Cencora, Inc. (COR) Business
This page reproduces the company's own Item 1 Business text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Informational only - not investment advice. See Disclaimer.
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
As used herein, the terms “Company,” “Cencora,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refer to Cencora, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
Cencora is one of the largest global pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services companies, helping both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers improve patient access to products and enhance patient care. We deliver innovative programs and services designed to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the pharmaceutical supply chain in both human and animal health. More specifically, we distribute a comprehensive offering of brand-name, specialty brand-name, and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to a wide variety of healthcare providers located in the United States and select global markets, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, physician practices, medical and dialysis clinics, veterinarians, and other customers. Additionally, we furnish healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers with an assortment of related services, including data analytics, outcomes research, reimbursement and pharmaceutical consulting services (including regulatory affairs, development consulting and scientific affairs, pharmacovigilance, and quality management and compliance) niche premium logistics services, inventory management, pharmacy automation, pharmacy management, and packaging solutions.
References to “fiscal 2025,” “fiscal 2024,” and “fiscal 2023” refer to the fiscal years ended September 30, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Industry Overview
Pharmaceutical sales in the United States, as recently estimated by IQVIA, an independent third-party provider of information to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 8.4% from 2024 through 2029, and the growth rate is dependent, in part, on pharmaceutical manufacturer price increases. In addition to general economic conditions, factors that impact the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in the U.S. and other industry trends include:
Aging Population. The number of individuals aged 65 and over in the U.S. is expected to be approximately 71 million by 2029 and is the most rapidly growing segment of the population. This age group suffers from more chronic illnesses and disabilities than the rest of the population and accounts for a substantial portion of total healthcare expenditures in the U.S.
Introduction of New Pharmaceuticals. Traditional research and development, as well as the advent of new research, production, and delivery methods, such as biotechnology and gene therapy, continue to generate new pharmaceuticals and delivery methods that are more effective in treating diseases. We believe ongoing research and development expenditures by the leading pharmaceutical manufacturers will contribute to continued growth of the industry. In particular, we believe ongoing research and development of biotechnology and other specialty pharmaceutical drugs will provide opportunities for the continued growth of our specialty pharmaceuticals business.
Use of Generic and Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals. A number of patents for widely used brand-name pharmaceutical products will continue to expire during the next several years. In addition, increased emphasis by managed care and other third-party payors on utilization of generics and biosimilars has accelerated their growth. We consider the increase in generic and biosimilar usage a favorable trend because generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals have historically provided us with a greater gross profit margin opportunity than brand-name products, although their lower prices reduce revenue growth. Generic pharmaceuticals currently account for approximately 90% of the prescription volume in the U.S.
Use of Drug Therapies. In response to rising healthcare costs, governmental and private payors have adopted cost containment measures that encourage the use of efficient drug therapies to prevent or treat diseases. While national attention has been focused on the overall increase in aggregate healthcare costs, we believe drug therapy has had a beneficial impact on healthcare costs by reducing expensive surgeries and prolonged hospital stays. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”), pharmaceuticals currently account for approximately 9% of overall healthcare costs. Pharmaceutical manufacturers’ continued emphasis on research and development is expected to result in the continuing introduction of cost-effective drug therapies and new uses for existing drug therapies.
Other economic conditions and certain risk factors could adversely affect our business and prospects (see Item 1A. Risk Factors).
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The Company
We serve our customers (healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers) through a geographically diverse network of distribution service centers and other operations in the United States and select global markets. In our pharmaceutical distribution businesses, we are typically the primary supplier of pharmaceutical and related products to our healthcare provider customers. We offer a broad range of services to our customers designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations, which allow them to improve the delivery of healthcare to patients and to lower overall costs in the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Strategy
Our business strategy is focused on the global pharmaceutical supply chain where we provide distribution and value-added services to healthcare providers (primarily pharmacies, health systems, medical and dialysis clinics, physicians, and veterinarians) and pharmaceutical manufacturers to improve channel efficiencies and support positive patient outcomes. Our strategy is one of driving executional excellence in our core distribution solutions business in the U.S. and internationally, while also investing in higher-margin, high-growth adjacencies where we provide solutions to pharmaceutical manufacturers to support the clinical development and commercialization of their therapies and support providers in driving efficiency and effectiveness of their operations. Implementing this disciplined and focused strategy in a seamless and unified way has allowed us to significantly expand our business. We are well positioned to grow revenue and increase operating income through the execution of the following key elements of our business strategy:
•Optimize and Grow U.S. Healthcare Solutions Businesses. We are well positioned in size and market breadth to continue to grow our U.S. Healthcare Solutions businesses as we make investments to improve our operating and capital efficiencies. Our U.S. human health distribution businesses, including specialty pharmaceuticals, anchor our growth and position in the pharmaceutical supply chain as we provide distribution services and deliver value-added solutions that improve the efficiency and competitiveness of both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers, ultimately driving better healthcare for patients.
