Cencora 10-K 2021-09-30

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K

☑ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED September 30, 2021

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM ___________ TO___________

Commission file number 1-16671

AMERISOURCEBERGEN CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(610) 727-7000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

_________________________________________________

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act). Yes þ No o

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes o No þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes þ No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

Large accelerated filer þ Accelerated filer o Non-accelerated filer o Smaller reporting company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C.7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Yes ☐ No þ

The aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant on March 31, 2021 based upon the closing price of such stock on the New York Stock Exchange on March 31, 2021 was $14,163,374,015.

The number of shares of common stock of AmerisourceBergen Corporation outstanding as of October 31, 2021 was 208,133,361.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the following document are incorporated by reference in the Part of this report indicated below:

Part III — Registrant's Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

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PART I

As used herein, the terms "Company," "AmerisourceBergen," "we," "us," or "our" refer to AmerisourceBergen Corporation, a Delaware corporation.

AmerisourceBergen is one of the largest global pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services companies, helping both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers improve patient access to products and enhance patient care. We deliver innovative programs and services designed to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the pharmaceutical supply chain in both human and animal health. More specifically, we distribute a comprehensive offering of brand-name, specialty brand-name, and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to a wide variety of healthcare providers located in the United States and select global markets, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, physician practices, medical and dialysis clinics, veterinarians, and other customers. Additionally, we furnish healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers with an assortment of related services, including data analytics, outcomes research, reimbursement and pharmaceutical consulting services, niche premium logistics services, inventory management, pharmacy automation, pharmacy management, and packaging solutions.

Industry Overview

Pharmaceutical sales in the United States, as recently estimated by IQVIA, an independent third-party provider of information to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 4.2% from 2020 through 2025, and the growth rate is dependent, in part, on pharmaceutical manufacturer price increases. In addition to general economic conditions, factors that impact the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in the United States and other industry trends include:

Aging Population. The number of individuals aged 65 and over in the United States is expected to exceed 65 million by 2025 and is the most rapidly growing segment of the population. This age group suffers from more chronic illnesses and disabilities than the rest of the population and accounts for a substantial portion of total healthcare expenditures in the United States.

Introduction of New Pharmaceuticals. Traditional research and development, as well as the advent of new research, production, and delivery methods, such as biotechnology and gene therapy, continue to generate new pharmaceuticals and delivery methods that are more effective in treating diseases. We believe ongoing research and development expenditures by the leading pharmaceutical manufacturers will contribute to continued growth of the industry. In particular, we believe ongoing research and development of biotechnology and other specialty pharmaceutical drugs will provide opportunities for the continued growth of our specialty pharmaceuticals business.

Increased Use of Generic and Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals. A number of patents for widely used brand-name pharmaceutical products will continue to expire during the next several years. In addition, increased emphasis by managed care and other third-party payors on utilization of generics and biosimilars has accelerated their growth. We consider the increase in generic and biosimilar usage a favorable trend because generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals have historically provided us with a greater gross profit margin opportunity than brand-name products, although their lower prices reduce revenue growth. Generic pharmaceuticals currently account for approximately 90% of the prescription volume in the United States.

Increased Use of Drug Therapies. In response to rising healthcare costs, governmental and private payors have adopted cost containment measures that encourage the use of efficient drug therapies to prevent or treat diseases. While national attention has been focused on the overall increase in aggregate healthcare costs, we believe drug therapy has had a beneficial impact on healthcare costs by reducing expensive surgeries and prolonged hospital stays. Pharmaceuticals currently account for approximately 10% of overall healthcare costs. Pharmaceutical manufacturers' continued emphasis on research and development is expected to result in the continuing introduction of cost-effective drug therapies and new uses for existing drug therapies.

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Legislative Developments. In 2010, the federal government enacted major health reform legislation designed to expand access to health insurance, which increased the number of people in the United States who are eligible to be reimbursed for all or a portion of prescription drug costs. The health reform law provides for sweeping changes to Medicare and Medicaid policies (including drug reimbursement policies), expanded disclosure requirements regarding financial arrangements within the healthcare industry, enhanced enforcement authority to prevent fraud and abuse, and new taxes and fees on pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. Subsequent legislation and rules promulgated by government agencies have made additional changes to federal drug payment policies. These policies and other legislative developments (including potential revisions to or repeal of any portions of the health reform legislation) may affect our businesses directly and/or indirectly (see Government Regulation on page 8 and the risk factor titled Legal, regulatory, and legislative changes with respect to reimbursement, pricing, and contracting may adversely affect our business and results of operations, including through declining reimbursement rates on page 16 for further details).

