Item 1. Business
Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise indicates, references to the “Company,” “MedAvail,” “we,” “our,” “us,” or similar terms refer to MedAvail Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Overview
We are a telehealth-enabled pharmacy technology company that has developed and commercialized an innovative self-service pharmacy, mobile application, kiosk, and drive-thru solution. MedAvail's principal technology and product is the MedCenter kiosk, a pharmacist controlled, patient-interactive, prescription dispensing system akin to a “pharmacy in a box” or prescription-dispensing ATM. The MedCenter kiosk facilitates live pharmacist counselling via two-way audio-video communication with the ability to dispense prescription medicines under pharmacist control. MedAvail also operates SpotRx Pharmacy, or SpotRx, a full-service retail pharmacy utilizing the Company’s automated pharmacy technology.
Business Segments
MedAvail’s operations consist of two business segments: Retail Pharmacy Services and Pharmacy Technology.
Retail Pharmacy Services Segment
The Retail Pharmacy Services Segment comprises MedAvail Pharmacy Inc., an Arizona corporation, that is a wholly owned subsidiary of MedAvail, and does business under the trade name “SpotRx Pharmacy” or “SpotRx”. SpotRx pharmacy operations consists of MedCenter kiosk generated sales to patients, including merchandise and pharmaceuticals. SpotRx is a full-service retail pharmacy platform operating in the United States, that is structured as a hub-and-spoke model; where a centralized pharmacy supports and operates a network of MedCenter kiosks. Payors include the patient and third-party payors (e.g., pharmacy benefit managers, insurance companies and governmental agencies). The SpotRx Pharmacy segment focuses on the Medicare (65+ year old) market and the medical clinics where Medicare recipients receive care. The Company typically pays rent to the health care site operator where the MedCenter kiosk is located. As of December 31, 2020, SpotRx had 57 MedCenter kiosks deployed and was operating in six central pharmacies, three in California, two in Arizona, and one Michigan.
Pharmacy Technology Segment
The Pharmacy Technology Segment comprises MedAvail Technologies (US) Inc., a Delaware corporation, our wholly owned subsidiary of MedAvail, and referred to as “MedAvail Technologies”. MedAvail Technologies sells the MedPlatform System to customers that includes the MedCenter prescription dispensing kiosk, software, integration services, and maintenance services. The customer provides and conducts all pharmacy staff and operations, including procuring and packaging all medications for stocking in the MedCenter kiosks. The MedPlatform agreement consideration includes either an initial lump sum payment upon MedCenter kiosk integration and installation, with monthly payments thereafter, for software and maintenance services; or a combined monthly payment that includes the MedCenter kiosk, integration services, software, and maintenance services.
The major steps of our deployment process include integration with the customer’s pharmacy software, including educating and training customer pharmacy staff, and MedCenter kiosk site planning and installation. The deployment process typically runs three to four months.
Core Strengths
Published studies have shown that medical clinics and other health care sites with an embedded pharmacy have higher patient medication adherence, with resulting improved health outcomes (Wright & Gorman 2016). However, deploying a traditional retail pharmacy in a medical clinic is costly. Most medical clinics cannot support the cost of establishing and running a physical pharmacy.
MedAvail’s proprietary hardware and software technology has the following unique strengths:
•The SpotRx Pharmacy provides an embedded pharmacy with no capital investment or operational costs to the health care site location operator;
•The MedPlatform systems reduce customer pharmacy capital costs and operating cost through telehealth technology, automation, and sharing centralized resources;
•The MedCenter kiosk and support software are a proprietary real time telehealth platform, delivering remote pharmacy team, dispensing medications, answering patient questions, and supporting administrative functions;
•The SpotRx and MedPlatform software support systems share data with the healthcare practitioners to support patient adherence to improve patient health outcomes; and
•The SpotRx centralized pharmacy team supports medication adherence by combining regular refill reminders via text, phone or email, and convenient MedCenter kiosk dispensing, or free home courier delivery.
Growth Opportunities
The SpotRx Retail Pharmacy Services segment primarily targets medical clinics that write at least 10,000 Medicare prescription claims per year. Based on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, data, there are approximately 260 clinics in Arizona and approximately 1,200 clinics in California that would qualify as potential sites. Currently SpotRx Pharmacy expansion is focused on six key states: Arizona, California, Michigan; and future expansion into Illinois, Florida and Texas. The total medication spending for Medicare patients in these states was $40 billion according to a 2018 CMS study. Total Medicare Part D spending in the United States in this same period was $100 billion. When we enter a state, we focus on large health care provider chains that mainly support a Medicare population and then seek growth within those chains.
The Pharmacy Technology segment primarily targets customers that stand to benefit from the use of our MedCenter technology to better serve their customer base. There is a wide range of customer types and business benefits that our technology addresses. Pharmacy Technology customer types include large healthcare systems, mass merchandise retailers, hospital systems, etc. Our customers report that our technology creates value for them, including lower operating costs, and a better consumer experience for their customers. We focus on an enterprise sales approach that demonstrates to potential customers the expected benefits of lower operating costs, better customer service, and improved medication adherence.
The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the SpotRx Pharmacy and MedPlatform benefits. As a result, health systems such as Texas Health Resources began to deploy our MedPlatform technology to increase their pharmacy footprint, with an initial focus on their emergency departments. Additionally, certain states changed their regulations to allow our technology (e.g. Florida and Washington implemented new laws effective July 1, 2020), while Texas has enacted temporary laws to allow MedCenter kiosk deployments, with the creation of new permanent laws expected in 2021.
Sales and Marketing
Both business segments are supported by one sales and business development team that currently consists of MedAvail’s Chief Commercial Officer, and Vice Presidents of Business Development in Arizona, California, and Florida. This team is responsible for identifying and engaging large Medicare focused primary care and specialty clinic chains, as well as independent physician groups in our focus markets. For customers that want us to operate pharmacy operations for them, we contract to provide full retail pharmacy services through SpotRx. If the customer desires to purchase our MedCenter kiosk and lease the associated proprietary software, the customer will contract with us through our Pharmacy Technology segment.
Research and Development
MedAvail’s research and development process begins with customer and health care provider collaboration to develop solutions for unmet customer and industry needs. MedAvail has a team of software architects and hardware engineers that design and prototype our MedCenter kiosk hardware and software technology.
Manufacturing and Inventory
The MedCenter kiosk equipment produced is available in the M4 or M5 models. The M4 MedCenter kiosk is a compact design utilized for the SpotRx Pharmacy operations and available to MedPlatform customers. The M5 MedCenter kiosk is a modular and scalable design available to MedPlatform customers.
The MedCenter kiosk hardware is produced through an agreement with a contract manufacturer that specializes in complex electronic kiosk manufacturing. Through January 2020, the Company contracted with an electronics manufacturer in South Carolina. In August 2020, MedAvail signed a manufacturing and supply agreement with a new contract manufacturer, Kitron Technologies, or Kitron. Under this agreement, Kitron will manufacture our MedCenter kiosks for an initial term of three years, with finished kiosk deliveries beginning in the second quarter of 2021. MedCenter kiosks will be shipped directly from Kitron to installation locations.
Due to the contract manufacturer change in 2020, MedCenter kiosk inventory as of December 31, 2020 consisted of 21 MedCenters available for sale. Therefore, our ability to complete MedCenter kiosk installations is limited until new equipment is produced and available for installation beginning in the second quarter of 2021.
Intellectual Property
We own or license rights to certain know-how, proprietary information and technology, copyrights, patents, and other intellectual property upon which our business depends. To protect our intellectual property rights, we rely on trade secret laws, patents, copyrights, trademarks and confidentiality agreements and contracts with employees, consultants and other parties.
Currently MedAvail has the following patents and trademarks issued and pending:
1.12 US patents, 4 Canadian patents, 1 European patent;
2.9 US trademarks, 7 US trademarks pending;
3.4 Canadian trademarks, 1 Canadian trademark pending; and
4.4 European registered trademarks.
Competition
MedAvail operates in the increasingly complex and challenging medical technology marketplace. Technological advances and scientific discoveries have accelerated the pace of change in medical technology, and the regulatory environment of medical products is becoming more complex and vigorous. We compete directly with several companies in the medication management automations solutions market, as well as the medication adherence solutions market, based on many factors, including price, quality, customer outcome and cost of operation, innovation, product features and capabilities, installation and service, reputation and brand recognition, size of installed base, range of solutions, distribution, and promotion. To remain competitive in the industries in which we operate, MedAvail continues to make investments in research and development, quality management, quality improvement, product innovation and productivity improvement in support of our operating segments.
Government Regulation
SpotRx Pharmacy is a prescription drug dispensing solution that is regulated on a state-by-state basis by the respective board of pharmacy, and each state has its own distinct rules. These rules typically govern the marketing and deployment of the SpotRx Pharmacy and its services, and not the technology itself. The boards of pharmacy view the MedCenter kiosk as an extension of the physical pharmacy, with the MedCenter being a remote dispensing device for a licensed physical pharmacy within the applicable state. The Board of Pharmacy for many states will perform a physical site visit to see the MedCenter kiosk prior to licensing, perform an inspection of the physical pharmacy, and review the policies and procedures associated with the MedCenter kiosk. This process is consistent whether the MedCenter kiosk is being operated by SpotRx or customer.
When analyzing the United States market, MedAvail views states as:
1.Open to deploy;
2.2021 rule making in-process to be open to deploy;
3.Favorable waiver rules in place to allow deployment; and
4.Restrictive or unfavorable rules.
Federally, MedAvail is regulated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, or the DEA, with respect to controlled substances that are dispensed through our MedCenters kiosks and SpotRx Pharmacies services. At this time, we cannot dispense any controlled substances through the MedCenter. SpotRx patients requiring controlled substances have these medicines delivered to them through our home delivery service, which is executed by the SpotRx central pharmacy for the applicable area.
State Licensing Requirements
Certain states have enacted laws regulating companies that offer and market discount medical plans, including prescription drug plans, subscription membership programs or discount cards. These state laws are intended to protect consumers from fraudulent, unfair or deceptive marketing, sales and enrollment practices by such plans. It is possible that other states may enact new requirements or interpret existing requirements to include our programs. Failure to obtain the required licenses, certifications or registrations to offer and market these subscription discount programs may result in civil penalties, receipt of cease and desist orders, or a restructuring of our operations.
Professional Licensure
Pharmacists, nurses and certain other healthcare professionals employed by MedAvail are required to be individually licensed or certified under applicable state law. MedAvail performs criminal, government exclusion and other background checks on employees. Additionally, the Company takes steps to ensure that our employees possess all necessary licenses and certifications, and our employees comply with applicable licensure laws.
State Corporate Practice of Medicine and Fee Splitting Laws
The corporate practice of medicine doctrine and fee splitting laws, which are enforced by most states, are intended to prevent unlicensed persons from interfering with or influencing the physician’s or other medical professional’s professional judgment, and prohibiting the sharing of professional services income with non-professional or business interests. These laws vary from state to state and are subject to broad interpretation and enforcement by state regulators. A determination of non-compliance could lead to adverse judicial or administrative action against us, civil or criminal penalties, receipt of cease and desist orders from state regulators, loss of professional licenses, or a restructuring of our business arrangements.
Pharmacy Licensing and Registration
State laws require that each of our pharmacy locations be appropriately licensed and/or registered to dispense pharmaceuticals in that state. MedAvail is licensed in all states that require such licensure and complies with all state licensing laws applicable to its business.
Laws enforced by the DEA, as well as some similar state agencies, require our pharmacy locations to individually register to handle controlled substances, including prescription pharmaceuticals. A separate registration is required at each principal place of business where MedAvail dispenses controlled substances. Federal and state laws also require that MedAvail follows specific labeling, reporting and record-keeping requirements for controlled substances. MedAvail maintains DEA registrations for each of our facilities that require such registration and follow procedures intended to comply with all applicable federal and state requirements regarding controlled substances.
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act
Certain provisions of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act govern the handling and distribution of pharmaceutical products. This law exempts many pharmaceuticals and medical devices from federal labeling and packaging requirements, if they are not adulterated or misbranded and are dispensed in accordance with and pursuant to a valid prescription. MedAvail complies with all applicable requirements.
