiaries of the Company and their respective States of incorporation as of December 
31, 2017 are as follows:  

Name of Subsidiaries 

    State of Incorporation  

Percentage of Voting 
Stock Owned Directly and 
Indirectly by Diplomat 
Pharmacy, Inc. 

Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Great Lakes Distribution Center, LLC 
Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Flint, LLC 
Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Grand Rapids, LLC 
Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Chicago, LLC 
Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Ft. Lauderdale, LLC 
Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Southern California, LLC 
Diplomat Corporate Properties, LLC 
Diplomat Clinical Services, LLC 
DSP-Building C, LLC 
DSP Flint Real Estate, LLC 
Envoy Health Management, LLC 
Navigator Health Services, LLC 
American Homecare Federation, Inc. 
BioRx, LLC 
Diplomat Blocker, Inc. 
At-Home IV Infusion Professional, Inc. 
PharmTrack, LLC 
MedPro Rx, Inc. 
Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Philadelphia, LLC 
Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Boothwyn, LLC 
Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Los Angeles County, Inc. 
XAS Infusion Suites, Inc. 
Accurate Advantage, LLC 
Accurate Rx Pharmacy Consulting, LLC 
Affinity Biotech, Inc. 
Comfort Infusion, Inc. 
Diplomat Pharmacy Holdings, Inc. 
Focus Rx, Inc. 
Focus Rx Pharmacy Services, Inc. 
LDI Holding Company, LLC 
LDI Nautic VII Blocker, Inc. 
LDI Nautic VIII-A Blocker, Inc.  
Leehar Distributors, LLC 
Oak HC/FT LDI Blocker Corp. 
Pharmaceutical Technologies, Inc. 
Pharmaceutical Technologies Independent Practice Association, LLC 
PSC Bellevue, LLC 
PSC Properties, LLC 
PSC Coventry, LLC 
WRB Communications, LLC 
8th Day Software and Consulting, LLC 

Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan 
Michigan 
Connecticut 
Delaware 
Delaware 
Maryland 
Nevada 
North Carolina 
Pennsylvania 
Pennsylvania 
California 
Texas 
Missouri 
Missouri 
Texas 
Alabama 
Delaware 
New York 
New York  
Delaware 
Delaware 
Delaware 
Delaware 
Delaware 
Nebraska 
New York 
Nebraska 
Nebraska 
Nebraska 
Delaware 
Tennessee 

100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 
100.0% 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 23 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. 
Flint, Michigan 

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (No. 333-199244) of 
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (the “Company”) of our reports dated March 1, 2018, relating to the consolidated financial 
statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of  the  Company,  which appear in this 
Form 10-K. 

/s/ BDO USA, LLP 

Troy, Michigan 
March 1, 2018

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 31.1 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S 302 CERTIFICATION 

I, Jeffrey Park, certify that: 

1. 

I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (the “Company”) for  the  year 
ended December 31, 2017; 

2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a 
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements 
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly 
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of, 
and for, the periods presented in this report; 

4.  The Company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls 
and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial 
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Company and have: 

a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be 
designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its 
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period 
in which this report is being prepared; 

b)  Designed  such  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  or  caused  such  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of 
financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with 
generally accepted accounting principles; 

c)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report 
our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period 
covered by this report based on such evaluation; and 

d)  Disclosed in this report any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred 
during the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter (the Company's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual 
report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control 
over financial reporting; and 

5.  The Company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent  evaluation of internal 
control over financial reporting, to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of 
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): 

a)  All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in  the  design  or  operation  of  internal  control  over 
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, 
summarize and report financial information; and 

b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant 

role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. 

Date:   March 1, 2018 

By:     /s/ JEFFREY PARK 
 Jeffrey Park 
      Interim Chief Executive Officer  
      (Principal Executive Officer) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 31.2 

PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICERS’ 302 CERTIFICATION 

I, Atul Kavthekar, certify that: 

1. 