COVID-19 Pandemic. In March 2020, the World Health Organization ("WHO") declared a global pandemic attributable to the outbreak and continued spread of COVID-19. In connection with the mitigation and containment procedures recommended by the WHO and imposed by federal, state, and local governmental authorities, we implemented measures designed to keep our employees safe and address business continuity issues at our distribution centers and other locations. We continue to evaluate and plan for the potential effects of any disruption and the related impacts on our revenue, results of operations, and cash flows. These items include, but are not limited to, the financial condition of our customers and the realization of accounts receivable, changes in availability and demand for our products and services, changes in operating costs, and delays related to current and future projects. While our operational and financial performance may be significantly impacted by COVID-19, it is not possible for us to predict the duration or magnitude of the outbreak and whether it could have a material adverse impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations, or cash flows (see Risk Factor - We face risks related to health epidemics and pandemics, and the continued spread of COVID-19 has had adverse effects on our business).

Other economic conditions and certain risk factors could adversely affect our business and prospects (see Item 1A. Risk Factors on page 11).

The Company

We serve our customers (healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers) through a geographically diverse network of distribution service centers and other operations in the United States and select global markets. In our pharmaceutical distribution business, we are typically the primary supplier of pharmaceutical and related products to our healthcare provider customers. We offer a broad range of services to our customers designed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations, which allow them to improve the delivery of healthcare to patients and to lower overall costs in the pharmaceutical supply channel.

Strategy

Our business strategy is focused on the global pharmaceutical supply channel where we provide value-added distribution and global commercialization services to healthcare providers (primarily pharmacies, health systems, medical and dialysis clinics, physicians, and veterinarians) and pharmaceutical manufacturers that improve channel efficiencies and patient outcomes. Implementing this disciplined and focused strategy in a seamless and unified way has allowed us to significantly expand our business, and we believe we are well positioned to grow revenue and increase operating income through the execution of the following key elements of our business strategy:

• Optimize and Grow Our Pharmaceutical Distribution and Strategic Global Sourcing Businesses. We believe we are well positioned in size and market breadth to continue to grow our distribution businesses as we invest to improve our operating and capital efficiencies. Distribution, including specialty pharmaceuticals, anchors our growth and position in the pharmaceutical supply channel as we provide superior distribution services and deliver value-added solutions, which improve the efficiency and competitiveness of both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers, thus allowing the pharmaceutical supply channel to better deliver healthcare to patients.

We are a leader in distribution and services to community oncologists and have leading positions in other physician-administered products. We distribute plasma and other blood products, injectable pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other specialty products. We are well positioned to service and support many of the new biotechnology therapies that are expected to be coming to market in the near future.

We have introduced strategies to enhance our position in the generic marketplace, including our generic product private label program based in Ireland. We source generics globally, offer a value-added generic formulary program to our healthcare provider customers, and monitor our customers' compliance with our generics program. We also

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provide data and other valuable services to our manufacturer customers, which includes our international presence in Switzerland where we lead our global manufacturer relations and commercialization strategy.

We offer value-added services and solutions to assist healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers to improve their efficiency and their patient outcomes. Services for manufacturers include: assistance with rapid new product launches, promotional and marketing services to accelerate product sales, product data reporting, and logistical support.

Our provider solutions include: our Good Neighbor Pharmacy® program, which enables independent community pharmacies to compete more effectively through pharmaceutical benefit and merchandising programs; Elevate Provider Network®, our managed care network, which connects our retail pharmacy customers to payor plans throughout the country and is one of the largest in the United States; generic product purchasing and private label services; hospital pharmacy consulting designed to improve operational efficiencies; and packaging solutions for institutional and retail healthcare providers.