We are a leader in distribution and services to health systems, community oncologists, and retina specialists and have leading positions in other physician-administered products. We distribute plasma and other blood products, injectable pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other specialty products. We are well positioned to service and support biotechnology therapies and advanced technologies such as cell and gene therapies.
We have introduced strategies to enhance our position in the generic marketplace, including our generic product private label program based in Ireland. We source generics globally, offer a value-added generic formulary program to our healthcare provider customers, and monitor our customers’ compliance with our generics program. We also provide data and other valuable services to our manufacturer customers.
We offer value-added services and solutions to assist healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers to improve their efficiency and their patient outcomes. Services for manufacturers include assistance with new product launches, product data reporting, and logistical support.
Our provider solutions include: our Good Neighbor Pharmacy® program, which enables independent community pharmacies to compete more effectively through pharmaceutical benefit and merchandising programs; Elevate Provider Network®, our managed care network, which connects our retail pharmacy customers to payor plans throughout the country and is one of the largest in the United States; generic product purchasing and private label services; hospital pharmacy consulting designed to improve operational efficiencies; and packaging solutions for institutional and retail healthcare providers. We also offer services that optimize patient access and provide purchasing power to providers.
We believe we have one of the lowest operating cost structures among pharmaceutical distributors. Our robust distribution facility network includes a national distribution center in Columbus, Ohio, which offers pharmaceutical manufacturers a single shipping destination. We continue to seek opportunities to achieve increased productivity and drive operating income gains as we invest in and continue to implement warehouse automation technology, adopt “best practices” in warehousing activities, and increase operating leverage by increasing volume per full-service distribution facility. We continue to seek opportunities to expand our offerings in our human health distribution businesses.
Our animal health business sells pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and various other products to customers in both the companion animal and production animal markets. It also offers its customers a variety of value-added services, including its e-commerce platform, technology management systems, pharmacy fulfillment, inventory management system, equipment procurement consultation, special order fulfillment,
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and educational seminars, which we believe closely integrate the animal health business with its customers’ day-to-day operations and provide them with meaningful incentives to remain customers.
Our consulting service businesses provide reimbursement services that assist pharmaceutical companies in supporting access to branded drugs, contract field staffing, patient assistance and copay assistance programs, adherence programs, and other market access programs to pharmaceutical companies.
•Optimize and Grow Our International Healthcare Solutions Businesses. We are well positioned in size and market breadth to continue to grow our International Healthcare Solutions businesses as we invest to improve our operating and capital efficiencies. The International Healthcare Solutions reportable segment consists of businesses that focus on international pharmaceutical wholesale and related service operations and global commercialization services. The International Healthcare Solutions reportable segment distributes pharmaceuticals and other healthcare products and provides related services to healthcare providers, including pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals primarily in Europe. It is a leading global specialty transportation and logistics provider for the biopharmaceutical industry. It also is a provider of specialized services, including regulatory affairs, market access, pharmacovigilance, development consulting and scientific affairs, and quality management and compliance, for the life sciences industry. The Canada business drives innovative partnerships with manufacturers, providers, and pharmacies to improve product access and efficiency throughout the healthcare supply chain.
•Acquisitions and Investments. In order to grow our core strategic offerings and to enter related markets, we have acquired and invested in businesses and will continue to consider additional acquisitions and investments.
On January 2, 2025, we acquired an 85% interest in Retina Consultants of America (“RCA”) for $4,042.0 million in cash, $694.4 million of contingent consideration related to equity units for certain RCA physicians and members of management that retained the remaining 15% interest in RCA, $545.7 million for the settlement of a net receivable resulting from a pre-existing commercial relationship between us and RCA, and $393.1 million for contingent consideration payable to the sellers associated with RCA’s achievement of certain predetermined business objectives in fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2028. We funded the cash purchase price through a combination of cash on hand and new debt financing. We believe the acquisition of RCA allows us to broaden our relationships with community providers and to build on our leadership in specialty pharmaceuticals within our U.S. Healthcare Solutions reportable segment.