I have reviewed this Annual Report on  Form 10-K of Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. (the  “Company”) for the  year 
ended December 31, 2017; 

2.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a 
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements 
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 

3.  Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly 
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of, 
and for, the periods presented in this report; 

4.  The Company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls 
and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial 
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the Company and have: 

a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be 
designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its 
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period 
in which this report is being prepared; 

b)  Designed  such  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  or  caused  such  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of 
financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with 
generally accepted accounting principles; 

c)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report 
our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period 
covered by this report based on such evaluation; and 

d)  Disclosed in this report any change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred 
during the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter (the Company's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual 
report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control 
over financial reporting; and 

5.  The Company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent  evaluation of internal 
control over financial reporting, to the Company’s auditors and the audit committee of the Company’s board of 
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): 

a)  All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in  the  design  or  operation  of  internal  control  over 
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, 
summarize and report financial information; and 

b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant 

role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. 

Date:  March 1, 2018 

By:     /s/ ATUL KAVTHEKAR 
Atul Kavthekar 
Chief Financial Officer 
(Principal Financial Officer) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 32.1 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, 
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO 
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 

In connection with the Annual Report of Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 
2017, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Jeffrey Park, Interim 
Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the 
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that: 

1. 

2. 

The  Report  fully  complies  with  the  requirements  of  Section 13(a) or  15(d) of  the  Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934; and 

The  information  contained  in  the  Report  fairly  presents,  in  all  material  respects,  the  financial 
condition and results of operations of the Company. 

Date:   March 1, 2018 

By:     /s/ JEFFREY PARK 
Jeffrey Park  
      Interim Chief Executive Officer  
      (Principal Executive Officer) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 32.2 

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, 
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO 
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002 

In connection with the Annual Report of Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 
2017, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Atul Kavthekar, 
Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the 
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that: 

1. 

2. 

The  Report  fully  complies  with  the  requirements  of  Section 13(a) or  15(d) of  the  Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934; and 

The  information  contained  in  the  Report  fairly  presents,  in  all  material  respects,  the  financial 
condition and results of operations of the Company. 

Date:  March 1, 2018 

By:     /s/ ATUL KAVTHEKAR 
Atul Kavthekar 
Chief Financial Officer 
(Principal Financial Officer) 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities 
Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements give current expectations or forecasts of future events or 
our future financial or operating performance, and include Diplomat’s expectations regarding revenues, market share, 
the  expected  benefits  and  performance  of  acquisitions  and  growth  strategies.   The  forward-looking  statements 
contained  in  this  report  are  based  on  management’s  good-faith  belief  and  reasonable  judgment  based  on  current 
information.  These  statements  are  qualified  by  important  risks  and  uncertainties,  many  of  which  are  beyond  our 
control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those forecasted or indicated by such forward-
looking statements.  These risks and uncertainties include: our ability to adapt to changes or trends within the specialty 
pharmacy  industry;  significant  and  increasing  pricing  pressure  from  third-party  payors;  the  amount  of  direct  and 
indirect remuneration fees, as well as the timing of assessing such fees and the methodology used to calculate such 
fees;  the  outcome  of  material  legal  proceedings;  our  relationships  with  wholesalers  and  key  pharmaceutical 
manufacturers; bad publicity about, or market withdrawal of, specialty drugs we dispense; a significant increase in 
competition from a variety of companies in the health care industry; our ability to expand the number of specialty 
drugs we dispense and related services; maintaining existing patients; revenue concentration of the top specialty drugs 
we dispense;  increasing consolidation in the healthcare industry; managing our growth effectively; our ability to drive 
volume  through  a  refreshed  marketing  strategy  in  traditional  specialty  pharmacy;  our  capability  to  penetrate  the 
fragmented infusion market; the success of our strategy in the pharmacy benefit manager (“PBM”) space; our ability 
to effectively execute our acquisition strategy or successfully integrate acquired businesses, including any delays or 
difficulties in integrating the combined businesses, and the ability to achieve cost savings and operating synergies and 
the timing thereof; CEO succession planning and the dependence on our senior management and key employees and 
managing recent turnover among key employees; and the additional factors set forth in “Risk Factors” in Diplomat’s 
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and in subsequent reports filed with or furnished 
to the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Except as may be required by any applicable laws, Diplomat assumes 
no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date hereof or the earlier 
date specified herein, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. 