We believe we have one of the lowest operating cost structures among all pharmaceutical distributors. Our robust distribution facility network includes a national distribution center in Columbus, OH, which offers pharmaceutical manufacturers a single shipping destination. We continue to seek opportunities to achieve increased productivity and operating income gains as we invest in and continue to implement warehouse automation technology, adopt "best practices" in warehousing activities, and increase operating leverage by increasing volume per full-service distribution facility. We continue to seek opportunities to expand our offerings in our Pharmaceutical Distribution and Strategic Global Sourcing businesses.

• Optimize and Grow Our Global Commercialization Services and Animal Health Businesses. Our consulting service businesses help global pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers commercialize their products. We believe we are one of the largest providers of reimbursement services that assist pharmaceutical companies in supporting access to branded drugs. We also provide outcomes research, contract field staffing, patient assistance and copay assistance programs, adherence programs, risk mitigation services, and other market access programs to pharmaceutical companies. World Courier is a leading global specialty transportation and logistics provider for the biopharmaceutical industry. World Courier further strengthens our service offerings to global pharmaceutical manufacturers and provides an established platform for the introduction of our specialty services outside North America. MWI Animal Health (“MWI”) sells pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and various other products to customers in both the companion animal and production animal markets. MWI also offers its customers a variety of value-added services, including its e-commerce platform, technology management systems, pharmacy fulfillment, inventory management system, equipment procurement consultation, special order fulfillment, and educational seminars, which we believe closely integrate MWI with its customers' day-to-day operations and provide them with meaningful incentives to continue doing business with MWI. We continue to seek opportunities to expand our offerings in our Global Commercialization Services and Animal Health businesses.

*•*Acquisitions. In order to grow our core strategic offerings and to enter related markets, we have acquired and invested in businesses and will continue to consider additional acquisitions and investments.

On June 1, 2021, we acquired a majority of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.'s ("WBA") Alliance Healthcare businesses ("Alliance Healthcare"). Alliance Healthcare supplies pharmaceuticals, other healthcare products, and related services to healthcare providers, including pharmacies, doctors, health centers, and hospitals in 10 countries, primarily in Europe. The acquisition expands our reach and solutions in pharmaceutical distribution and adds to our depth and breadth of global manufacturer services. For the allocation of the purchase price, see Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

• Divestitures. In order to allow us to concentrate on our strategic focus areas, we have divested certain non-core businesses and may, from time to time, consider additional divestitures.

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We recently entered into agreements to sell two non-core subsidiaries. In connection with entering into these agreements, we concluded that both disposal groups met the held for sale criteria and classified their assets and liabilities as held for sale as of September 30, 2021. Refer to Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a summary of the assets and liabilities classified as held for sale.

Operations

Operating Structure. We are organized based upon the products and services we provide to our customers. Our operations as of September 30, 2021 are comprised of the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment and other operating segments that are not significant enough to require separate reportable segment disclosure, and, therefore, have been included in Other for the purpose of reportable segment presentation.

Pharmaceutical Distribution Services Segment

Servicing healthcare providers in the pharmaceutical supply channel, the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services segment's operations provide drug distribution, strategic global sourcing, and related services designed to reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes.

The Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment distributes a comprehensive offering of brand-name, specialty brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to a wide variety of healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. Through a number of operating businesses, the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment provides pharmaceutical distribution (including plasma and other blood products, injectable pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other specialty pharmaceutical products) and additional services to physicians who specialize in a variety of disease states, especially oncology, and to other healthcare providers, including hospitals and dialysis clinics. Additionally, the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment provides data analytics, outcomes research, and additional services for biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment also provides pharmacy management, staffing and additional consulting services, and supply management software to a variety of retail and institutional healthcare providers. Additionally, it delivers packaging solutions to institutional and retail healthcare providers.

Other

Other consists of operating segments that focus on global commercialization services, animal health (MWI Animal Health), and international pharmaceutical wholesale and related service operations (Alliance Healthcare). The operating segments that focus on global commercialization services include AmerisourceBergen Consulting Services ("ABCS") and World Courier.