•Divestitures. In order to ensure alignment with our growth priorities, we have divested certain non-core businesses and may, from time to time, consider additional divestitures.
•New Reporting Structure. Recently, we undertook a strategic review of our business to ensure alignment with our growth priorities and strategic drivers. As a result of this review, we have reorganized certain business components within our reporting structure. Beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, our reporting structure will be comprised of U.S. Healthcare Solutions, International Healthcare Solutions, and Other. The U.S. Healthcare Solutions reportable segment will consist of U.S. Human Health (excluding legacy U.S. Consulting Services). The International Healthcare Solutions reportable segment will consist of Alliance Healthcare, Innomar, World Courier, and strategic components of PharmaLex. Other, which is not considered a reportable segment, will consist of businesses for which we have begun to explore strategic alternatives and includes MWI Animal Health, Profarma, U.S. Consulting Services and the other components of PharmaLex.
Operations
Operating Structure
We are organized geographically based upon the products and services we provide to our customers. Our operations are comprised of two reportable segments: U.S. Healthcare Solutions and International Healthcare Solutions.
U.S. Healthcare Solutions Segment
The U.S. Healthcare Solutions reportable segment distributes a comprehensive offering of brand-name, specialty brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to a wide variety of healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. The U.S. Healthcare Solutions reportable segment also provides pharmaceutical distribution (including plasma and other blood products, injectable pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other specialty pharmaceutical products) and additional services to physicians who specialize in a variety of disease states, especially oncology and retina, and to other healthcare providers, including hospitals, retinal practices, and dialysis clinics. The U.S. Healthcare Solutions reportable segment also provides pharmacy management, staffing and additional consulting services, and supply management software to a variety of retail and
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institutional healthcare providers. Additionally, it delivers packaging solutions to institutional and retail healthcare providers. Through its animal health business, the U.S. Healthcare Solutions reportable segment sells pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and various other products to customers in both the companion animal and production animal markets. It also offers demand-creating sales force services to manufacturers.
International Healthcare Solutions Segment
The International Healthcare Solutions reportable segment consists of businesses that focus on international pharmaceutical wholesale and related service operations and global commercialization services. The International Healthcare Solutions reportable segment distributes pharmaceuticals, other healthcare products, and related services to healthcare providers, including pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals primarily in Europe. It is a leading global specialty transportation and logistics provider for the biopharmaceutical industry. It also is a provider of specialized services, including regulatory affairs, market access, pharmacovigilance, development consulting and scientific affairs, and quality management and compliance, for the life sciences industry. In Canada, the business drives innovative partnerships with manufacturers, providers, and pharmacies to improve product access and efficiency throughout the healthcare supply chain.
Sales and Marketing
The majority of U.S. Healthcare Solutions’ sales force is led nationally, with geographic focus and specialized by either healthcare provider type or size. Customer service representatives are centralized to respond to customer needs in a timely and effective manner. U.S. Healthcare Solutions also has support professionals focused on its various technologies and service offerings. U.S. Healthcare Solutions’ sales teams also serve national account customers through close coordination with local distribution centers and ensure that our customers are receiving service offerings that meet their needs. Our International Healthcare Solutions’ businesses each have independent sales forces that specialize in their respective product and service offerings. In addition, we have an enterprise-wide marketing team that coordinates branding and all other marketing activities across the Company.
Customers
We have a diverse customer base that includes institutional and retail healthcare providers as well as pharmaceutical manufacturers. Institutional healthcare providers include acute care hospitals, health systems, mail order pharmacies, long-term care and other alternate care pharmacies, providers of pharmacy services to such facilities, physicians, and physician group practices. Retail healthcare providers include national and regional retail drugstore chains, independent community pharmacies, pharmacy departments of supermarkets and mass merchandisers, and veterinarians. We are typically the primary source of supply for our healthcare provider customers. Our manufacturer customers include branded, generic, and biotechnology manufacturers of prescription pharmaceuticals, as well as over-the-counter product and health and beauty aid manufacturers. In addition, we offer a broad range of value-added solutions designed to enhance the operating efficiencies and competitive positions of our customers, thereby allowing them to improve the delivery of healthcare to patients and consumers.
