Verispan, which tracks prescription data, among other things, has just released its Fall 2007 audit and found that Novartis is the winner - again. And while all of the companies that ranked second through fifth place were among the top five last spring, there was some shifting of placement in this cycle.

After a large leap from seventh in fall 2006 to a four-way tie for second in spring 2007, AstraZeneca dropped slightly to fourth in fall 2007. Merck and Schering-Plough finished in second and third place, respectively. Abbott Labs went from a four-way tie for second in spring 2007 to fifth in fall 2007. The overall ranking is calculated by Verispan based on four assessment categories: contracts, value-added services, account personnel and corporate approach. AstraZeneca scored best in contracts and, along with Novartis, was ranked highest for supporting Medicare Part D.