Alliance Healthcare supplies pharmaceuticals, other healthcare products, and related services to healthcare providers, including pharmacies, doctors, health centers, and hospitals in 10 countries, primarily in Europe. MWI is a leading animal health distribution company in the United States and in the United Kingdom. MWI sells pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and various other products to customers in both the companion animal and production animal markets. Additionally, MWI offers demand-creating sales force services to manufacturers. ABCS, through a number of operating businesses, provides a full suite of integrated manufacturer services that range from clinical trial support to product post-approval and commercialization support. World Courier, which operates in more than 50 countries, is a leading global specialty transportation and logistics provider for the biopharmaceutical industry.

Sales and Marketing. The majority of Pharmaceutical Distribution Services’ sales force is led nationally, with geographic focus and specialized by either healthcare provider type or size. Customer service representatives are centralized in order to respond to customer needs in a timely and effective manner. Pharmaceutical Distribution Services also has support professionals focused on its various technologies and service offerings. Pharmaceutical Distribution Services’ sales teams also serve national account customers through close coordination with local distribution centers and ensure that our customers are receiving service offerings that meet their needs. Our other operating segments each have independent sales forces that specialize in their respective product and service offerings. In addition, we have an enterprise-wide marketing team that coordinates branding and all other marketing activities across the Company.

Customers. We have a diverse customer base that includes institutional and retail healthcare providers as well as pharmaceutical manufacturers. Institutional healthcare providers include acute care hospitals, health systems, mail order pharmacies, long-term care and other alternate care pharmacies, and providers of pharmacy services to such facilities, physicians, and physician group practices. Retail healthcare providers include national and regional retail drugstore chains, independent community pharmacies, pharmacy departments of supermarkets and mass merchandisers, and veterinarians. We are typically the primary source of supply for our healthcare provider customers. Our manufacturer customers include branded,

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generic, and biotechnology manufacturers of prescription pharmaceuticals, as well as over-the-counter product and health and beauty aid manufacturers. In addition, we offer a broad range of value-added solutions designed to enhance the operating efficiencies and competitive positions of our customers, thereby allowing them to improve the delivery of healthcare to patients and consumers.

Our two largest customers, WBA and Express Scripts, Inc. ("Express Scripts"), accounted for approximately 31% and approximately 12%, respectively, of revenue in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. Our top 10 customers, including governmental agencies and group purchasing organizations ("GPO"), represented approximately 69% of revenue in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. The loss of any major customer or GPO relationship could adversely affect future revenue and results of operations. Additionally, from time to time, significant contracts may be terminated in accordance with their terms or extended, renewed, or replaced prior to their expiration dates. If those contracts are not renewed, or are extended, renewed, or replaced at less favorable terms, they may negatively impact our revenue, results of operations, and cash flows.

Suppliers. We obtain pharmaceutical and other products from manufacturers, none of which accounted for 10% or more of our purchases in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. The loss of a supplier could adversely affect our business if alternate sources of supply are unavailable since we are committed to be the primary source of pharmaceutical products for a majority of our customers. We believe that our relationships with our suppliers are strong. The 10 largest suppliers in fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 accounted for approximately 49% of our purchases.

Information Systems. The Pharmaceutical Distribution Services operating segment’s distribution facilities in the United States operate under a single enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) system. Pharmaceutical Distribution Services’ ERP system provides for, among other things, electronic order entry by customers, invoice preparation and purchasing, and inventory tracking. Our other operating segments operate the majority of their businesses on their own common operating systems resulting in the ability to rapidly deploy new capabilities. We continue to make investments to enhance and upgrade the operating systems utilized by our other operating segments, including, but not limited to, Alliance Healthcare.

Additionally, we are improving our entity-wide infrastructure environment to drive efficiency, capabilities, and speed to market.

We will continue to invest in advanced information systems and automated warehouse technology. For example, in an effort to comply with future pedigree and other supply chain custody requirements (see Risk Factor - Increasing governmental efforts to regulate the pharmaceutical supply channel and pharmaceutical compounding may increase our costs and reduce our profitability), we expect to continue to make significant investments in our secure supply chain information systems.

Pharmaceutical Distribution Services has made significant investments in its electronic ordering systems. Pharmaceutical Distribution Services’ systems are intended to strengthen customer relationships by helping customers to reduce operating costs, and by providing them a platform for a number of basic and value-added services, including product demand data, inventory replenishment, single-source billing, third-party claims processing, real-time price and incentive updates, and price labels.

