PRISM Vision Holdings controlling interest
2025
McKesson Corporation
Acquisitions
3
Major Deals Covered
This page covers 3 major deals from 2017 to 2025, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.
| Company | Year | Price | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Undisclosed | — | |
| 2025 | Undisclosed | — | |
| 2017 | Undisclosed | — |
2025
2025
2017
McKesson is concentrating capital on oncology, multispecialty care, and biopharma services, where provider relationships and specialty capabilities can grow faster than traditional wholesale distribution. It is also expanding prescription access and affordability services, completing its exit from Europe, and pursuing a separation of Medical-Surgical Solutions. The objective is a more focused portfolio with better profit growth while preserving the reliability and cash generation of North American pharmaceutical distribution.
McKesson makes money primarily by purchasing and distributing pharmaceuticals and medical products to pharmacies, hospitals, health systems, and other providers. Distribution is a high-volume, thin-margin business, so purchasing terms, logistics efficiency, order accuracy, customer contracts, and working-capital management drive results. The company also earns service revenue through oncology and multispecialty provider platforms, biopharma services, prescription access and affordability tools, third-party logistics, and medical-surgical distribution.
In 2010, McKesson acquired US Oncology for $2.16 billion, securing a dominant footprint in community-based cancer care. The acquisition brought thousands of affiliated oncologists, the iKnowMed oncology electronic health record, and clinical trial networks under McKesson, establishing its high-margin specialty pharmaceutical distribution core.
McKesson acquired health tech platform CoverMyMeds for approximately $1.1 billion (plus contingent earnouts) in 2017 to automate electronic prior authorization (ePA). The software eliminates manual paperwork between doctors, pharmacies, and insurers, accelerating patient medication access and anchoring McKesson's high-margin Prescription Technology Solutions division.
In 2014, McKesson acquired German pharmaceutical wholesale and retail pharmacy giant Celesio AG for $5.4 billion to build a transatlantic distribution platform. However, European retail drug price caps, regulatory fragmentation, and low margins led McKesson to systematically divest all European assets between 2021 and 2024 to refocus on North America.
In 2013, McKesson acquired PSS World Medical for $2.1 billion, merging it with McKesson Medical-Surgical. The deal significantly broadened McKesson's distribution of clinical equipment, lab testing supplies, and consumables to ambulatory surgery centers, physician clinics, and long-term care facilities.
In 1999, McKesson acquired healthcare software provider HBO & Company (HBOC) for $14 billion to form McKessonHBOC. Shortly after closing, a large accounting fraud at HBOC involving prematurely booked software revenue was uncovered, causing McKesson's stock to plunge $9 billion in a single day and leading to the ouster of management and executive criminal convictions.
In 2018, McKesson acquired RxCrossroads from CVS Health for $735 million, adding specialized brand support services, third-party logistics (3PL) for rare disease drugs, patient reimbursement hub support, and nursing adherence services for specialty pharmaceutical manufacturers.
McKesson has actively acquired controlling equity interests and management service organizations for leading independent oncology practices (such as its 2024 partnership acquiring a controlling stake in Community Oncology Revitalization Enterprise / Florida Cancer Specialists' non-clinical assets) to expand The US Oncology Network.
In 2006, McKesson acquired RelayHealth, a leading connectivity platform that routes pharmacy claims, processes prescription co-pay loyalty cards, and facilitates secure doctor-patient communications, serving as a core digital backbone for retail pharmacy EDI transaction routing.
To escape the razor-thin margins of simple drug distribution, McKesson executes massive acquisitions in higher-margin healthcare services. In 2010, they bought US Oncology for $2.1 billion, instantly dominating the incredibly complex, highly lucrative market of cancer drug administration and physician network management. They also acquired Rexall Health in Canada for $2.2 billion to dominate Canadian retail pharmacy.
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