Fraud and Abuse Laws — Anti-Kickback Statute
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits individuals and entities from knowingly and willfully paying, offering, receiving, or soliciting money or anything else of value in order to induce the referral of patients or to induce a person to purchase, lease, order, arrange for, or recommend services or goods covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal healthcare programs. The federal courts have held that an arrangement violates the Anti-Kickback Statute if any one purpose of the remuneration is to induce the referral of patients covered by the Medicare or Medicaid programs, even if another purpose of the payment is to compensate an individual for rendered services. The Anti-Kickback Statute is broad and potentially covers many standard business arrangements. Violations can lead to significant penalties, including criminal fines of up to $25,000 per violation and/or five years imprisonment, civil monetary penalties of up to $50,000 per violation plus treble damages and/or exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs. Certain types of payments are excluded from the statutory prohibition. Additionally, in an effort to clarify the conduct prohibited by the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Office of the Inspector General of HHS, or the OIG, publishes regulations that identify a limited number of safe harbors. Business arrangements that satisfy all of the elements of a safe harbor are immune from criminal enforcement or civil administrative actions. The Anti-Kickback Statute is an intent-based statute and the failure of a business relationship to satisfy all of the elements of a safe harbor does not, in and of itself, mean that the business relationship violates the Anti-Kickback Statute. The OIG, in its commentary to the safe harbor regulations, has recognized that many business arrangements that do not satisfy a safe harbor nonetheless operate without the type of abuses the Anti-Kickback Statute is designed to prevent. MedAvail attempts to structure our business relationships to satisfy an applicable safe harbor. However, in those situations where a business relationship does not fully satisfy the elements of a safe harbor, MedAvail attempts to satisfy as many elements of an applicable safe harbor as possible. The OIG is authorized to issue advisory opinions regarding the interpretation and applicability of the Anti-Kickback Statute, including whether an activity constitutes grounds for the imposition of civil or criminal sanctions.
Several states have statutes and regulations that prohibit the same general types of conduct as those prohibited by the Anti-Kickback Statute described above. Some state anti-fraud and anti-kickback laws apply only to goods and services covered by Medicaid. Other state anti-fraud and anti-kickback laws apply to all healthcare goods and services, regardless of whether the source of payment is governmental or private. Where applicable, MedAvail structures our business relationships to comply with these statutes and regulations.
Fraud and Abuse Laws — False Claims Act
MedAvail is subject to state and federal laws that govern the submission of claims for reimbursement. These laws generally prohibit an individual or entity from knowingly and willfully presenting a claim or causing a claim to be presented for payment from a federal healthcare program that is false or fraudulent. The standard for “knowing and willful” may include conduct that amounts to a reckless disregard for the accuracy of information presented to payers. Penalties under these statutes include substantial civil and criminal fines, exclusion from the Medicare or Medicaid programs and imprisonment. One of the most prominent of these laws is the federal False Claims Act, which may be enforced by the federal government directly or by a private plaintiff by filing a qui tam lawsuit on the government’s behalf. Under the False Claims Act, the government and private plaintiffs, if any, may recover monetary penalties in the amount of $11,665 to $23,331 per false claim, as well as an amount equal to three times the amount of damages sustained by the government as a result of the false claim. Several states, including states in which MedAvail operates, have adopted their own false claims statutes as well as statutes that allow individuals to bring qui tam actions. In recent years, federal and state government authorities have launched several initiatives aimed at uncovering practices that violate false claims or fraudulent billing laws, and they have conducted numerous investigations of pharmaceutical manufacturers, or pharmacy benefit managers “PBMs”, pharmacies and healthcare providers with respect to false claims, fraudulent billing and related matters. MedAvail has procedures in place to ensure the accuracy of our claims.
Ethics in Patient Referrals Law — Stark Law
The federal Physician Self-Referral Prohibition, commonly known as the Stark Law, generally prohibits a physician from ordering Designated Health Services for Medicare and Medicaid patients from an entity with which the physician or an immediate family member has a financial relationship and prohibits the entity from presenting or causing to be presented claims to Medicare or Medicaid for those referred services, unless an exception applies. A financial relationship is generally defined as an ownership, investment, or compensation relationship. Designated Health Services include, but are not limited to, outpatient pharmaceuticals, parenteral and enteral nutrition products, home health services, durable medical equipment, physical and occupational therapy services, and inpatient and outpatient hospital services. Among other sanctions, a civil monetary penalty of over $25,000 may be imposed for each bill or claim for a service a person knows or should know is for a service for which payment may not be made due to the Stark Law. Such persons or entities are also subject to exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Any person or entity participating in a circumvention scheme to avoid the referral prohibitions is liable for a civil monetary penalty of over $100,000. A fine of over $20,000 may be imposed for failure to comply with reporting requirements regarding an entity’s ownership, investment and compensation arrangements for each day for which reporting is required to have been made under the Stark Law.
The Stark Law is a broad prohibition on certain business relationships, with detailed exceptions. However, unlike the Anti-Kickback Statute under which an activity may fall outside a safe harbor and still be lawful, a referral for Designated Health Services that does not fall within an exception is strictly prohibited by the Stark Law. MedAvail structures all our relationships with physicians who make referrals to us in compliance with an applicable exception to the Stark Law.
In addition to the Stark Law, many of the states in which MedAvail operates has comparable restrictions on the ability of physicians to refer patients for certain services to entities with which they have a financial relationship. Certain of these state statutes mirror the Stark Law while others may be more restrictive. MedAvail structures all of our business relationships with physicians to comply with any applicable state self-referral laws.
HIPAA and Other Privacy and Confidentiality Legislation
MedAvail’s activities involve the receipt, use and disclosure of confidential health information, including disclosure of the confidential information to a patient’s health benefit plan, as permitted in accordance with applicable federal and state privacy laws. In addition, MedAvail uses and discloses de-identified data for analytical and other purposes. Many state laws restrict the use and disclosure of confidential medical information, and similar new legislative and regulatory initiatives are underway at the state and federal levels.
HIPAA imposes extensive requirements on the way in which healthcare providers that engage in certain actions covered by HIPAA, as well as healthcare clearinghouses (each known as “covered entities”) and the persons or entities that create, receive, maintain, or transmit protected health information, or PHI, on behalf of covered entities (known as “business associates”) and their subcontractors, use, disclose and safeguard PHI, including requirements to protect the integrity, availability and confidentiality of electronic PHI. Many of these obligations were expanded under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, passed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In January 2013, the Office for Civil Rights of HHS issued a final rule under HITECH that makes significant changes to the privacy, security, breach notification and enforcement regulations promulgated under HIPAA, or the Final Omnibus Rule, and which generally took effect in September 2013. The Final Omnibus Rule enhances individual privacy protections, provides individuals new rights to their health information and strengthens the government’s ability to enforce HIPAA.
The privacy regulations, or the Privacy Rule, issued by the Office of Civil Rights of HHS pursuant to HIPAA, give individuals the right to know how their PHI is used and disclosed, as well as the right to access, amend and obtain information concerning certain disclosures of PHI. Covered entities, such as pharmacies and health plans, are required to provide a written Notice of Privacy Practices to individuals that describes how the entity uses and discloses PHI, and how individuals may exercise their rights with respect to their PHI. For most uses and disclosures of PHI other than for treatment, payment, healthcare operations and certain public policy purposes, HIPAA generally requires that covered entities obtain a valid written individual authorization. In most cases, use or disclosure of PHI must be limited to the minimum necessary to achieve the purpose of the use or disclosure. The Final Omnibus Rule modifies the content of Notice of Privacy Practices in significant ways, requiring, among other things, statements informing individuals of their rights to receive notifications of any breaches of unsecured PHI and to restrict disclosures of PHI to a health plan where the individual pays out of pocket.
MedAvail is a covered entity under HIPAA in connection with our operation of specialty service pharmacies. To the extent that MedAvail provides services other than as a covered entity and it performs a function or activity, or provide a service to, a covered entity that involves PHI, the covered entity may be required to enter into a business associate agreement with us. Business associate agreements mandated by the Privacy Rule create a contractual obligation for us, as a business associate, to perform our duties for the applicable covered entity in compliance with the Privacy Rule. In addition, HITECH subjects us to certain aspects of the Privacy Rule and the HIPAA security regulations when MedAvail acts as a business associate, including imposing direct liability on business associates for impermissible uses and disclosures of PHI and the failure to disclose PHI to the covered entity, the individual, or the individual’s designee (as specified in the business associate agreement), as necessary to satisfy a covered entity’s obligations with respect to an individual’s request for an electronic copy of PHI. The
Final Omnibus Rule also extends the business associate provisions of HIPAA to subcontractors where the function, activity, or service delegated by the business associate to the subcontractor involves the creation, receipt, maintenance, or transmission of PHI. As such, business associates are required to enter into business associate agreements with subcontractors for services involving access to PHI and may be subject to civil monetary penalties for the acts and omissions of their subcontractors.
Importantly, the Final Omnibus Rule greatly expands the types of product- and service-related communications to patients or enrollees that will require individual authorizations by requiring individual authorization for all treatment and healthcare operations communications where the covered entity receives payment in exchange for the communication from or on behalf of a third-party whose product or service is being described. While the Office of Civil Rights of HHS has established limited exceptions to this rule where individual authorization is not required, the marketing provisions finalized in the Final Omnibus Rule could potentially have an adverse impact on our business and revenues.
If MedAvail fails to comply with HIPAA or its policies and procedures are not sufficient to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of PHI, it could be subject to liability, fines and lawsuits under federal and state privacy laws, consumer protection statutes and other laws. Criminal penalties and civil sanctions may be imposed for failing to comply with HIPAA standards either as a covered entity or business associate, and these penalties and sanctions have significantly increased under HITECH. In addition to imposing potential monetary penalties, HITECH also requires the Office of Civil Rights of HHS to conduct periodic compliance audits and empowers state attorneys general to bring actions in federal court for violations of HIPAA on behalf of state residents harmed by such violations. Several such actions have already been brought, and continued enforcement actions are likely to occur in the future.
The transactions and code sets regulation promulgated under HIPAA requires that all covered entities that engage in certain electronic transactions, directly or through a third-party agent, use standardized formats and code sets. MedAvail, in our role as a business associate of a covered entity, must conduct such transactions in accordance with such transaction rule and related regulations that require the use of operating rules in connection with HIPAA transactions. In MedAvail’s role as a specialty pharmacy operator, it must also conduct such transactions in accordance with such regulations or engage a clearinghouse to process our covered transactions. HHS promulgated a National Provider Identifiers, or NPI, Final Rule that requires covered entities to utilize NPIs in all standard transactions. NPIs replaced National Association of Boards of Pharmacy numbers for pharmacies, DEA numbers for physicians and similar identifiers for other healthcare providers for purposes of identifying providers in connection with HIPAA standard transactions. Covered entities may be excluded from federal healthcare programs for violating these regulations.
The security regulations issued pursuant to HIPAA mandate the use of administrative, physical and technical safeguards to protect the confidentiality of electronic PHI. Such security rules apply to covered entities and business associates.
MedAvail must also comply with the “breach notification” regulations, which implement provisions of HITECH. In the case of a breach of “unsecured PHI,” covered entities must promptly notify affected individuals and the HHS Secretary, as well as the media in cases where a breach affects more than 500 individuals. Breaches affecting fewer than 500 individuals must be reported to the HHS Secretary on an annual basis. The regulations also require business associates of covered entities to notify the covered entity of such breaches by the business associate.
Final regulations governing the accounting of disclosures implementing provision in HITECH are forthcoming, but have been subject to significant delay. The initial proposed rule, if finalized, would require covered entities to develop systems to monitor and record: (1) which of their employees and business associates access an individual’s electronic PHI contained in a designated record set; (2) the time and date access occurs; and (3) the action taken during the access session (e.g., modification, deletion, viewing). The final regulations could impose significant burdens on covered entities and business associates.
The ACA (as defined in “Health Reform Legislation” below) require the HHS Secretary to develop new health information technology standards that could require changes to our existing software products. For example, the statute requires the establishment of interoperable standards and protocols to facilitate electronic enrollment of individuals in federal and state health and human services programs and provides the government with authority to require incorporation of these standards and protocols in health information technology investments as a condition of receiving federal funds for such investments.
HIPAA generally preempts state laws, except when state laws are more protective of PHI or are more restrictive than HIPAA requirements. Therefore, to the extent states continue to enact more protective or restrictive legislation, MedAvail could be required to make significant changes to our business operations. In addition, independent of any statutory or regulatory restrictions, individual health plan clients could increase limitations on our use of medical information, which could prevent us from offering certain services.
Medicare Part D
The Medicare Part D program, which makes prescription drug coverage available to eligible Medicare beneficiaries, regulates various aspects of the provision of Medicare drug coverage, including enrollment, formularies, pharmacy networks, marketing and claims processing. The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, imposed restrictions and consent requirements for automatic prescription delivery programs, and further limited the circumstances under which Medicare Part D plans may recoup payments to pharmacies for claims that are subsequently determined not payable under Medicare Part D. CMS sanctions for non-compliance may include suspension of enrollment and even termination from the program.
The Medicare Part D program has undergone significant legislative and regulatory changes since its inception. Medicare Part D continues to attract a high degree of legislative and regulatory scrutiny, and applicable government rules and regulations continue to evolve. For example, CMS may issue regulations that limit the ability of Medicare Part D plans to establish preferred pharmacy networks.