Pharmaceutical Distribution Services processes a substantial portion of its purchase orders, invoices, and payments electronically, and it continues to make substantial investments to expand its electronic interface with its suppliers. Pharmaceutical Distribution Services has warehouse operating systems, which are used to manage the majority of its transactional volume. The warehouse operating systems have improved Pharmaceutical Distribution Services’ productivity and operating leverage. Our data center operations are insourced.

Competition

We face a highly competitive global environment in the distribution of pharmaceuticals and related healthcare services. Our largest competitors are McKesson Corporation ("McKesson"), Cardinal Health, Inc. ("Cardinal"), and UPS Logistics, among others. Pharmaceutical Distribution Services competes with both McKesson and Cardinal, as well as national generic distributors and regional distributors within pharmaceutical distribution. In addition, we compete with manufacturers who sell directly to customers, chain drugstores who manage their own warehousing, specialty distributors, and packaging and healthcare technology companies. ABCS, World Courier, MWI, and Alliance Healthcare also face competition from a variety of businesses. In all areas, competitive factors include price, product offerings, value-added service programs, service and delivery, credit terms, and customer support.

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Intellectual Property

We use a number of trademarks and service marks. All of the principal trademarks and service marks used in the course of our business have been registered in the United States and, in some cases, in foreign jurisdictions, or are the subject of pending applications for registration.

We have developed or acquired various proprietary products, processes, software, and other intellectual property that are used either to facilitate the conduct of our business or that are made available as products or services to customers. We generally seek to protect such intellectual property through a combination of trade secret, patent and copyright laws, and through confidentiality and other contractually imposed protections.

We hold patents and have patent applications pending that relate to certain of our products, particularly our automated pharmacy dispensing equipment, our medication and supply dispensing equipment, certain warehousing equipment, and some of our proprietary packaging solutions. We seek patent protection for our proprietary intellectual property from time to time as appropriate.

Although we believe that our patents or other proprietary products and processes do not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third parties, third parties may assert infringement claims against us from time to time.

Human Capital Resources

Our ability to be successful in the global marketplace directly depends on attracting and retaining a talented and skilled workforce. As the strength of our workforce is critical to our success, we aspire to create healthier futures and accelerate business results by inspiring the best and brightest global talent across all dimensions of diversity to perform at their full potential.

Workforce

As of September 30, 2021, we had approximately 42,000 employees, of which approximately 38,000 were full-time employees and approximately 40% were U.S.-based employees.

Approximately 27% of our employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements, a large majority of which are Alliance Healthcare employees located outside of the United States.

Talent Development

We consider employee development to be a strategic priority. We support employee growth and development by offering a variety of benefits including:

• Leadership and professional development programs and resources;

• Tuition reimbursement;

• Opportunities to volunteer and participate in mentorship programs and Employee Resource Groups;

• Recognition for excellence, such as our annual Pursuit of Purpose awards and True Blue associate recognition program; and a

• Personalized learning and skill building experiences through a global learning experience platform.

Importantly, we have also made thoughtful investments to build our talent and culture. In fiscal 2020, we partnered with leaders across the Company to create a new integrated talent framework aligned to our business strategy and purpose, and in fiscal 2021, we introduced to our global team members this new framework, which includes a new leadership competency model, enterprise learning strategy, and modern approach to performance management.

We introduced our new leadership model, which emphasizes people, collaboration, innovation, and purpose, to our team members in fiscal 2021 through a series of experiential learning programs. Implementation started with our top 300 leaders and we are working to embed it into our hiring, performance management, development, and succession-planning processes. The ultimate goal of the new leadership model is to help us unlock the full potential of our people and build the new skills and behaviors we need to achieve our enterprise strategy.

Our goal is to provide our team members with clear pathways for career development, access to programs and benefits that allow them to live fuller, healthier lives, and an ability to participate in the community in ways that inspire and celebrate individuality. Our talent development programs are designed to help provide a supportive and engaging work environment where team members can excel, while remaining authentic and empowered to share their unique perspectives.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ("DE&I")

At AmerisourceBergen, we strive to foster a global workplace that values varying cultural, experiential, and philosophical perspectives, creates pathways for every team member to thrive, makes a positive impact on our communities through equitable access to healthcare, and is transparent and accountable for progress.