 
 
JEFF PARK 
Interim Chief Executive Officer 
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc.  

SHAWN C. TOMASELLO (2) 
Chief Commercial Officer 
Kite Pharma, Inc., a subsidiary of Gilead 
Sciences, Inc.  

BENJAMIN WOLIN (1,3) 
Chairman of the Board 
Former Chief Executive Officer 
Everyday Health, Inc. 

 OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS  

REGINA BENJAMIN (2,3) 
Physician, NOLA.com/Times Picayune 
Endowed Chair in Public Health Sciences at 
Xavier University of Louisiana 

DAVID DREYER (1,2) 
Chief Financial Officer 
Prolacta Bioscience, Inc. 

PHILIP R. HAGERMAN 
Chairman Emeritus 
Chief Executive Officer 
Skypoint Ventures, LLC 
Former Chief Executive Officer 
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. 

KENNETH O. KLEPPER (1,3) 
Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive 
Officer of ReactiveCore, LLC 

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS 

ATUL KAVTHEKAR 
Chief Financial Officer 
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc.  

JEFF PARK 
Interim Chief Executive Officer 
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. 

GARY RICE 
Executive Vice President of Operations 
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc.  

JOEL SABAN  
President 
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc.  

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
(1)  Audit Committee Member 
(2)  Compensation Committee Member 
(3)  Nominating and Corporate Governance 
  Committee Member 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNUAL MEETING
The 2018 Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. Annual 
Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 12, at
the Lotte New York Palace in New York, 
New York. The meeting will begin at 4:30
p.m. Eastern Time.

TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
Shareholder correspondence can be
mailed to:
Computershare
480 Washington Blvd.
29th Floor
Jersey City, NJ  07310
www-us.computershare.com/investor/ 
contact

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

OUR WEBSITE:
www.diplomat.is
Investor information on our website 
includes press releases, supplemental 
investor information, corporate 
governance information, our Code of 
Conduct, SEC filings, and webcasts of 
quarterly earnings conference calls.

CONFIDENTIAL HOTLINE:
833.367.3756

Our independently operated, confidential 
hotline can be used to report concerns 
regarding possible accounting, internal 
accounting control or auditing matters, or 
fraudulent acts and/or illegal activities 
involving our company which may 
compromise our ethical standards. Other 
means of reporting concerns are identified 
in our Code of Conduct located in the 
Investor Relations/Corporate Governance 
section of our company’s website.

PUBLICATIONS
Diplomat’s annual report on Form 10-K
and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q are 
available free of charge from our Legal 
Department or can be viewed and 
downloaded online at www.diplomat.is. A 
Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting of 
Shareholders and Proxy Statement is 
furnished in advance of the annual 
meeting to all shareholders entitled to vote 
at the annual meeting.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc.
4100 S. Saginaw Street
Flint, MI  48507
888.720.4450

USE OF DIPLOMAT
For ease of use, references in this report to 
“Diplomat,” “company,” or “we” means
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. and/or one or more 
of a number of separate, affiliated entities. 
Business is sometimes conducted by an 
affiliated entity rather than Diplomat 
Pharmacy, Inc. itself.

QUARTERLY SHARE PRICE AND 
DIVIDEND INFORMATION
The common stock of Diplomat Pharmacy, 
Inc. is listed and traded on the New York 
Stock Exchange (Symbol DPLO). The 
following table represents the range of
closing share prices for 2017.

MARKET QUOTATIONS
2017 QUARTER                       HIGH          LOW    
First 
Second
Third
Fourth

                        $15.95      $12.50
                          $18.84        $14.06
                          $21.78        $14.43
                          $21.57        $14.63

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC 
ACCOUNTING FIRM
BDO USA LLP 
Troy, Michigan

SHAREHOLDER INQUIRIES
Terri Anne Powers
Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc.
4100 S. Saginaw Street
Flint, MI  48507
312.889.5244
tpowers@diplomat.is

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