Health Reform Legislation
Congress passed major health reform legislation, including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or the ACA, which enacted a number of significant healthcare reforms. Since its enactment, there have been executive, judicial and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA. For example, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (Tax Act) was enacted, which, among other things, removed penalties for not complying with ACA’s individual mandate to carry health insurance, effective January 1, 2019. On December 18, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld the District Court ruling that the individual mandate was unconstitutional and remanded the case back to the District Court to determine whether the remaining provisions of the ACA are invalid. The United States Supreme Court is currently reviewing this case, but it is unknown when a decision will be reached. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the constitutionality of the ACA, on January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order to initiate a special enrollment period to help people obtain health insurance coverage through the ACA marketplace. This executive order also instructs certain governmental agencies to review and reconsider their existing policies and rules that limit access to healthcare. We are continuing to monitor any changes to the ACA that, in turn, may potentially impact our business in the future. It is unclear how the Supreme Court ruling, other such litigation, and the healthcare reform measures of the Biden administration will impact the ACA and our business. Complying with any new legislation or reversing changes implemented under the ACA could be time-intensive and expensive, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business.
Managed Care Reform
In addition to health reforms enacted by the ACA, legislation has been considered, proposed and/or enacted at the state level, aimed at providing additional rights and access to drugs to individuals enrolled in managed care plans. This legislation may impact the design and implementation of prescription drug benefit plans sponsored by our PBM health plan clients and/or the services MedAvail provides to them. Both the scope of the managed care reform proposals considered by state legislatures and reforms enacted by states to date vary greatly, and the scope of future legislation that may be enacted is uncertain.
21st Century Cures Act
The 21st Century Cures Act, or the Cures Act, enacted in December 2016, among other things implemented Average Sales Price pricing for Part B DME infusion drugs in January 2017 and delayed payment for the home infusion services necessary to administer these drugs until January 2021. Given its current understanding of the Cures Act, MedAvail does not believe that it will have a significant impact on its business.
Consumer Protection Laws
The federal and state governments have many consumer protection laws that may apply to our business operations. These laws have been the basis for investigations, lawsuits and multi-state settlements relating to, among other matters, the marketing of loyalty programs and health care services, pricing accuracy, expired front store products, financial incentives provided by drug manufacturers to pharmacies in connection with therapeutic interchange programs and disclosures related to how personal data is used and protected.
Environmental and Safety Regulation
Our business is subject to various federal, state and local laws, regulations and other requirements pertaining to protection of the environment, public health and employee safety, including, for example, regulations governing the management of hazardous substances, the cleaning up of contaminated sites, and the maintenance of safe working conditions in our stores, distribution centers and other facilities. Governmental agencies on the federal, state and local levels have, in recent years, increasingly focused on the retail and health care sectors’ compliance with such laws and regulations, and have at times pursued enforcement activities. Any failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines or other sanctions by government authorities.
Human Capital
Our human capital resources objectives include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and new employees, advisors and consultants into our company. The principal purposes of our cash and equity incentive plans are to attract, retain
and reward personnel through the granting of cash-based and stock-based compensation awards, in order to increase stockholder value and the success of our company by motivating such individuals to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our short- and long-term business goals.
Diversity, Inclusion & Equal Opportunity
We are committed to providing a work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment. We are an equal-opportunity employer. We make employment decisions on the basis of a person’s qualifications, and our business needs. We have ongoing outreach efforts to recruit a diverse candidate pool and are building questions into our engagement survey to promote a diverse and inclusive environment.
As new employees join us, they learn more about our policies and culture through orientation and onboarding, our Employee Handbook, Code of Conduct, and compliance trainings. These all provide guidance on how we expect to operate in order to foster diversity, equity and inclusion across our company.
Health, Safety, and Wellness
We are committed to maintaining a healthy, safe, and secure work environment that protects our employees and visitors. Most of our employees are working from home and personal protective equipment has been provided to all employees coming into the office. Where feasible, physical distancing has been implemented. We use a multi-faceted approach to ensure the health and safety of our employees, from our Code of Conduct to our policies governing the way we act within and outside of our Company. We comply with applicable health, safety, and environmental laws as well as related company policies and procedures. We have a zero-tolerance policy against aggressive behavior, violence, direct and indirect threats, harassment, intimidation, and possession of weapons on company property. Moreover, we strive to conduct our everyday business activities in an environmentally sustainable way through wellness programs, and webinars through our health insurance providers.
Commitment to Competitive and Fair Compensation
We believe that employees should be compensated fairly for their contributions to the company. We practice paying competitive salaries and hourly wages. In order to ensure we pay our employees competitively, annual benchmarking is completed on all positions throughout the company. We use external benchmarking surveys to guide our assessment of salary competitiveness. Each position is evaluated based on level of the role, the complexity of the position, and years of experience required. The Compensation Committee is responsible for our executive compensation programs for our executive officers and reports to our board of directors on its discussions, decisions and other actions.
Workforce Development
The growth and success of our employees is a top priority. We are investing heavily to build in-house tools and resources to support managers and employees on the road to success and ongoing growth.
Employees
As of December 31, 2020, we had 224 full-time employees worldwide. We believe that the success of our business will depend, in part, on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or are a party to a collective bargaining agreement.
Corporate and other Information
We were originally incorporated as MYOS Corporation in the State of Nevada in April 2007. In March 2016, we completed a merger with our wholly-owned subsidiary, MYOS RENS Technology Inc., and formally assumed the subsidiary’s name by filing Articles of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada. The subsidiary was incorporated solely for the purpose of effecting the name change and the merger did not affect our governing documents or corporate structure in any other way. Following our acquisition of MedAvail, Inc. in November 2020, we reincorporated as a Delaware corporation and changed our name to MedAvail Holdings, Inc. In accordance with “reverse merger” accounting treatment, our historical financial statements as of period ends, and for periods ended, prior to our acquisition of MedAvail, Inc. were replaced with the historical financial statements of MedAvail, Inc. in our SEC filings made after the acquisition.
Our principal executive offices are located at 6665 Millcreek Dr. Unit 1, Mississauga ON L5N 5M4 Canada, and our telephone number is (877) 830-0826. Our website address is www.medavail.com. Investors and others should note that we announce material financial information to our investors using SEC filings, press releases, our investor relations website, public conference calls and webcasts. We use these channels to communicate with investors, customers and the public about our Company, our products and other issues. The information on, or that may be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K and should not be considered a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
We have identified the following risks and uncertainties that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects. Our business could be harmed by any of these risks. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. The occurrence of any of the following risks or additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects. The trading price of our common stock could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. In assessing these risks, you should also refer to the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes. Please also see “Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risk Factors Summary
Below is a summary of some of the more significant risks and uncertainties we face. This summary is not exhaustive and is qualified by reference to the full set of risk factors set forth in this Part I, Item A. The principal factors and uncertainties that make investing in our company risky include, among others:
•Our pharmacy business is dependent upon access to payer networks. If we are not able to maintain adequate levels of third-party coverage and reimbursement for our pharmacy drug sales, if third parties rescind or modify their coverage, or if patients are left with significant out-of-pocket costs, it would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
•We rely on a limited number of prescription drug wholesalers to supply our pharmacies. The loss of any of these relationships and/or fluctuations in pharmaceutical prices could disrupt our business and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
•The retail pharmacy market is highly competitive. If our competitors are able to develop new products and services that gain greater acceptance in the market place than any products and services we develop, our commercial opportunities will be reduced. If our competitors are better able to respond to changes in market dynamics, our business position, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
•Our technology business is dependent upon clinics adopting our MedCenters, and if we fail to obtain broad adoption, our business would be adversely affected.
•We rely on Kitron Technologies, or Kitron, to manufacture our MedCenters, which makes us vulnerable to supply shortages and price fluctuations that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
•We have a history of net losses, which we expect to continue, and we may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability in the future.
•The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to reduce its spread have impacted, and may in the future periods negatively impact, our business and operations.
•We may become a party to intellectual property litigation or administrative proceedings that could be costly and could interfere with our ability to sell and market our products.
•Changes in the regulatory environment may constrain or require us to restructure our operations, which may harm our revenue and operating results.
Risks Related to the Company’s Business and Operations
The Company is an early-stage company with a history of net losses, and expects to incur operating losses in the future and may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability. The Company has a limited history operating as a commercial company.
The Company has incurred net losses since its inception in 2012. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, it had a net loss of $26.8 million, and $21.5 million, respectively, and the Company expects to continue to incur additional losses in the future. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $148.3 million. To date, the Company has financed its operations primarily through equity and debt financings and from deployments of its MedCenter kiosk solution and the operation of its full-service retail pharmacy platform. The losses and accumulated deficit have primarily been due to the substantial investments that the Company has made to develop its products, as well as for costs related to general research and development, including clinical and regulatory initiatives to obtain marketing approval, sales and marketing efforts and infrastructure improvements.
The Company began commercializing its products in the United States in 2016 and therefore does not have a long history operating as a commercial company. Over the next several years, the Company expects to continue to devote a substantial amount of its resources to, among
other matters, expand commercialization efforts and increase adoption for its products and develop additional products. In addition, as a public company, the Company will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that it did not incur as a private company. Accordingly, the Company expects to continue to incur operating losses for the foreseeable future and it cannot assure you that we will achieve profitability in the future or that, if the Company becomes profitable, that it will sustain profitability. The Company’s failure to achieve and sustain profitability in the future will make it more difficult to finance its business and accomplish its strategic objectives, which would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations and cause the market price of its common stock to decline. In addition, failure of the Company’s products to significantly penetrate the target markets would negatively affect its business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company’s core technology the MedCenter has been in market since 2015 at limited volume. Over the past two years the Company opened its own retail pharmacy, SpotRx Pharmacy, which focuses on the Medicare Provider market. This new focus which comprise a substantial portion of its current revenue, and thus the model has a limited operating history; this makes it difficult to predict its future operating results.
The Company began shipping its first products in 2015. Given the constantly evolving market for retail pharmacy, regulatory changes to government healthcare programs and the constant competitive pressures in this market, its limited operating history with this market provides a limited basis upon which to evaluate its ability to accomplish its business objectives. The Company is in the early stages of deployment, and there are many risks associated with the rapidly changing retail pharmacy and Medicare market. The Company may not be successful in addressing these risks; and its limited operating history adds to the difficulty in forecasting its future revenue and planning expenses accordingly and, therefore, predicting its future operating results.
The Company faces risks relating to the availability, pricing and safety profiles of prescription drugs that it purchases and sells.
The Company’s path to profitability is dependent upon the utilization of prescription drug products. It dispenses significant volumes of brand name and generic drugs. Its revenues, operating results and cash flows may decline if physicians cease writing prescriptions for drugs or the utilization of drugs is reduced due to:
•increased safety risk profiles or regulatory restrictions;
•manufacturing or other supply issues;
•certain products being withdrawn by their manufacturers or transitioned to over-the-counter products;
•future FDA rulings restricting the supply or increasing the cost of products;
•the introduction of new and successful prescription drugs or lower-priced generic alternatives to existing brand name products; or
•inflation in the price of brand name drugs.
In addition, increased utilization of generic drugs, which normally yield a higher gross profit rate than equivalent brand name drugs, has resulted in pressure to decrease reimbursement payments to the Company and pharmacies in general for generic drugs, causing a reduction in its margins on sales of generic drugs. Consolidation within the generic drug manufacturing industry and other external factors may enhance the ability of manufacturers to sustain or increase pricing of generic drugs and diminish its ability to negotiate reduced generic drug acquisition costs. Any inability to offset increased brand name or generic prescription drug acquisition costs or to modify its activities to lessen the financial impact of such increased costs could have a significant adverse effect on its operating results.
The Company purchases a significant amount of prescription drugs from a limited number of wholesalers. The loss of any of these relationships could disrupt its business and adversely impact its revenues for one or more fiscal quarters.
The loss of any of these relationships, the failure by the suppliers to fulfill its purchase orders on a timely basis or at all, or a contractual dispute could significantly disrupt its business and adversely impact its revenues for one or more fiscal quarters. In the event of a contractual dispute, it could become involved in litigation, the outcome of which may be uncertain or difficult to predict and could result in its incurrence of substantial costs regardless of the outcome.
The Company’s business could also be harmed by any governmental enforcement actions, regulatory proceedings, inquiries and investigations, or similar actions, or similar private proceedings, that would alter how drug manufacturers promote or sell products and services.
The specialty pharmacy and pharmacy benefit managers, or PBM, industries are highly litigious and future litigation or other proceedings could subject the Company to significant monetary damages or penalties or require the Company to change its business practices, which could impair its reputation and result in a material adverse effect on its business.
The Company is subject to risks relating to litigation, enforcement actions, regulatory proceedings, government inquiries and investigations, and other similar actions in connection with its business operations. While the Company is currently not subject to any material litigation of this nature relating to its business operations, such litigation is not unusual in its industry. Further, while certain costs are covered by insurance, the Company may incur uninsured costs related to the defense of such proceedings that could be material to its financial performance. In addition, as a public company, any material decline in the market price of its common stock may expose it to purported class action lawsuits that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend or indemnify (to the extent not covered by insurance) and a distraction to management. The results of legal proceedings are often uncertain and difficult to predict, and the Company could from time to time incur judgments, enter into settlements, materially change its business practices or technologies or revise its expectations regarding the outcome of certain matters. In addition, the costs incurred in litigation can be substantial, regardless of the outcome. If one or more of these proceedings or any future proceeding has an unfavorable outcome, the Company cannot provide any assurance it would not have a material adverse effect on its business and results of operations, including its ability to attract and retain clients as a result of any negative reputational impact of such an outcome.
