[November 20, 2014]

United Compounding Network Announces Company Name Change and Executive Leadership Appointments

Today United Compounding Network ("UCN (News - Alert)") announced the Company will operate under the name United Compounding Management ("UCM"), effective immediately. The change reflects the evolving purpose of the organization as a relationship manager between leading compounding pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), health plans and employers.

UCM also continued its commitment to growing the Company's team with the addition of the following executives:

• Chief Operating Officer Cynthia Meiners, a results-oriented healthcare executive with over 25 years healthcare leadership experience in operations, supply chain, account management, quality, information technology and human resources. Cynthia joins UCM from Fresenius Medical Care where she led Strategy and Business Development for the rapidly growing pharmacy division. Prior to that, she held key leadership positions for 12 years at Express Scripts, including General Manger for Operations and Vice President, Pharma & Retail Strategies.
• Chief Growth Officer Rob Noel, a highly-experienced healthcare professional with more than 35 years of experience in the PBM, data analytics, and employee benefits industries, spent the past six years as the Managed Care Practice Lead for Pharmaceutical Strategies Group. While there, he successfully built one of the largest managed care-focused pharmacy benefit consultancies in the United States. Prior to that he held leadership positions, including President and CEO of Acordia Health Industry Services and President and COO of Practice Patterns Science.
• CIO (Interim) Melissa Johnsen, who brings more than 30 years of eperience in executive IT and business management across industries including healthcare, financial services, retail and technology. She was most recently an independent IT and business consultant. Prior to that, Johnsen held positions with CSC (News - Alert), an international IT consultancy, as well as Express Scripts, as a Vice President in the Chief Administrator's Office and President and CEO for Missouri Health Connection, a state designated non-profit.
• Director of Clinical Services Jeffrey Elbl, most recently Senior Director of Clinical Services for one of the largest compounding pharmacy organizations in the U.S., Elbl brings more than a dozen years of experience. He has served in the Medical Science Liaison role for several pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Bayer and Millenium-The Takeda Oncology Company.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome this group of highly talented individuals to the UCM team," stated UCM President, David Ott. "Collectively, they bring a diverse and immediately applicable range of insight and experience to our organization that will help UCM lead the evolution of how the compounding benefit is managed. Our industry deserves a resource that will deliver fair, rational pricing for compounded medications and help ensure patients have access to the treatments they need, and UCM is committed to serving this role."

Since launching in July 2014, UCM has remained dedicated to its focus on quality, ethics and rationalized pricing. The organization is in talks with many of the nation's largest payors (PBMs and Health Plans) that have expressed interest in the UCM solutions. UCM's first partners will be announced soon.

Industry accredited pharmacies are now able to request credentialing applications on www.ucmrx.com. Pharmacies should allow 20 business days for credentialing application review, at which point notification of approval or denial can be expected. Accepted pharmacies will then be subject to an on-site credentialing survey to ensure state, federal and contract compliance, as well as best business practices.

About UCM

UCM is an organization focused on ensuring that patients and physicians can safely access compounded medications in the U.S. UCM offers a limited closed network of leading, accredited compounding pharmacies formed to deliver a solution to the marketplace built on quality and fair pricing. UCM is committed to working with plan sponsors and payers to ensure fair reimbursement. For more information, visit www.ucmrx.com.

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