San Francisco- McKesson Corp has acquired connective health care solution provider Per-Se Technologies, Alpharetta, Ga, in a transaction valued at approximately $1.8 billion. The move is intended to expand McKessons customer base and strengthen its product portfolio.

Per-Se's current customer base is estimated to include roughly 100,000 small-practice physicians, 17,000 hospital-based physicians, 3,000 hospitals, and 50,000 retail pharmacies. The company's product lines will expand McKesson's offerings in all areas, such as hospital information technology (expanded connectivity and tools), physicians offices (with a line of practice-management solutions), and retail pharmacies (management software).

McKesson estimates that the acquisition will more than double its transaction-processing services and associated offerings for physicians and hospitals to approximately 560 million transactions representing an estimated $300 billion in charges. The company also expects to realize pretax synergies at a minimum of $50 million to $75 million by the third year.

For more information, visit McKesson at www.mckesson.com or Per-Se at www.per-se.com.