The Company’s products, both hardware and software, are complex and require precision in design and manufacturing. Any errors in product performance could result in significant harm to its reputation and its business.
The development and production of new products with high technology content, such as the Company’s MedCenter Kiosk, is complicated and often involves problems with software, components and manufacturing methods. The Company’s products have contained and may continue to contain one or more undetected errors, defects or security vulnerabilities. Some errors in its products may only be discovered after a product has been installed and used by consumers. The Company suspects that errors, including potentially serious errors, may be found from time to time in its products. The Company’s MedCenter Kiosk may suffer degradation of performance and reliability over time. Furthermore, because it outsources the manufacturing of almost all of the key hardware components of its MedCenter Kiosk, the Company may also be subject to product performance problems as a result of the acts or omissions of these third parties.
If reliability, quality or other problems develop, a number of negative effects on the Company’s business could result, including:
•costs associated with fixing or replacing products;
•reduced orders from existing customers; and
•declining interest from potential customers.
Reduced access to payer networks would have significant impact to the Company’s business.
Access to payer networks which reimburse the Company’s pharmacy upon dispense is renewed on an annual basis. Any inability to renew in a network would exclude the Company from filling prescriptions for those Medicare patients and impact its ability to operate.
The Company has experienced significant growth, and if it is unable to manage its administrative and operational infrastructures in view of this growth, then it will suffer significant harm.
The Company will require further expansion of its infrastructure and headcount if it is to achieve planned expansion of its product offerings and planned increases in its customer base. Its growth has placed, and is expected to continue to place, a significant strain on its administrative and operational infrastructure. The Company’s ability to manage its operations and growth will require it to continue to refine its operational, financial and management controls, human resource policies, and reporting systems and procedures.
The Company may not be able to implement improvements to its management information and control systems in an efficient or timely manner and may discover deficiencies in existing systems and controls. If it is unable to manage future expansion, its ability to provide high quality products and services could be harmed, which would damage its reputation and brand and substantially harm its business and results of operations.
The Company depends on access to clinics and needs to maintain good working relationships with the clinics in order to continue to grow its business.
The Company is dependent upon access to clinics to acquire customers and runs its MedCenter Kiosks at sites where treatment is rendered and prescriptions generated. The Company needs to continue to have access to clinics in order to acquire new customers to grow its business. It must maintain good working relationships with the managers of those clinics. In the event that the Company does not maintain those relationships it may lose access to clinics and that may have a material and adverse relationship on its ability to grow and will negatively impact its results of operations as a result.
The Company’s business results depend on its ability to successfully manage ongoing organizational change and business transformation and achieve cost savings and operating efficiency initiatives.
If the Company is unable to continually obtain productivity improvements, while continuing to invest in business growth, or if the volume and nature of change overwhelms available resources, its business operations and financial results could be materially and adversely impacted. Its ability to successfully manage and execute these initiatives and realize expected savings and benefits in the amounts and at the times anticipated is important to its business success. Any failure to do so, which could result from its inability to successfully execute organizational change and business transformation plans, changes in global or regional economic conditions, competition, changes in the industries in which it competes, unanticipated costs or charges, loss of key personnel and other factors described herein, could have a material adverse effect on its businesses, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company faces significant competition in attracting and retaining talented employees. Further, managing succession for, and retention of, key executives is critical to its success, and its failure to do so could adversely affect its businesses, operating results and/or future performance.
The Company’s ability to attract and retain qualified and experienced employees is essential to meet its current and future goals and objectives. There is no guarantee it will be able to attract and retain such employees or that competition among potential employers will not result in increased compensation and/or benefits costs. In addition, the Company’s success is highly dependent on the continued services of key members of our executive management team and others in key management positions. Any of the Company’s employees may terminate their employment with the Company at any time. If the Company loses one or more key employees, is unable to retain existing employees or attract additional employees, or it experiences an unexpected loss of leadership, then the Company may experience difficulties in competing effectively, developing its technologies, or implementing its business strategy, and, as a result, the Company could experience a material adverse effect on its businesses, operating results and/or future performance.
In addition, its failure to adequately plan for succession of senior management and other key management roles or the failure of key employees to successfully transition into new roles could have a material adverse effect on its businesses, operating results and/or future performance. The succession plans it has in place and its employment arrangements with certain key executives do not guarantee the services of these executives will continue to be available to it.
If the Company or the businesses it interacts with do not maintain the privacy and security of sensitive customer and business information, it could damage the Company’s reputation and the Company could suffer a loss of revenue, incur substantial additional costs and become subject to litigation and regulatory scrutiny.
The protection of customer, employee, and Company data is critical to the Company’s businesses. Cybersecurity and other information technology security risks, such as a significant breach of customer, employee, or company data, could create significant workflow disruption, attract a substantial amount of media attention, damage the Company’s customer relationships, reputation and brand, and result in lost sales, fines or lawsuits. Throughout the Company’s operations, it receives, retains and transmits certain personal information that its customers and others provide to purchase products or services, fill prescriptions, enroll in promotional programs, participate in its customer loyalty programs, register on the Company websites, or otherwise communicate and interact with the Company. In addition, aspects of its operations depend upon the secure transmission of confidential information over public networks. Like other global companies, the Company and businesses it interacts with have experienced threats to data and systems, including by perpetrators of random or targeted malicious cyber-attacks, computer viruses, worms, bot attacks or other destructive or disruptive software and attempts to misappropriate customer information, including credit card information, and cause system failures and disruptions. Any compromise of its data security systems or of those of businesses with whom it interacts, which results in confidential information being accessed, obtained, damaged or used by unauthorized or improper persons, could harm its reputation and expose it to regulatory actions, customer attrition, remediation expenses, and claims from customers, financial institutions, payment card associations and other persons, any of which could materially and adversely affect its business operations, financial condition and results of operations. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently and may not immediately produce signs of intrusion, it may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. In addition, a security breach could require that it expend substantial additional resources related to the security of information systems and disrupt its businesses.
The Company depends on and interacts with the information technology networks and systems of third-parties for many aspects of its business operations, including payers, strategic partners and cloud service providers. These third parties may have access to information it maintains about the Company or its operations, customers, employees and vendors, or operating systems that are critical to or can significantly impact its business operations. Like the Company, these third-parties are subject to risks imposed by data breaches and cyber-attacks and other events or actions that could damage, disrupt or close down their networks or systems. Any expansion of information technology outsourcing, including through arrangements with its strategic partners, may increase vulnerabilities and weaknesses relating to cybersecurity and data management. Security processes, protocols and standards that it has implemented and contractual provisions requiring security measures that it may have sought to impose on such third-parties may not be sufficient or effective at preventing such events, which could result in unauthorized access to, or disruptions or denials of access to, or misuse of, information or systems that are important to its business, including proprietary information, sensitive or confidential data, and other information about its operations, customers, employees and suppliers, including personal information.
The regulatory environment surrounding data security and privacy is increasingly demanding, with the frequent imposition of new and changing requirements across businesses and geographic areas. The Company is required to comply with increasingly complex and changing data security and privacy regulations in the United States and in other jurisdictions in which it operates that regulate the collection, use and transfer of personal data, including the transfer of personal data between or among countries. In the United States, for example, HIPAA imposes extensive privacy and security requirements governing the transmission, use and disclosure of health information by covered entities in the health care industry, including health care providers such as pharmacies. In addition, the California Consumer Privacy Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, imposes stringent requirements on the use and treatment of “personal information” of California residents, which term is broadly defined to include, among other things, information that identifies, relates to, describes, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked to a consumer or household. Other U.S. states have enacted, or are proposing similar laws related to the protection of personal data. In addition, the U.S. federal government is considering federal privacy legislation. Outside the United States, many of its business units operate in countries with stringent data protection regulations, and these laws continue to change. For example, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, which became effective in May 2018, greatly increased the jurisdictional reach of European Union data protection laws and added a broad array of requirements for handling personal data, including the public disclosure of significant data breaches, and provides for greater penalties for noncompliance. Other countries have enacted or are considering enacting data localization laws that require certain data to stay within their borders. Complying with changing regulatory requirements requires the Company to incur substantial costs and may require changes to its business practices in certain jurisdictions, any of which could materially and adversely affect its business operations and operating results. It may also face audits or investigations by one or more domestic or foreign government agencies relating to its compliance with these regulations. Compliance with changes in privacy and information security laws and standards may result in significant expense due to increased investment in technology and the development of new operational processes. If the Company or those with whom it shares information fail to comply with these laws and regulations or experience a data security breach, its reputation could be damaged and it could be subject to additional litigation and regulatory risks, particularly to the extent the breach relates to sensitive data. The Company’s security measures may be undermined due to the actions of outside parties, employee error, malfeasance, or otherwise, and, as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to its data systems and misappropriate business and personal information. Any such breach or unauthorized access could result in significant legal and financial exposure, damage to its reputation and credibility, and potentially have a material adverse effect on its business operations, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company’s business success and operating results depend in part on effective information technology systems and on continuing to develop and implement improvements in technology. Pursuing multiple initiatives simultaneously could make this continued development and implementation significantly more challenging.
Many aspects of the Company’s operations are dependent on its information systems and the information collected, processed, stored, and handled by these systems. The Company relies heavily on its computer systems to manage its ordering, pricing, point-of-sale, pharmacy fulfillment, inventory replenishment, claims processing, customer loyalty and subscription programs, finance and other processes. Throughout the Company’s operations, it collects, processes, maintains, retains, evaluates, utilizes and distributes large amounts of confidential and sensitive data and information, including personally identifiable information and protected health information, that its customers, members and other constituents provide to purchase products or services, enroll in programs or services, register on its websites, interact with its personnel, or otherwise communicates with the Company. In addition, for these operations, the Company depends in part on the secure transmission of confidential information over public networks.
The Company has many different information and other technology systems supporting its businesses. Its businesses depend in large part on these systems to adequately price its products and services; accurately establish reserves, process claims and report operating results; and interact with providers, employer plan sponsors, customers, members, consumers and vendors in an efficient and uninterrupted fashion. In addition, recent trends toward greater consumer engagement in health care require new and enhanced technologies, including more sophisticated applications for mobile devices. Certain of its technology systems, including software, are older, legacy systems that are less flexible, less efficient and require a significant ongoing commitment of capital and human resources to maintain, protect and enhance them and to integrate them with its other systems. The Company must re-engineer and reduce the number of these systems to meet changing consumer
and vendor preferences and needs, improve its productivity and reduce its operating expenses. The Company also needs to develop or acquire new technology systems, contract with new vendors or modify certain of its existing systems to support the consumer-oriented and transformation products and services it is developing, operating and expanding and/or to meet current and developing industry and regulatory standards, including to keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology and emerging cybersecurity risks and threats. If it fails to achieve these objectives, the Company’s ability to profitably grow its business and/or its operating results may be adversely affected.
In addition, information technology and other technology and process improvement projects frequently are long-term in nature and may take longer to complete and cost more than the Company expects and may not deliver the benefits it projects once they are complete. If the Company does not effectively and efficiently secure, manage, integrate and enhance its technology portfolio, including vendor sourced systems, it could, among other things, have problems determining health care and other benefit cost estimates and/or establishing appropriate pricing, meeting the needs of customers, consumers, providers, members and vendors, developing and expanding its consumer-oriented products and services or keeping pace with industry and regulatory standards, and its operating results may be adversely affected.
The Company could be adversely affected by product liability, product recall, personal injury or other health and safety issues.
The Company could be adversely impacted by the supply of defective or expired products, including the infiltration of counterfeit products into the supply chain, errors in re-labeling of products, product tampering, product recall and contamination or product mishandling issues. Errors in the dispensing and packaging of pharmaceuticals, including related counseling could lead to serious injury or death. Product liability or personal injury claims may be asserted against the Company with respect to any of the products or pharmaceuticals it sells or services it provides. For example, from time to time, the FDA issues statements alerting patients that products in the Company’s and other pharmacies supply chains may contain impurities or harmful substances, and claims relating to the sale or distribution of such products may be asserted against the Company or arise from these statements. Should a product or other liability issue arise, the coverage limits under its insurance programs and third-party indemnification amounts available to it may not be adequate to protect the Company against claims and judgments. The Company also may not be able to maintain this insurance on acceptable terms in the future.
Changes in economic conditions could adversely affect consumer buying practices.
The Company’s performance has been, and may continue to be, adversely impacted by changes in global, national, regional or local economic conditions and consumer confidence. These conditions can also adversely affect its key vendors and customers. External factors that affect consumer confidence and over which the Company exercises no influence include the impact of COVID-19 and any future pandemics, unemployment rates, inflation, levels of personal disposable income, levels of taxes and interest and global, national, regional or local economic conditions, as well as acts of war or terrorism. Changes in economic conditions and consumer confidence could adversely affect consumer preferences, purchasing power and spending patterns, which could lead to a decrease in overall consumer spending as well as in prescription drug and health services utilization and which could be exacerbated by the increasing prevalence of high-deductible health insurance plans and related plan design changes.