We continually seek to strengthen our existing customer relationships and seek new customers to enhance our revenues, results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. Our top 10 customers, including governmental agencies and group purchasing organizations (“GPO”), represented approximately 66% of revenue in fiscal 2025. In fiscal 2025, Walgreens and Boots together accounted for approximately 25% of revenue and Evernorth Health Services accounted for approximately 13% of revenue. The loss of any key customer or GPO relationship could adversely affect future revenue and results of operations. Additionally, from time to time, key contracts may be terminated in accordance with their terms or extended, renewed, or replaced prior to their expiration dates. If those contracts are not renewed, or are extended, renewed, or replaced at less favorable terms, they may negatively impact our revenue, results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.
Suppliers
We obtain pharmaceutical and other products from manufacturers, none of which accounted for 10% or more of our purchases in fiscal 2025. The loss of a supplier could adversely affect our business if alternate sources of supply are unavailable since we are committed to be the primary source of pharmaceutical products for a majority of our customers. We believe that our relationships with our suppliers are generally good. The 10 largest suppliers in fiscal 2025 accounted for approximately 57% of our purchases.
Information Systems
The U.S. Healthcare Solutions operating segment’s distribution facilities in the U.S. primarily operate under a single enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system. U.S. Healthcare Solutions’ ERP system provides for, among other things, electronic order entry by customers, invoice preparation and purchasing, and inventory tracking. Our International Healthcare Solutions operating segment operates under various operating systems. We continue to make investments to enhance and
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upgrade the operating systems utilized by our International Healthcare Solutions operating segments, including, but not limited to, Alliance Healthcare. We also continue to invest in cybersecurity capabilities as a key priority to improve and enhance our cyber resiliency.
Additionally, we continue to improve our entity-wide infrastructure environment to drive efficiency, capabilities, and speed to market, and we are seeking to use AI to improve our business operations, financial position, and results of operations.
To comply with pedigree and other supply chain custody requirements, we have made significant investments in our secure supply chain information systems (see Item 1A. Risk Factors - Increasing governmental efforts to regulate the pharmaceutical supply chain may increase our costs and reduce our profitability). We will continue to invest in advanced information systems and automated warehouse technology.
U.S. Healthcare Solutions has made significant investments in its electronic ordering systems. U.S. Healthcare Solutions’ systems are intended to strengthen customer relationships by helping customers to reduce operating costs, and by providing them a platform for various basic and value-added services, including product demand data, inventory replenishment, single-source billing, third-party claims processing, real-time price and incentive updates, and price labels.
U.S. Healthcare Solutions processes a substantial portion of its purchase orders, invoices, and payments electronically, and it continues to make substantial investments to expand its electronic interface with its suppliers. U.S. Healthcare Solutions has warehouse operating systems, which are used to manage the majority of its transactional volume. The warehouse operating systems have improved U.S. Healthcare Solutions’ productivity and operating leverage.
Competition
We operate in a highly competitive global environment in the distribution of pharmaceuticals and related healthcare services. Our largest competitors are McKesson Corporation (“McKesson”), Cardinal Health, Inc. (“Cardinal”), and UPS Logistics, among others. Our U.S. human health distribution businesses compete with both McKesson and Cardinal, as well as national generic distributors and regional distributors within pharmaceutical distribution. In addition, we compete with manufacturers who sell directly to customers, chain drugstores who manage their own warehousing, specialty distributors, and packaging and healthcare technology companies. Alliance Healthcare, MWI Animal Health, World Courier, and our consulting businesses also face competition from a variety of entities. In all areas, competitive factors include price, product offerings, value-added service programs, service and delivery, credit terms, and customer support.
Intellectual Property
We use a number of trademarks and service marks. All of the principal trademarks and service marks used in the course of our business have been registered in the U.S. and, in some cases, in foreign jurisdictions, or are the subject of pending applications for registration.
We have developed or acquired various proprietary products, processes, software, and other intellectual property that are used either to facilitate the conduct of our business or that are made available as products or services to customers. We generally seek to protect such intellectual property through a combination of trade secret, patent and copyright laws, and through confidentiality and other contractually imposed protections.
