Flint Area Specialty Pharmacy Flourishes in the Shadows of Automotive
Privately-Held Life Sciences Company Boasts Triple Digit Growth and a Spot on the Coveted INC. 500

Media Contacts: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, 248.651.7536; cell 586.817.8414; barbara@eafocus.com; Dan Roelofs, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, 616.808.3232; droelofs@diplomatpharmacy.com

Swartz Creek, MI--- January 19, 2010---Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, the nation's largest privately held specialty pharmacy company servicing the needs of patients and physicians nationwide, may be Michigan’s best kept successful business secret – but it's not intentional. The Company has focused on quality and not fanfare in its quest to be the premier provider of specialty pharmacy programs, according to President Phil Hagerman, RPh, who founded Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy fresh out of Ferris State University in 1975 with his father, Dale Hagerman, also a pharmacist. At the same time, Phil Hagerman believes Michigan needs to know about successful companies that are thriving, thanks largely to Michigan ingenuity and home-grown talent.

"2009 was a watershed year for Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy. Our proprietary eNAV™ patient care software was recognized as one of the top ten innovations in specialty pharmacy, we were recognized as the Regional Pharmacy of the Year by the Good Neighbor Pharmacy Network and named to the INC. 500 list of fastest growing private companies in America," notes Hagerman. “Of the 43 companies in the health care category, Diplomat ranked #1 in total revenue. The Company ranked 235 overall, with a three year growth rate of 917% from 2006 to 2009."

Looking ahead in 2010, Hagerman says Diplomat will be over a $500 million revenue company, adding one million covered lives in the first quarter alone through new contracts from prescription benefit managers and managed care organizations. In addition, Diplomat has signed contracts with multiple large retail pharmacies not equipped to handle the specialty pharmacy needs of patients requiring highly specialized and often expensive drugs for cancer, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Multiple Sclerosis and other chronic conditions such as kidney disease.

"We don’t just supply the pharmaceutical component, though" emphasizes Hagerman. "Our 364 employees include nurses and patient advocates who interact with patients to answer questions, offer support, ensure medication compliance and even try to find funding sources for those who can’t afford their prescriptions. That’s another positive from 2009. We conducted a professional survey on patient satisfaction and found that 99% of patients were satisfied with our services, 89% citing they were very satisfied. Equally important, Diplomat's specialty patients average better than 90% adherence to their medications, while the national average is 50-70% for chronic medicines."

Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy has also done its part in hiring and retraining former autoworkers at all levels.

"Many employees who joined us in the past few years were formerly employed in the auto industry," affirms Hagerman. "One of our managers, Tim Dutil, came on board last year as a patient care coordinator. He did a phenomenal job in that capacity and I asked someone to pull his resume because I was curious about his previous position. He was a Senior Planner/Scheduler at Delphi. Tim's resume was so strong we asked him if he would like to interview for a role as an account manager in our managed care department, a role he now holds. I'm extremely impressed with the expertise he brings to Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy. Tim is just one example of how we are achieving success with people right in our neighborhood."

About Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy

Michigan-based Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, founded in 1975, is the nation’s largest privately held Specialty Pharmacy and focuses on complete medication management programs for patients with serious and chronic conditions. Key programs include: Oncology, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn’s, Hemophilia, Growth Hormone and Psoriasis. Other specialty areas include Transplant, Fertility, Dialysis Medication Management, Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy and Specialty Compounding. The company also specializes in disease management programs for chronic kidney disease patients. With locations in Flint, Swartz Creek and Grand Rapids, MI; Cleveland, OH; Chicago, IL; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and Los Angeles. Learn more about Keeping Patients Healthier…Longer™ at www.diplomatpharmacy.com

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