The Company could be adversely impacted by changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters.
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP, and related accounting pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with regard to a wide range of matters that are relevant to the Company’s businesses, including, but not limited to, revenue recognition, asset impairment, impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, inventories, equity method investments, vendor rebates and other vendor consideration, lease obligations, self-insurance liabilities, pension and postretirement benefits, tax matters, unclaimed property laws and litigation and other contingent liabilities are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments. Changes in these rules or their interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates or judgments could significantly change the Company’s reported or expected financial performance or financial condition. For example, changes in accounting standards and the application of existing accounting standards particularly related to the measurement of fair value as compared to carrying value for the Company’s reporting units, including goodwill, intangible assets and investments in equity interests, may have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. Factors that could lead to impairment of goodwill and intangible assets include significant adverse changes in the business climate and declines in the financial condition of a reporting unit. Factors that could lead to impairment of investments in equity interests of the companies in which the Company invested include a prolonged period of decline in their operating performance or adverse changes in the economic, regulatory and legal environments of the countries in which they operate.
New accounting guidance also may require changes to the Company’s processes, accounting systems and internal controls that could increase its operating costs and/or significantly change its financial statements. For example, in February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which supersedes Topic 840, Leases. This ASU, which became effective for the Company in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 (fiscal year 2020), and for interim periods beginning after December 15, 2020, seeks to increase the transparency and comparability of organizations by recognizing operating lease assets
and operating lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The adoption approach for these accounting standards affect the comparability of the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Implementing new accounting guidance may require the Company to make significant changes to and investments in its accounting systems and processes, which could result in significant adverse changes to its financial statements.
The Company may be required to pay significant penalties if it is not able to fulfill all of its registration requirements under an outstanding registration rights agreement.
The Company has registration rights obligations with respect to shares of Common Stock held by legacy MedAvail stockholders. Pursuant to these obligations, the Company will be required to file a registration statement within a certain time period following the closing of the Business Combination and then have the registration statement declared effective within a certain time period thereafter and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement. The failure to do so could result in the payment of liquidated damage by the Company, which could be as much as approximately $150,000 per month until the certain registration statement is declared effective. There can be no assurance that the Company will not incur damages with respect to such agreement.
•Risks Related to Insurance and Payments and Pricing and Reimbursement Plans
Significant and increasing pressure from third-party payers to limit reimbursements could materially and adversely impacts the Company’s profitability, results of operations and financial condition.
The continued efforts of health maintenance organizations, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, government programs (such as Medicare, Medicaid and other federal and state funded programs), and other third-party payers to limit pharmacy reimbursements, as well as litigation and other legal proceedings or governmental regulation related to how drugs are priced, may adversely impact its profitability. While manufacturers have increased the price of drugs, payers have generally decreased reimbursement rates as a percentage of drug cost.
Pharmacy Benefit Managers:
The Company derives a significant portion of its sales from prescription drug sales reimbursed through prescription drug plans administered by a limited number of PBM companies and health plans. PBM companies typically administer multiple prescription drug plans that expire at various times and provide for varying reimbursement rates, and often limit coverage to specific drug products on an approved list, known as a formulary, which might not include all of the approved drugs for a particular indication. Reimbursements received from PBMs are determined pursuant to agreements. Should PBMs seek to negotiate reduced reimbursement rates or to adjust reimbursement rates downward, or change products covered under their formulary, this could negatively impact the Company’s profitability. In addition, PBMs may not be willing to accept or otherwise restrict the Company’s participation in networks of pharmacy providers to comply with PBM demands. The Company may elect not to continue or enter into participation in a pharmacy provider network if reimbursements are too low. Should it exit a pharmacy provider network and later resume participation, it may not achieve the same level of business and clients or the PBMs may not choose to include it again in the pharmacy network for their plans. In such events, it may incur increased marketing and other costs to offset these client losses through other strategic initiatives. As a result, it may lose sales, and if it is unable to replace any such lost sales, its operating results could be materially and adversely affected.
Medicare and Medicaid:
Reimbursement from government programs is subject to a myriad of requirements, including but not limited to statutory and regulatory, administrative rulings, interpretations, retroactive payment adjustments, governmental funding restrictions, and changes to, or introduction of, legislation, all of which may materially affect the amount and timing of reimbursement payments to the Company. These changes may reduce its revenue and profitability on services provided to Medicare and Medicaid patients and increase its working capital requirements.
The utilization of Medicare Part D by cash and state Medicaid customers, with established pharmacy network payments based on actual acquisition cost, has resulted in increased utilization and decreased pharmacy gross margin rates. In addition, changes to Medicare Part D, such as the elimination of the tax deductibility of the retiree drug subsidy payment received by sponsors of retiree drug plans, could result in the Company’s PBM clients deciding to discontinue providing prescription drug benefits to their Medicare-eligible members. To the extent this occurs, the adverse effects of increasing customer migration into Medicare Part D may outweigh the benefits the Company realize from the growth of its Medicare Part D business.
Given the significant competition in the industry, the Company has limited bargaining power to counter payer demands for reduced reimbursement rates. If the Company is unable to negotiate for acceptable reimbursement rates or replace unfavorable contracts with new business on acceptable terms, its revenues and business could be adversely affected. Should it experience a loss of sales as a result of reduced
reimbursement rates and be unable to appropriately adjust staffing levels in a timely and efficient manner, this may negatively impact its financial condition or results of operations.
There have been multiple executive, congressional and judicial attempts to modify or repeal the ACA. The Company cannot predict the success or effect any modification or repeal and any subsequent legislation would have on reimbursement levels. Furthermore, a third-party payer may not be able to pay timely, or may delay payment of, amounts owed to it due to budgetary constraints or deterioration of financial condition. Recent or future changes in prescription drug reimbursement policies and practices may materially and adversely affect its results of operations.
The amount of DIR fees charged by PBMs, as well as the timing of assessing such fees and the methodology in calculating such fees, may have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial performance and, to the extent such fees are material, may limit its ability to provide accurate financial guidance for future periods.
Some PBMs charge certain direct and indirect remuneration, or DIR, fees, often calculated and charged several months after adjudication of a claim, which adversely impacts its profitability. DIR fees is a term used by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, to address price concessions that ultimately may impact the prescription drug reimbursement of Medicare Part D plans, but are not captured at the point of sale. Further, the timing of assessments, changes in the manner in which DIR fees are assessed and methodology in computing DIR fees may materially impact the company’s ability to provide accurate financial guidance to investors and analysts, and may result in a future change in the estimated DIR fees it has recognized. In addition, as reimbursement pressure increases throughout the industry and as the Company’s business grows, the amount of DIR fees assessed is expected to increase, which could have an adverse impact on its revenues and results of operations.
Shifts in pharmacy mix toward lower margin drugs could negatively impact the Company’s financial condition.
A shift in the mix of pharmacy prescription volume towards lower margin drugs could negatively impact its financial condition. If its prescription volume shifts towards lower margin drugs or drugs with lower reimbursement rates and the Company is not able to generate additional prescription volume or other business that is sufficient to offset the impact of lower margin or reimbursement rates decline from current levels in future years, its financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
Industry pricing benchmarks may change, negatively impacting the revenue the Company derives from product sales.
It is possible that the pharmaceutical industry or regulators may evaluate and/or develop an alternative pricing reference to replace average wholesale price, or AWP, which is the pricing reference used for many pharmaceutical purchase agreements, retail network contracts, specialty payer agreements and other contracts with third party payers in connection with the reimbursement of specialty drug payments. Future changes to the use of AWP or to other published pricing benchmarks used to establish pharmaceutical pricing, including changes in the basis for calculating reimbursement by federal and state health programs and/or other payers, could negatively impact its pricing arrangements. The effect of these possible changes on its business cannot be predicted at this time.
Programs funded in whole or in part by the U.S. federal government account for a significant portion of the Company’s revenues, and it expects that percentage to increase over time.
Programs funded in whole or in part by the U.S. federal government account for a significant portion of its revenues, and the Company expects that percentage to increase. As its government funded businesses grow, its exposure to changes in federal and state government policy with respect to and/or regulation of the various government funded programs in which it participates also increases.
The Company’s revenues from government funded programs are dependent on annual funding by the federal government and/or applicable state or local governments. Funding for these programs is dependent on many factors outside its control, including general economic conditions, continuing government efforts to contain health care costs and budgetary constraints at the federal or applicable state or local level and general political issues and priorities.
An extended federal government shutdown or a delay by Congress in raising the federal government’s debt ceiling also could lead to a delay, reduction, suspension or cancellation of federal government spending and a significant increase in interest rates that could, in turn, have a material adverse effect on the value of the Company’s investment portfolio, its ability to access the capital markets and its businesses, operating results, cash flows and liquidity.
The Company could be adversely affected by a decrease in the introduction of new brand name and generic prescription drugs as well as increases in the cost to procure prescription drugs.
The profitability of the Company’s pharmacy businesses depends upon the utilization of prescription drugs. Utilization trends are affected by, among other factors, the introduction of new and successful prescription drugs as well as lower-priced generic alternatives to existing brand name drugs. Inflation in the price of drugs also can adversely affect utilization, particularly given the increased prevalence of high-deductible
health insurance plans and related plan design changes. New brand name drugs can result in increased drug utilization and associated sales, while the introduction of lower priced generic alternatives typically results in relatively lower sales, but relatively higher gross profit margins. Accordingly, a decrease in the number or magnitude of significant new brand name drugs or generics successfully introduced, delays in their introduction, or a decrease in the utilization of previously introduced prescription drugs, could materially and adversely affect its results of operations.
In addition, if it experiences an increase in the amounts it pays to procure pharmaceutical drugs, including generic drugs, it could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations. The Company’s gross profit margins would be adversely affected to the extent it is not able to offset such cost increases. Any failure to fully offset any such increased prices and costs or to modify its activities to mitigate the impact could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations. Additionally, any future changes in drug prices could be significantly different than its expectations.
Risks Related to the Company’s Industry
The industries in which the Company operates are highly competitive and constantly evolving. New entrants to the market, existing competitor actions or other changes in market dynamics could adversely impact it.
The market for retail medication pharmacy is highly competitive and rapidly evolving. The market is subject to changing technology trends, shifting customer needs and expectations and frequent introduction of new products. The Company expects competition to persist and intensify in the future as the market for retail pharmacy grows and new and existing competitors devote considerable resources to introducing and enhancing products and services. It faces competition from several of the world’s largest providers that provide alternatives, including Genoa, which was acquired by OptumRx, as well as major chains such as Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Rite Aid.
The Company’s current and potential competitors may have significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than it does and may be able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion, sale and support of their products. In addition, many of its competitors have more extensive customer relationships than it does, and, therefore, its competitors may be in a stronger position to respond quickly to new technologies and may be able to market or sell their products more effectively. Moreover, further consolidation in the retail pharmacy market could adversely affect its customer relationships and competitive position. The Company’s services may not continue to compete favorably. It may not be successful in the face of increasing competition from new products and services introduced by existing competitors or new companies entering the markets in which it operates.
The level of competition in the retail pharmacy industry is high. Changes in market dynamics or actions of competitors or manufacturers, including industry consolidation and the emergence of new competitors and strategic alliances, could materially and adversely impact the Company. Disruptive innovation, or the perception of potentially disruptive innovation, by existing or new competitors could alter the competitive landscape in the future and require it to accurately identify and assess such changes and if required make timely and effective changes to its strategies and business model to compete effectively. The Company faces intense competition including other drugstore and pharmacy chains, independent drugstores and pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies and various other retailers such as grocery stores, convenience stores, mass merchants, online and omni-channel pharmacies and retailers, warehouse clubs, dollar stores and other discount merchandisers, some of which are aggressively expanding in markets it serves. Competition may also come from other sources in the future.
The Company also could be adversely affected if it fails to identify or effectively respond to changes in market dynamics. As technology, consumer behavior, omni-channel and differential retail models, and market conditions continue to evolve in the United States, it is important that it maintains the relevance of its brand and product and service offerings to customers and patients.
Consolidation in the healthcare industry could materially adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations.
Many healthcare industry participants are consolidating to create integrated healthcare delivery systems with significant market power, and it expects such trend to continue. For example, in November 2018 CVS acquired Aetna and in December 2018 Cigna acquired Express Scripts. As provider networks and managed care organizations consolidate, thereby decreasing the number of market participants, competition to provide products and services like ours will become more intense, and the importance of establishing relationships with key industry participants will become greater. In addition, industry participants may try to use their increased market power to negotiate price reductions for the Company’s products and services. The Company expects that market demand, government regulation, third party reimbursement policies and societal pressures will continue to cause the healthcare industry to evolve, potentially resulting in further business consolidations and alliances among the industry participants with whom it engages. If the Company is forced to reduce prices as a result of either an imbalance of market power or decreased demand for its products, revenue would be reduced, and it could become significantly less profitable.
Each of the Company’s segments operates in a highly competitive and evolving business environment; and gross margins in the industries in which it competes may decline.