We hold patents and have patent applications pending that relate to certain of our products, particularly our automated pharmacy dispensing equipment, our medication and supply dispensing equipment, certain warehousing equipment, and some of our proprietary packaging solutions. We seek patent protection for our proprietary intellectual property from time to time as appropriate.
Although we believe that our patents or other proprietary products and processes do not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third parties, third parties may assert infringement claims against us from time to time.
Human Capital Resources
We believe our success in the global marketplace depends on our ability to attract and retain a talented and skilled workforce. We aspire to accelerate business results by fostering a dynamic workplace, with the aim of supporting employees to perform at their full potential, contribute to our success, and pursue opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
Workforce
As of September 30, 2025, we had more than 51,000 employees globally, of which approximately 47,000 were full-time employees and approximately 41% were U.S.-based employees.
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As of September 30, 2025, approximately 24% of our global employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements, nearly all of whom were employees located outside of the U.S.
Investment in Team Members and Culture
We consider talent attraction, retention, and development opportunities to be key drivers in pursuit of our strategic priorities. We support employee growth and advancement by offering a variety of benefits to eligible employees including:
•Leadership and professional development programs and resources;
•Leadership and executive coaching;
•Tuition reimbursement;
•Opportunities to volunteer and participate in mentorship and support programs, such as our employee resource groups, which celebrate the shared backgrounds and experiences of our team members and aim to strengthen our intersecting communities inside and outside of Cencora;
•Recognition opportunities for excellence, such as our True Blue team member recognition program; and
•Personalized learning and skill-building programs offered through our global learning experience platform.
Our goal is to provide our team members with pathways for career development, access to programs and benefits that are designed to promote fuller, healthier lives and opportunities to meaningfully participate in their respective communities. Our talent development programs are designed to help provide a supportive and engaging work environment where team members can excel. Additionally, the Cencora Team Assistance Fund exists to help employees who are experiencing extreme financial hardship due to a catastrophic event outside of their control.
We are focused on helping our team members create healthier futures for themselves and their families, including by offering competitive and comprehensive compensation and benefits packages tailored to the specific needs of our employee populations in the various countries where we have operations.
Recognizing the importance of investing in the health and wellness of our team members, our comprehensive benefits packages attempt to address the physical, emotional, financial, and social dimensions of wellness. Our offerings, which vary in the different geographic locations of our workforce, include (i) health and insurance benefits; (ii) paid time off; (iii) flexible work arrangements based on role; (iv) retirement and employee stock purchase plans; (v) paid parental and caregiver leave programs; and (vi) back-up child and elder care. We believe that these programs are important in supporting our team members’ overall well-being and professional growth.
Importantly, we continue to make meaningful investments in supporting and building our talent and enhancing our culture. We conduct annual, Company-wide surveys to gauge employee satisfaction and identify areas in which we can enhance and improve employee experience. Employee surveys allow employee voices to be heard and are valuable in shaping our Company’s culture.
Team Member Safety
We strive to make our workplaces safe for all team members. In addition to utilizing a peer-to-peer safety program, we regularly convene Company leaders to review and evaluate safety data and issue operational excellence scorecards. Distribution center team members receive training on proper safety procedures and incentive opportunities, with safety performance tracked and shared across the organization.
Government Regulation
We are subject to, and affected by, a variety of laws, regulations, and policies from many countries, including extensive oversight by U.S., United Kingdom (“U.K.”) and European Union (“EU”) governmental entities.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), the U.S. Department of Justice, and various other federal and state authorities regulate the purchase, storage, and/or distribution of pharmaceutical products, including controlled substances. Wholesale distributors of controlled substances must hold valid DEA licenses, meet various security and operating standards, and comply with regulations governing the sale, marketing, packaging, holding, and distribution of controlled substances.
We and our customers are subject to fraud and abuse laws, including the federal anti-kickback statute and the False Claims Act. The anti-kickback statute prohibits persons from soliciting, offering, receiving, or paying any remuneration in order
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to induce the purchasing, leasing, or ordering, or arrange for or recommend purchasing, leasing, or ordering items or services that are in any way paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal healthcare programs. The False Claims Act prohibits knowingly submitting, or causing the submission, of false or fraudulent claims for payment to the government and authorizes treble damages and substantial civil penalties in the case of violations. The fraud and abuse laws and regulations are broad in scope and are subject to frequent and varied interpretation.
