Consider the following quotes:
"What they have done with this particular drug will break the country."
"We expect the impact to be minimal for this year."
These two quotes, the first from Express Scripts' (ESRX) chief medical officer Steven Miller, the second from John Roberts, president of CVS Caremark 's (CVS -0.41%) Pharmacy Services division, are about the same drug: Gilead's (GILD -0.12%) Sovaldi. CVS is clearly confident in its plan to handle the increased hepatitis C spending caused by Sovaldi's excellent cure rate and $84,000 per patient price tag -- Express Scripts is not.
CVS' confidence doesn't just contrast with Express Scripts, either. UnitedHealth Group (UNH 1.33%) , the largest insurer in the United States, also had difficulty handling demand, which was "a multiple" of what management had expected.
CVS appears to have controlled well for the expense, and additional projects like the Minute Clinic concept appear poised to drive further growth at this impressive company.
In the video below, Motley Fool health care analysts Michael Douglass and David Williamson discuss CVS' potentially strong future and how the company continues to embarrass its competitors.