The Company operates in a highly competitive and evolving business environment. Specifically:
•As competition increases in the geographies in which it operates, including competition from new entrants, a significant increase in price compression and/or reimbursement pressures could occur, and this could require it to reevaluate its pricing structures to remain competitive.
•Its success is dependent on its ability to establish and maintain contractual relationships with network pharmacies as PBM clients evaluate adopting narrow or restricted retail pharmacy networks.
•Its competitive advantage is dependent on its ability to establish and maintain contractual relationships with PBMs and other payors on acceptable terms as the payors’ clients evaluate adopting narrow or restricted retail pharmacy networks.
In addition, competitors in each of its businesses may offer services and pricing terms that it may not be willing or able to offer. Competition also may come from new entrants and other sources in the future. Unless it can demonstrate enhanced value to its clients through innovative product and service offerings in the rapidly changing health care industry, it may be unable to remain competitive.
Disruptive innovation by existing or new competitors could alter the competitive landscape in the future and require it to accurately identify and assess such alterations and make timely and effective changes to its strategies and business model to compete effectively. Consumers also are increasingly seeking to access consumer goods and health care products and services locally and through other direct channels such as mobile devices and websites. To compete effectively in the consumer-driven marketplace, it will be required to develop or acquire new capabilities, attract new talent and develop new service and distribution relationships that respond to consumer needs and preferences.
Changes in marketplace dynamics or the actions of competitors or manufacturers, including industry consolidation, the emergence of new competitors and strategic alliances, and decisions to exclude it from new restricted retail pharmacy networks could materially and adversely affect its businesses, operating results, cash flows and/or prospects.
The Company’s results of operations are subject to the risks and uncertainties of fluctuations in pharmaceutical prices.
The Company’s revenue and gross profit are subject to fluctuation based upon the timing and extent of manufacturer price increases. If the frequency or rate of pharmaceutical price increases slows, its results of operations could be adversely affected. In addition, its profitability is impacted by the utilization of prescription drugs. If utilization declines due to inflation in the price of drugs, particularly given the increased usage of high-deductible health insurance plans, its profitability could be adversely affected. Its gross profits are also subject to price deflation. If pharmaceutical price deflation occurs, its results of operations could be adversely affected.
Furthermore, increases in the amounts the Company pays to procure pharmaceutical drugs, including generic drugs, could have material adverse effects on its results of operations. If it fails to offset such cost increases or modify its activities to reduce the impact, its results of operations could be materially adversely affected. The Company’s expectations could be materially different than, and any future change in drug prices could be significantly different from, its expectations.
Legal Risks
The Company could be subject to securities class action litigation.
In the past, securities class action litigation has often been brought against public companies in connection with business combinations and merger transactions, alleging that the directors breached their fiduciary duties in connection with such transactions. Following MYOS’s and MedAvail’s announcement of the execution of the Merger Agreement on June 30, 2020, MYOS received separate litigation demands from purported MYOS stockholders on September 16, 2020 and October 20, 2020, respectively seeking certain additional disclosures in the Form S-4 Registration Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 2020, collectively, the Demands. Thereafter, on September 23, 2020, a complaint regarding the transactions contemplated within the Merger Agreement was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, captioned Faasse v. MYOS RENS Technology Inc., et. al., Index No.: 654644/2020 (NY Supreme Ct., NY Cnty., September 23, 2020), or the New York Complaint. On October 12, 2020, a second complaint regarding the transactions was filed in the District Court of Nevada, Clark County Nevada, captioned Vigil v. Mannello, et. al., Case No. A-20-822848-C, or the Nevada Complaint, and together with the New York Complaint, the Complaints, and collectively with the Demands, the Litigation.
The Demands and the Complaints that comprise the Litigation generally alleged that the directors of MYOS breached their fiduciary duties by entering into the Merger Agreement, and MYOS and MedAvail disseminated an incomplete and misleading Form S-4 Registration Statement. The New York Complaint also alleged MedAvail aided and abetted such breach of fiduciary duties.
MYOS and MedAvail believe that the claims asserted in the Litigation are without merit, and believe that the Form S-4 Registration Statement disclosed all material information concerning the Merger and no supplemental disclosure is required under applicable law. However, in order to avoid the risk of the Litigation delaying or adversely affecting the Merger and to minimize the costs, risks and uncertainties inherent in litigation, and without admitting any liability or wrongdoing, MYOS determined to voluntarily supplement the Form S-4 Registration Statement as described in the Current Report on Form 8-K on November 2, 2020. Subsequently, the Nevada Complaint and the New York Complaint were voluntarily dismissed. The remainder of the Litigation remains outstanding. MYOS and MedAvail specifically deny all allegations in the Litigation and/or that any additional disclosure was or is required.
The outcome of the Litigation is uncertain. If the Litigation remains unresolved or the Company is required to defend or settle any Litigation, this could result in significant costs to the Company, including costs associated with the indemnification of the Company’s directors and officers, other damages or settlement amounts, and other significant defense costs. Such payments could adversely affect our operations. Other plaintiffs may also file lawsuits against the Company and/or directors and officers thereof in connection with the Merger, resulting in substantial costs to the Company and requiring the Company and its directors and officers to defend against multiple lawsuits potentially filed in different jurisdictions and divert management’s attention and resources. This could adversely affect the operation of the Company’s business or otherwise adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We maintain liability insurance; however, if any costs or expenses associated with the Litigation or any other litigation exceed our insurance coverage, and we may be forced to bear some or all of these costs and expenses directly, which could be substantial.
The Company is exposed to risks related to litigation and other legal proceedings.
The Company operates in a highly regulated and litigious environment. It may become involved in legal proceedings, including litigation, arbitration and other claims, and investigations, inspections, audits, claims, inquiries and similar actions by pharmacy, healthcare, tax and other governmental authorities.
Legal proceedings, in general, and securities, derivative action and class action and multi-district litigation, in particular, can be expensive and disruptive. Some of these suits may purport or may be determined to be class actions and/or involve parties seeking large and/or indeterminate amounts, including punitive or exemplary damages, and may remain unresolved for several years.
Like other companies in the retail pharmacy, the Company is subject to extensive regulation by national, state and local government agencies in the United States and other countries in which it may operate. There continues to be a heightened level of review and/or audit by regulatory authorities of, and increased litigation regarding, the Company’s and the rest of the health care and related industry’s business, compliance and reporting practices. As a result, the Company regularly is the subject of government actions of the types described above. In addition, under the qui tam or “whistleblower” provisions of the federal and various state false claims acts, persons may bring lawsuits alleging that a violation of the federal anti-kickback statute or similar laws has resulted in the submission of “false” claims to federal and/or state healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. After a private party has filed a qui tam action, the government must investigate the private party's claim and determine whether to intervene in and take control over the litigation. These actions may remain under seal while the government makes this determination.
The Company cannot predict with certainty the outcomes of any legal proceedings and other contingencies, and the costs incurred in litigation can be substantial, regardless of the outcome. Substantial unanticipated verdicts, fines and rulings do sometimes occur. As a result, it could from time to time incur judgments, enter into settlements or revise its expectations regarding the outcome of certain matters, and such developments could harm its reputation and have a material adverse effect on its results of operations in the period in which the amounts are accrued and/or its cash flows in the period in which the amounts are paid. In addition, as a result of governmental investigations or proceedings, the Company may be subject to damages, civil or criminal fines or penalties, or other sanctions, including the possible suspension or loss of licensure and/or suspension or exclusion from participation in government programs. The outcome of some of these legal proceedings and other contingencies could require it to take, or refrain from taking, actions which could negatively affect its operations. Additionally, defending against these lawsuits and proceedings may involve significant expense and diversion of management’s attention and resources.
Risks Related to Government Regulation
If the Company fails to comply with applicable laws and regulations, many of which are highly complex, it could be subject to significant adverse regulatory actions or suffer brand and reputational harm.
The Company is subject to extensive regulation and oversight by state, federal and international governmental authorities. See “Business - Government Regulation.” The laws and regulations governing its operations and interpretations of those laws and regulations are increasing in number and complexity, change frequently and can be inconsistent or conflict with one another. In general, these laws and regulations are designed to benefit and protect customers, members and providers rather than the Company or its investors. In addition, the governmental authorities that regulate its businesses have broad latitude to make, interpret and enforce the laws and regulations that govern it and continue to
interpret and enforce those laws and regulations more strictly and more aggressively each year. It also must follow various restrictions on certain of its businesses and the payment of dividends by certain of its subsidiaries put in place by certain state regulators.
In addition, during the past several years, the United States health care industry has been subject to an increase in governmental regulation and enforcement activity at both the federal and state levels. Further, uncertainties exist regarding the application of many of these legal requirements to our business. In addition, it is possible that certain provisions of the current health care reform legislation may be modified, repealed or otherwise invalidated. Changes in these laws and regulations and the related interpretations and enforcement practices may require extensive system and operating changes that may be difficult to implement. Untimely compliance or noncompliance with applicable laws and regulations could adversely affect the continued operation of our business, including, but not limited to: imposition of civil or criminal penalties; significant fines or monetary penalties; suspension or disgorgement of payments from government programs; loss of required government certifications or approvals; loss of authorizations to participate in or exclusion from government reimbursement programs, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs; or loss of registrations or licensure. The regulations to which we are subject include, but are not limited to: the laws and regulations described in the Government Regulation section; accounting standards; financial disclosure; securities laws and regulations; federal anti-trust laws; tax laws and regulations and their possible reform; laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment and health and safety matters, including those governing exposure to, and the management and disposal of, hazardous materials and wastes; and laws and regulations of the FTC, the FCC, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as well as state regulatory authorities, governing the sale, advertisement and promotion of products that we sell, such as Boards of Pharmacy. The FDA, DEA and various states regulate the distribution of pharmaceuticals and controlled substances. We are required to hold valid DEA, if we distribute controlled substances in the future, and state-level registrations and licenses, meet various security and operating standards and comply with the federal and various states’ controlled substances acts and their accompanying regulations governing the sale, marketing, packaging, holding and distribution of controlled substances. The DEA, FDA and state regulatory authorities have broad enforcement powers, including the ability to suspend our registrations and licenses, seize or recall products and impose significant criminal, civil and administrative sanctions for violations of these laws and regulations. In addition, our business interests outside of the United States are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other applicable domestic and international laws and regulations. We are also subject to the terms of various government agreements and mandates, including those described in the Government Regulation section. In that regard, our business, financial position and results of operations could be adversely affected by existing and new government legislative, regulatory action and enforcement activity, including, without limitation, any one or more of the following:
•the clinical quality, patient safety and other risks inherent in the dispensing, packaging and distribution of drugs and other health care products and services, including claims related to purported dispensing and other operational errors, and its failure to adhere to the laws and regulations applicable to the dispensing of drugs could subject it to civil and criminal penalties;
•federal and state anti-kickback and other laws that govern its relationship with drug manufacturers, customers and consumers;
•federal and state laws and regulations concerning the submission of claims for reimbursement by Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs;
•federal and state laws and regulations governing the purchase, distribution, tracking, management, compounding, dispensing and reimbursement of prescription drugs and related services, and applicable registration or licensing requirements;
•heightened enforcement of controlled substances regulations, if applicable;
•rules and regulations issued pursuant to HIPAA and the HITECH Act; and other federal and state laws affecting the collection, use, disclosure and transmission of health or other personal information, such as federal laws on information privacy precipitated by concerns about information collection through the Internet, state security breach laws and state laws limiting the use and disclosure of prescriber information;
•health care fraud and abuse laws regulations;
•consumer protection laws affecting our health care services, our loyalty programs, our drug discount card programs, the products we sell, the informational calls we make and/or the marketing of our goods and services;
•federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations applicable to our business, including the management of hazardous substances, storage and transportation of hazardous materials, and various recordkeeping disclosure and procedure requirements promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that may apply to our operations;
•health care reform, managed care reform and plan design legislation;
•laws against the corporate practice of medicine;
•FDA regulation affecting the pharmacy industry;
•government regulation of the development, administration, review and updating of formularies and drug lists including requirements and/or limitations around formulary tiering and patient cost sharing;
•state laws and regulations related to increased oversight of pharmacy activities, including laws related to reimbursement for generics and pharmacy audits;
•drug pricing legislation, including “most favored nation” pricing;
•federal and state laws and regulations establishing or changing prompt payment requirements for payments to retail pharmacies;
•impact of network access legislation or regulations, including “any willing provider” laws, on our ability to manage pharmacy networks;
•ERISA and related regulations;
•administration of Medicare Part D, including legislative changes and/or CMS rulemaking and interpretation;
•Medicare and Medicaid regulations applicable to our business;
•insurance licensing and other insurance regulatory requirements applicable to offering Medicare Part D programs and services or other health care services; and
•direct regulation of pharmacies or PBMs by regulatory and quasi-regulatory bodies.