In recent years, some states have passed or proposed laws and regulations that are intended to protect the safety of the pharmaceutical supply chain. These laws and regulations are designed to prevent the introduction of counterfeit, diverted, adulterated, or mislabeled pharmaceuticals into the distribution system. At the federal level, the supply chain security legislation known as the Drug Quality and Security Act (“DQSA”) became law in 2013. Title II of the DQSA, known as the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (“DSCSA”), establishes federal traceability standards requiring drugs to be labeled and tracked at the lot level, preempts state drug pedigree requirements, and requires all supply-chain stakeholders to participate in an electronic, interoperable prescription drug traceability system. The DSCSA also establishes requirements for drug wholesale distributors and third-party logistics providers, including licensing requirements applicable in states that had not previously licensed third-party logistics providers. The FDA issued a proposed rule on February 4, 2022, which, when finalized, will establish national standards for the licensure of wholesale drug distributors and third-party logistics providers. The standards, terms, and conditions established for licensure under this regulation would be applicable to both federal and state licenses. There can be no assurance that we are fully compliant with DQSA and DSCSA requirements, or with additional related state regulatory and licensing requirements, and any failure to comply may result in suspension or delay of certain operations and additional costs to bring our operations into compliance. These and other requirements will continue to increase the cost of our operations.
The regulation of public and private health insurance and benefit programs can also affect our business, and scrutiny of the healthcare delivery and reimbursement systems in the U.S., including those related to the importation and reimportation of certain drugs from foreign markets, can be expected to continue at both the state and federal levels. This process may result in additional legislation and/or regulation governing the production, delivery, or pricing of pharmaceutical products and other healthcare services. In addition, changes in the interpretations of existing regulations may result in significant additional compliance costs or the discontinuation of our ability to continue to operate certain of our distribution centers, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Any future reductions in Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement rates could negatively impact our customers’ businesses and their ability to continue to purchase drugs from us. We cannot predict what additional initiatives, if any, will be adopted, when they may be adopted, or what impact they may have on us.
We are subject to various federal, state, and local environmental laws, including with respect to the sale, transportation, storage, handling, and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances, as well as laws relating to safe working conditions and laboratory practices.
The costs, burdens, and/or impacts of complying with federal and state regulations could be significant and the failure to comply with any such legal requirements could have a significant impact on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
See “Risk Factors” for a discussion of additional legal and regulatory developments, as well as potential enforcement actions or other litigation that could arise out of our failure to adequately comply with applicable laws and regulations that may negatively affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
Data Privacy and Security Regulation
Our businesses, depending upon their operations and locations, may be subject to foreign, federal, and local privacy and security laws, regulations, and directives concerning the collection, use, analysis, retention, storage, protection, transfer, disclosure, and/or disposal of personal data including, without limitation, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the final regulations promulgated pursuant to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH Act”) found in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (collectively, “HIPAA”), the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the U.K. GDPR, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act of 2000 (“PIPEDA”), U.S. state, U.S. city, and Canadian provincial privacy, consumer protection, cybersecurity, AI, and breach notification laws, regulations, and directives, and equivalent foreign laws. These laws, regulations and directives impose complex, inconsistent, stringent, and evolving privacy and security standards and potentially significant liability, including criminal and civil penalties for noncompliance. We have a global privacy compliance program to facilitate our ongoing efforts to comply with these laws, regulations, and directives. There is also an emerging trend of governmental entities proposing and providing regulatory guidance related to AI, including generative AI. If we or our third-party providers are restricted from using AI as a result of any regulatory views, laws or other measures, it could impact our operations, increase our compliance expense and burden, and cause us to incur costs to replace or modify our use of AI.
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Available Information
The Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to such reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, are filed with the SEC. Such reports and other information filed or furnished by the Company with the SEC are available free of charge through our website at investor.cencora.com after we electronically file with or furnish them to the SEC and may also be viewed using the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
The Company periodically provides certain information for investors on its corporate website, www.cencora.com, and its investor relations website, investor.cencora.com. This includes press releases and other information about financial performance, information on corporate responsibility matters, and details related to the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders. The information contained on the websites referenced in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is not incorporated by reference into this filing. Further, the Company’s references to website URLs are intended to be inactive textual references only.