McKesson's Information Solutions unit holds steady in fiscal 3Q

McKesson Corp. posted double-digit revenue gains in its third fiscal quarter, ending Dec. 31, 2003.

Revenues increased 22 percent to $18.2 billion, compared with $14.9 billion in the third quarter of FY03. Net income slipped to $120.2 million, down 10 percent from $134.3 million in the year-ago quarter.

McKesson said its third-quarter results were impacted by a number of factors, including an estimated $25 million pre-tax reduction to Pharmaceutical Solutions operating profit resulting from shifts a number of pharmaceutical price increases anticipated for the third quarter.

Revenues in McKesson's Information Solutions business segment remained flat in the third quarter at $294.3 million, compared with $295.3 million in the year-ago quarter. The segment's operating profit increased 36 percent to $20.6 million, compared with $15.1 million in the third quarter of FY03.

Within Information Solutions, software revenues were down 9 percent to $56.2 million, primarily due to decreases in non-clinical software. Services revenues gained 3 percent to $211.6 million. Hardware revenues declined 3 percent to $26.5 million.

For the nine-month period, Information Solutions revenues rose 4 percent to $856.4 million, compared with $825.2 million in the same period of FY03.

Around the web

RBMA President Peter Moffatt discusses some of the biggest obstacles facing the specialty in the new year. 

Deepak Bhatt, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and principal investigator of the TRANSFORM trial, explains an emerging technique for cardiac screening: combining coronary CT angiography with artificial intelligence for plaque analysis to create an approach similar to mammography.

A total of 16 cardiology practices from 12 states settled with the DOJ to resolve allegations they overbilled Medicare for imaging agents used to diagnose cardiovascular disease.