The scope of the practices and activities that are prohibited by federal and state false claims acts is uncertain and may be the subject of pending or future litigation. Claims under federal and state false claims acts can be brought by the government or by private individuals on behalf of the government through a qui tam or “whistleblower” suit. If the Company is convicted of fraud or other criminal conduct in the performance of a government program or if there is an adverse decision against it under the federal False Claims Act, it may be temporarily or permanently suspended from participating in government health care programs, including Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Medicaid, dual eligible and dual eligible special needs plan programs, and it also may be required to pay significant fines and/or other monetary penalties. Whistleblower suits have resulted in significant settlements between governmental agencies and health care companies. The significant incentives and protections provided to whistleblowers under applicable law increase the risk of whistleblower suits.
If the Company fails to comply with laws and regulations that apply to government programs, it could be subject to criminal fines, civil penalties, premium refunds, prohibitions on marketing or active or passive enrollment of members, corrective actions, termination of its contracts or other sanctions which could have a material adverse effect on its ability to participate in Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Medicaid, dual eligible, dual eligible special needs plan and other programs and on its operating results, cash flows and financial condition.
The Company’s businesses, profitability and growth also may be adversely affected by (i) judicial and regulatory decisions that change and/or expand the interpretations of existing statutes and regulations, impose medical or bad faith liability, or (ii) other legislation and regulations.
Pharmacies and pharmacists must obtain federal and state licenses to operate, distribute and dispense pharmaceuticals and controlled substances. If it is unable to obtain and maintain its licenses, meet certain security and operating standards or comply with acts and regulations covering among other things, the sale, distribution and dispensing of controlled substances, or if states place burdensome restrictions or limitations on non-resident pharmacies, this could limit or affect its ability to operate in some states. In addition, each state has different laws passed by state legislatures and rules approved by state pharmacy boards governing the operation, distribution and dispensing of pharmaceuticals and there is no universal federal or international regulation. This lack of uniform laws and rules makes the costs of compliance significant and makes a violation of state laws and rules by the Company more likely. Furthermore, the laws and rules relating to pharmacy technology are relatively new and evolving further adding to the cost of compliance and increasing the Company’s risk of noncompliance. Federal and state regulatory authorities have broad enforcement powers, and are able to revoke licenses, seize or recall products and impose significant criminal, civil and administrative fines and sanctions for violations of such laws and regulations, any of which could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to do business.
Changes in healthcare regulatory environments may adversely affect the Company’s businesses.
Political, economic and regulatory influences are subjecting the healthcare industry to significant changes that could adversely affect its results of operations. In recent years, the healthcare industry has undergone significant changes in an effort to reduce costs and government spending. These changes include an increased reliance on managed care; cuts in certain Medicare and Medicaid funding in the United States and the funding of governmental payers in foreign jurisdictions; consolidation of competitors, suppliers and other market participants; and the
development of large, sophisticated purchasing groups. The Company expects the healthcare industry to continue to change significantly in the future. Some of these potential changes, such as a reduction in governmental funding for certain healthcare services or adverse changes in legislation or regulations governing prescription drug pricing, healthcare services or mandated benefits, may cause customers to reduce the amount of its products and services they purchase or the price they are willing to pay for its products and services. The Company expects continued governmental and private payer pressure to reduce pharmaceutical pricing. Changes in pharmaceutical manufacturers’ pricing or distribution policies could also significantly reduce its profitability.
In the United States, electoral results and changes in political leadership have generated uncertainty with respect to, and could result in, significant changes in legislation, regulation and government policy that could significantly impact its businesses and the health care and retail industries. There have been multiple attempts to repeal, modify or otherwise invalidate all, or certain provisions of the ACA, which was enacted in 2010 to provide health insurance coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans through a combination of insurance market reforms, an expansion of Medicaid, subsidies and health insurance mandates. The ACA and related healthcare reform laws, regulations and initiatives have significantly increased regulation of managed care plans and decreased reimbursement to Medicare managed care. The Company cannot predict whether current or future efforts to modify these laws and/or adopt new healthcare legislation will be successful, nor can it predict the impact that such a development would have on its business and operating results. Future legislation or rulemaking or other regulatory actions or developments under the ACA or otherwise could adversely impact the number of Americans with health insurance and, consequently, prescription drug coverage, increase regulation of pharmacy services, result in changes to pharmacy reimbursement rates, and otherwise change the way it does business. The Company cannot predict the timing or impact of any future legislative, rulemaking or other regulatory actions, but any such actions could have a material adverse impact on its results of operations.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted. These changes include aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year, effective April 1, 2013, which, due to subsequent legislative amendments, will stay in effect through 2030, with the exception of a temporary suspension implemented under various COVID-19 relief legislation from May 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021, unless additional congressional action is taken. Congress recently introduced a bill to extend the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequester cuts through the end of 2021. We are continuing to monitor the status of this bill. Moreover, there has recently been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which pharmaceutical manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted legislation designed, among other things, to bring more transparency to drug pricing, to reform government program reimbursement methodologies for pharmaceutical products, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures and, in some cases, mechanisms to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. Furthermore, there has been increased interest by third party payors and governmental authorities in reference to pricing systems and publication of discounts and list prices, which may adversely affect the Company’s revenue and financial condition.
Moreover, there has recently been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drug products. In 2020, under the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS issued various rules in November and December of 2020 that were expected to impact, among others, price reductions from pharmaceutical manufacturers to plan sponsors under Part D, fee arrangements between pharmacy benefit managers and manufacturers, importation of certain prescription drugs from Canada, manufacturer price reporting requirements under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, including regulations that affect manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs subject to pharmacy benefit manager accumulator programs and Best Price reporting related to certain value-based purchasing arrangements. Multiple lawsuits have been brought against the HHS challenging various aspects of the rules. In January 2021, the Biden administration issued a “regulatory freeze” memorandum that directs department and agency heads to review new or pending rules of the prior administration. It is unclear whether these new regulations will be withdrawn or when they will become fully effective under the current administration. The impact of these lawsuits as well as legislative, executive, and administrative actions of the current administration on us and the pharmaceutical industry as a whole is unclear. At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. Depending on the details of further executive, legislative and administrative actions, these measures as well as other proposals could have significant impacts for drug manufacturers, pharmacies, and providers, which may significantly and adversely affect the business of the Company’s customers as well as its ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability.
The Company must comply with a variety of existing and future laws and regulations that could impose substantial costs on it and may adversely affect its business.
The scope of foreign investments in U.S. businesses was recently expanded by the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018, or FIRRMA, to include certain non-passive, non-controlling investments (including certain investments in entities that hold or process
personal information about U.S. nationals) and transactions structured or intended to evade or circumvent the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, and any transaction resulting in a “change in the rights” of a foreign person in a U.S. business if that change could result in either control of the business or a covered non-controlling investment.
CFIUS could intervene in the Company’s previously completed fundraising rounds and require it to modify or amend the terms of those transactions, or terminate or unwind all or part of the transactions, if CFIUS determines that it is necessary to address U.S. national security concerns, without regard to whether the transaction was completed and operated in accordance with applicable law.
If relations between China and the U.S. deteriorate, the Company may be materially and adversely affected.
Doing business internationally creates financial risks for the Company’s business. International operations entail a variety of other risks, including restrictions on foreign investors in the Company, enhanced oversight by CFIUS, and substantial restrictions on, and scrutiny of, foreign investment – especially Chinese investment. The relationship between China and the U.S. is subject to periodic tension. Relations may also be compromised if the U.S pressures the PRC government regarding its monetary, economic, or social policies. Changes in political conditions in China and changes in the state of China-U.S. relations are difficult to predict and could adversely affect the operations or financial condition of the Company. Furthermore, CFIUS has continued to apply a more stringent review of certain foreign investment in U.S. companies, including investment by Chinese entities. The Company cannot predict what effect any changes in China-U.S. relations may have on its ability to access capital or effectively support the Company.
Risks Related to the Company’s Relationships with Manufacturers, Providers, Suppliers and Vendors
Both the Company and its vendors’ operations are subject to a variety of business continuity hazards and risks, any of which could interrupt its operations or otherwise adversely affect its performance and operating results.
The Company and its vendors are subject to business continuity hazards and other risks, including natural disasters, utility and other mechanical failures, acts of war or terrorism, disruption of communications, data security and preservation, disruption of supply or distribution, safety regulation and labor difficulties. The occurrence of any of these or other events to the Company or its vendors might disrupt or shut down its operations or otherwise adversely affect its operations. It also may be subject to certain liability claims in the event of an injury or loss of life, or damage to property, resulting from such events. Although it has developed procedures for crisis management and disaster recovery and business continuity plans and maintain insurance policies that it believes are customary and adequate for its size and industry, its insurance policies include limits and exclusions and, as a result, its coverage may be insufficient to protect against all potential hazards and risks incident to its businesses. In addition, the Company’s crisis management and disaster recovery procedures and business continuity plans may not be effective. Should any such hazards or risks occur, or should its insurance coverage be inadequate or unavailable, its businesses, operating results, cash flows and financial condition could be adversely affected.
The Company outsources the manufacturing of its MedCenter Kiosks to a third party.
The Company relies on a single third party manufacturer to make its MedCenter Kiosks. The Company’s former manufacturer is no longer manufacturing the MedCenter Kiosks for the Company and the Company recently signed a new manufacturing and supply agreement with Kitron Technologies. There are risks associated with Kitron Technologies’s ability to qualify and ramp a new manufacturing line. As a result, additional MedCenter Kiosks may be delayed or stalled pending the qualification and ramping up of the new manufacturing line. Currently, the Company anticipates the new units manufactured by Kitron Technologies to be available in early Q2 2021.
Risks Related to the Company’s Intellectual Property
If the Company is unable to protect its intellectual property, it will suffer substantial harm.
The Company’s success depends upon the protection of its software and hardware designs and other proprietary technology. The Company relies on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, and confidentiality provisions in agreements with employees, contract manufacturers, consultants, customers and other third parties, to protect its intellectual property rights. Other parties may not comply with the terms of their agreements with us, and the Company may not be able to enforce its rights adequately against these parties. In addition, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use its products or technology. Monitoring unauthorized use of its products is difficult, and the Company cannot be certain that the steps the Company has taken will prevent unauthorized use of its technology. If competitors are able to use the Company’s technology, its ability to compete effectively could be harmed. For example, if a competitor were to gain use of certain of the Company’s proprietary technology, it might be able to develop and manufacture similarly designed MedCenter Kiosks at a reduced cost, which would result in a decrease in demand for the company’s products. The Company does not know whether any of its pending patent applications will result in the issuance of patents or whether the examination process will require the Company to narrow its claims, and even if patents are issued, they may be contested, circumvented or invalidated over the course of its business. Moreover, the rights granted under any issued patents may not provide the Company with proprietary protection or competitive advantages, and, as with any
technology, competitors may be able to develop and obtain patents for technologies that are similar to or superior to its technologies. If that happens, the Company may need to license these technologies and the Company may not be able to obtain licenses on reasonable terms, if at all, thereby causing great harm to its business. In addition, if the Company resorts to legal proceedings to enforce its intellectual property rights, the proceedings could become burdensome and expensive, even if it were to prevail.
Claims by others that the Company infringe their intellectual property could cause the Company to suffer substantial harm.
Many companies have significant patent portfolios and these companies and other parties may claim that the Company’s products infringe their proprietary rights. The Company expects that infringement claims may increase as the number of products and competitors in its market increases and overlaps occur. In addition, to the extent that the Company gains greater visibility and market exposure as a public company, the Company faces a higher risk of being the subject of intellectual property infringement claims. Any party asserting that the Company’s products infringe their proprietary rights would force the Company to defend itself, and possibly its customers, against the alleged infringement. These claims and any resulting lawsuit, if successful, could subject the Company to significant liability for damages and invalidation of its proprietary rights. Such may also force the Company to do one or more of the following:
•stop selling, incorporating or using its products that use the challenged intellectual property;
•obtain from the owner of the infringed intellectual property right a license to sell or use the relevant technology, which license may not be available on reasonable terms, or at all;
•redesign those products that use any allegedly infringing technology, which may be costly and time-consuming; or
•refund deposits and other amounts received for allegedly infringing technology or products.
Any claim of infringement from a third party, even those without merit, could cause the Company to incur substantial costs defending against such claims, and could distract its management from running its business. Even if the Company prevails, the cost of such litigation could deplete its financial resources. Litigation is also time consuming and could divert management’s attention and resources away from its business. Furthermore, during the course of litigation, confidential information may be disclosed in the form of documents or testimony in connection with discovery requests, depositions or trial testimony. Disclosure of its confidential information and its involvement in intellectual property litigation could materially and adversely affect its business. Some of its competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex intellectual property litigation more effectively than the Company can. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could significantly limit its ability to continue its operations.
Risks Related to Ownership of the Company’s Securities
The Company may need to raise additional financing in the future to fund its operations, which may not be available to it on favorable terms or at all.
Depending on uncertain future market risks and conditions, the Company may require substantial additional funds to continue to expand the core business, develop and commercialize its self-service pharmacy. The Company’s future capital requirements will depend upon a number of factors, including the: cost to manufacture additional MedCenter kiosks, development of pharmacy self-service capabilities, expenses related to initiating operations in a new state or region, cost to hire pharmacy and corporate support staff, expenses related to leasing additional real estate space for pharmacy operations and or corporate services, cost of information technology infrastructure needed to support growth across new geographical markets, expenses for licensing technologies and other required legal, audit or outside services. Raising additional capital may be costly or difficult to obtain and could significantly dilute stockholders’ ownership interests or inhibit the Company’s ability to achieve its business objectives. If the Company raises additional funds through public or private equity offerings, the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of its common stockholders. Further, to the extent that the Company raises additional capital through the sale of common stock or securities convertible or exchangeable into common stock, its stockholders’ ownership interest in the Company will be diluted. In addition, any debt financing may subject the Company to fixed payment obligations and covenants limiting or restricting its ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If the Company raises additional capital through marketing and distribution arrangements or other collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, the Company may have to relinquish certain valuable intellectual property or other rights to its products, technologies, future revenue streams or research programs or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to it. Even if the Company were to obtain sufficient funding, there can be no assurance that it will be available on terms acceptable to the Company or its stockholders.
The market price of the Company’s Common Stock is expected to be volatile, and the market price of the common stock may drop.
The market price of the Company’s Common Stock could be subject to significant fluctuations. Market prices for securities of early-stage telehealth, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other life sciences companies have historically been particularly volatile. Some of the factors that may cause the market price of the Company’s Common Stock to fluctuate include:
•the ability of the Company to obtain state board of pharmacy licenses and regulatory approvals, and delays or failures to obtain and maintain such licenses approvals;
•failure of any of the Company’s products to achieve commercial success;
•the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and any other future pandemics on the Company’s business;
•failure by the Company to maintain its existing third-party license and supply agreements;
•failure by the Company or its licensors to prosecute, maintain, or enforce its intellectual property rights;
•changes in laws or regulations applicable to the Company;
•any inability to obtain adequate supply of the Company’s products or the inability to do so at acceptable prices;
•adverse regulatory authority decisions;
•introduction of new products, services or technologies by the Company’s competitors;
•failure to meet or exceed financial and development projections the Company may provide to the public and the investment community;
•the perception of the pharmaceutical industry by the public, legislatures, regulators and the investment community;
•announcements of significant acquisitions, strategic collaborations, joint ventures or capital commitments by the Company or its competitors;
•disputes or other developments relating to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters, and the Company’s ability to obtain patent protection for its technologies;
•additions or departures of key personnel;
•significant lawsuits, including patent or stockholder litigation;
•changes in the market valuations of similar companies;
•general market or macroeconomic conditions;
•trading volume of the Company’s common stock;
•announcements by commercial partners or competitors of new commercial products, significant contracts, commercial relationships or capital commitments;
•adverse publicity generally, including with respect to other products and potential products in such markets;
•the introduction of technological innovations that compete with potential products of the Company;
•changes in the structure of health care payment systems;
•period-to-period fluctuations in the Company’s financial results;
•investors’ reactions to the prospects of the Company’s business and prospects following the Business Combination;
•the effect of the Business Combination on the Company’s business and prospects is not consistent with the expectations of financial or industry analysts; or
•the possibility that the Company does not achieve the perceived benefits of the Business Combination as rapidly or to the extent anticipated by stockholders or financial or industry analysts.
Moreover, the stock markets in general have experienced substantial volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of individual companies. These broad market fluctuations may also adversely affect the trading price of the Company’s Common Stock.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders have often instituted class action securities litigation against those companies. Such litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management attention and resources, which could significantly harm the Company’s profitability and reputation.
Additionally, a decrease in the stock price of the Company may cause the Company’s Common Stock to no longer satisfy the continued listing standards of Nasdaq. If the Company is not able to maintain the requirements for listing on Nasdaq, it could be delisted, which could have a materially adverse effect on its ability to raise additional funds as well as the price and liquidity of its Common Stock.
The Company will incur costs and demands upon management as a result of complying with the laws and regulations affecting public companies.
The Company will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that MedAvail did not incur as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting requirements. The Company will also incur costs associated with corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as applicable securities laws and rules and regulations implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq. These rules and regulations are expected to increase the Company’s legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time consuming and costly. For example, the Company’s management team consists of the executive officers of MedAvail prior to the Merger, some of whom have not previously managed and operated a public company. These executive officers and other personnel will need to devote substantial time to gaining expertise regarding operations as a public company and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. These rules and regulations also may make it difficult and expensive for the Company to obtain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance. As a result, it may be more difficult for the Company to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on the Company’s board of directors or as executive officers of the Company, which may adversely affect investor confidence in the Company and could cause the Company’s business or stock price to suffer.
The Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, Delaware law and/or its agreements with certain stockholders may impede the ability of its stockholders to make changes to its board of directors or impede a takeover.
Certain provisions of the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as well as provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, could make it difficult for stockholders to change the composition of the board of directors or discourage, delay, or prevent a merger, consolidation, or acquisitions that stockholders may otherwise consider favorable. These provisions include the authorization of the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock that could be issued by the board of directors, limitations on the ability of stockholders to call special meetings, and advance notice requirements for nomination for election to the board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings. As a Delaware corporation, the Company is subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL, which prohibits the Company, except under specified circumstances, from engaging in any mergers, significant sales of stock or assets, or business combinations with any stockholder or group of stockholders who own 15% or more of our common stock.
While these provisions will not make the Company immune from takeovers or changes in the composition of the board of directors, and are intended to protect the Company’s stockholders from, among other things, coercive or otherwise unfair tactics, these provisions could have the effect of making it difficult for stockholders to change the composition of the board of directors or discouraging, delaying, or preventing a merger, consolidation, or acquisitions that stockholders may otherwise consider favorable.
There are a number of additional business risks that could materially and adversely affect the Company’s businesses and financial results.
Many other factors could materially and adversely affect the Company’s businesses and financial results, including:
•its ability to establish effective advertising, marketing and promotional programs;
•inflation, new or increased taxes, changes in market conditions or otherwise;
•natural disasters, civil unrest, severe weather conditions, terrorist activities, global political and economic developments, war, health epidemics or pandemics or the prospect of these events;
•liabilities or expense relating to the protection of the environment, related health and safety matters, environmental remediation or compliance with environmental laws and regulations, including those governing exposure to, and the management and disposal of, hazardous substances;
•the long-term effects of climate change on general economic conditions and the pharmacy industry in particular, along with changes in the supply, demand or available sources of energy and the regulatory and other costs associated with energy production and delivery;
•adverse publicity and potential losses, liabilities and reputational harm stemming from any public incident, whether occurring online, in social media, in our stores or other company facilities, or elsewhere, involving our company, our personnel or our brands, including
any such public incident involving its customers, products, services, stores or other property, or those of any of its vendors or other parties with which the Company does business;
•negative publicity, even if unwarranted, related to safety or quality, human and workplace rights, or other issues damaging its brand image and corporate reputation, or that of any of its vendors or strategic allies; and
•technological innovation that changes delivery of healthcare resulting new modes of medication distribution.
The Company does not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
The Company expects to retain its future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of the Company’s business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of the common stock of the Company is expected to be its stockholders’ sole source of gain, if any, for the foreseeable future.
An active trading market for the Company’s Common Stock may not develop and its stockholders may not be able to resell their shares of Common Stock for a profit, if at all.
Prior to the Business Combination, there had been no public market for MedAvail’s common stock. An active trading market for the Company’s shares of Common Stock may never develop or be sustained. If an active market for its common stock does not develop or is not sustained, it may be difficult for its stockholders to sell their shares at an attractive price or at all.
Future sales of shares by existing stockholders could cause the Company’s stock price to decline.
If stockholders of the Company sell, or indicate an intention to sell, substantial amounts of the Company’s common stock in the public market after legal restrictions on resale, the trading price of the common stock of the Company could decline. The Company is unable to predict the effect that sales may have on the prevailing market price of the Company’s common stock.
If equity research analysts do not publish research or reports, or publish unfavorable research or reports, about the Company, its business or its market, its stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for the Company’s common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that equity research analysts publish about it and its business. Equity research analysts may elect not to provide research coverage of the Company’s common stock, and such lack of research coverage may adversely affect the market price of its common stock. In the event it does have equity research analyst coverage, the Company will not have any control over the analysts, or the content and opinions included in their reports. The price of the Company’s common stock could decline if one or more equity research analysts downgrade its stock or issue other unfavorable commentary or research. If one or more equity research analysts ceases coverage of the Company or fails to publish reports on it regularly, demand for its common stock could decrease, which in turn could cause its stock price or trading volume to decline.
The Company has broad discretion in the use of proceeds from the Private Placement and may invest or spend the proceeds in ways with which its stockholders do not agree and in ways that may not increase the value of their investments.
The Company will have broad discretion over the use of proceeds from the sale of securities pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement dated as of October 9, 2020, by and among MedAvail and the subscribers set forth therein, or the Private Placement. Its stockholders may not agree with the Company’s decisions, and its use of the proceeds may not yield any return on its stockholders’ investments. The Company’s failure to apply the net proceeds of the Private Placement effectively could compromise its ability to pursue its growth strategy and the Company might not be able to yield a significant return, if any, on its investment of these net proceeds. The Company’s stockholders will not have the opportunity to influence its decisions on how to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement.
If the Company fails to maintain proper and effective internal controls, its ability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis could be impaired.
The Company is subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of Nasdaq and the SEC. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that the Company maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. The Company must perform system and process evaluation and testing of its internal control over financial reporting to allow management to report on the effectiveness of its internal controls over financial reporting in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filing for that year, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. As a private company, MedAvail has never been required to test its internal controls within a specified period or for an extended period of time. This will require that the Company incur substantial professional fees and internal costs to expand its accounting and finance functions and that it expends significant management efforts. The Company may experience difficulty in meeting these reporting requirements in a timely manner.
The Company may discover weaknesses in its system of internal financial and accounting controls and procedures that could result in a material misstatement of its financial statements. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting will not prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud will be detected.
If the Company is not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or if it is unable to maintain proper and effective internal controls, the Company may not be able to produce timely and accurate financial statements. If that were to happen, the market price of its common stock could decline and it could be subject to sanctions or investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
If the Company fails to attract and retain management and other key personnel, it may be unable to continue to successfully develop or commercialize its products or otherwise implement its business plan.
The Company’s ability to compete in the highly competitive healthcare industry depends on its ability to attract and retain highly qualified managerial, pharmacy technology, legal, sales and marketing and other personnel. The Company will be highly dependent on its management and pharmacy personnel. The loss of the services of any of these individuals could impede, delay or prevent the successful development of the Company’s product pipeline or acquisition of new assets and could impact negatively its ability to implement successfully its business plan. If the Company loses the services of any of these individuals, it might not be able to find suitable replacements on a timely basis or at all, and its business could be harmed as a result. The Company might not be able to attract or retain qualified management and other key personnel in the future due to the intense competition for qualified personnel among telehealth, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and other businesses competing for talent.
The Company is a “smaller reporting company” and it cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to the Company will make its common stock less attractive to investors.
As a smaller reporting company, the Company may take advantage of reduced disclosure requirements, such as simplified executive compensation disclosures and reduced financial statement disclosure requirements in its SEC filings. Decreased disclosures in the Company’s SEC filings due to its status as a smaller reporting company may make it harder for investors to analyze its results of operations and financial prospects. The Company cannot predict if investors will find the Company’s common stock less attractive if it relies on these exemptions. If some investors find its common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for its common stock and its stock price may be more volatile. The Company may take advantage of the reporting exemptions applicable to a smaller reporting company until it is no longer a smaller reporting company, which status would end once it has a public float greater than $250 million. In that event, the Company could still be a smaller reporting company if its annual revenues were below $100 million and it has a public float of less than $700 million.
COVID-19 and Pandemic Related Risk Factors
COVID-19 has and may continue to delay the Company’s deployment of MedCenters into third-party owned Medicare-focused healthcare clinics. COVID-19 can limit the Company’s access to the clinics where the SpotRx pharmacy is deployed and significantly impair its ability to acquire new customers. In addition, COVID-19 has impacted and will continue to impact the Company’s revenue growth. The impact of COVID-19 includes, but is not limited to, the following:
•Fewer patients see their physicians and seek medical attention at clinics;
•Some clinics have been closed and staffing at other clinics has been reduced affecting their ability to service their customers;
•The Company is dependent on its supply chain for purchasing medication. If demands spikes for certain medications it can impact its ability to acquire and resell the medication to serve its customers;
•The Company is dependent on its contract manufactures who assemble its MedCenter technology. Any disruption of their supply capability due to COVID-19 would impact its ability to deploy new sites as well as sell its solution to other new clients;
•The Company outsources the majority of its hardware maintenance to third parties who repair MedCenters with technical issues as well as install new MedCenters as required. Any disruption to their ability to supply services to the Company will impact both currently operating MedCenters as well as slow down deployment of new sites; and
•The focus of the healthcare system is on treating COVID-19 and as a result resources are concentrated there as opposed to on other matter.
The existence and persistence of COVID-19 and other pandemics will negatively impact the Company’s revenue and growth and may adversely affect its results of operations in the future.