We encourage and embrace different cultures and backgrounds, as we recognize the value of employing a workforce of unique and varying viewpoints and experiences. Currently, 49% of our U.S. workforce are individuals with ethnically and/or racially diverse backgrounds and 57% are women. We have one ethnically and/or racially diverse Director, and women account for 30% of our Board of Directors and 57% of our Executive Management Committee.

Our long-term DE&I strategy is focused on four critical dimensions—people, culture, progress, and community—and is grounded in deep organizational insights, our people data, and industry research and benchmarks. In pursuit of this strategy, in 2021, we:

• Introduced AmerisourceBergen’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Council, representing central leadership and driving force accelerating business results through our global diversity & inclusion strategy.

• Launched the ABility Employee Resource Group ("ERG") with the mission to elevate employee voices, bring enterprise-wide awareness, and become a resource for all individuals and their families with visible and invisible disabilities.

• Furthered our focus on supplier diversity by partnering with businesses with diverse ownership in sectors that we rely on.

• Supported equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines through our Good Neighbor Pharmacy partners, including our partnership with the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program to support vaccination efforts across the U.S., and delivered vaccines in more than 30 countries around the world.

• Directed meaningful dollars, through both the Company and the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, to philanthropic causes that benefit diverse communities, including $700 thousand to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to address vaccine hesitancy in diverse communities, along with nearly $2.7 million of in-kind donations of healthcare products to underserved communities across the globe in conjunction with our non-profit partners.

• Doubled investment in team member development and launched new enterprise learning strategy and digital learning platform.

In addition to the foregoing, we offer the following DE&I programs and initiatives:

• To connect and align our diverse workforce, our ERG program includes eight ERGs, comprised of approximately 4,000 members globally. The ERGs continue to evolve, as leaders and members help to enhance workforce engagement, support the local communities in which we live and work, and provide career development opportunities for our global team members.

• We follow six competencies to accelerate growth through talent and culture. This model leads with "People Forward," which focuses on the "employee experience," as we continue to build our diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.

We are proud that our DE&I efforts continue to be recognized. The Human Rights Campaign awarded the Company a perfect score of 100 percent on its Corporate Equality Index for the third consecutive year. We were also listed as one of the "Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality." DiversityInc deemed us a "Noteworthy Company," and we ranked eighth on DiversityInc’s "Top Companies for Philanthropy."

We aim to grow, learn, and shape our approach to DE&I for the betterment of our workforce and the communities we serve. To that end, our Board of Directors continues to believe that DE&I is an important cornerstone of our culture and competitive advantage and, through its Governance, Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Committee, plans to continue monitoring our DE&I practices and performance.

Competitive Compensation and Benefits

We offer all full-time team members a comprehensive benefit and compensation package, which includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision care, life insurance and other income protection, a retirement plan with Company match, and a discount employee stock purchase program;

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• An employee assistance program with free counseling sessions and unlimited digital mental health support, tuition assistance (including scholarships for dependents), medical coverage for same and opposite gender domestic partners, holidays, and paid time off;

• Infertility coverage and family building counseling services, as well as reimbursement for adoption expenses;

• Counseling and education guidance benefits to support the needs of team members and dependents with developmental and cognitive challenges; and

• A minimum of eight weeks of paid parental leave following birth, adoption, or surrogacy for both parents.

We offer postpartum support and return-to-work assistance, including on-site lactation rooms and flexible work arrangements, such as flex hours. For nursing moms who travel for work, we offer a service to ship breast milk back to their homes. We also offer back-up child and elder care, plus discounts on services, such as childcare, saving for college, and tutoring. Beginning in 2022, we will offer one week of paid caregiver leave to care for a family member who has a serious health condition.

We also believe it is important to invest in the health and wellness of our team members. Our myWellbeing program focuses on the physical, emotional, financial, and social aspects of wellness. Team members can earn points towards a reduction in health insurance premium costs by completing activities, such as monthly challenges, financial training, and getting preventive exams and screenings. We also offer diabetes, weight management, and musculoskeletal programs for team members and their dependents. To help team members navigate the often-confusing healthcare system, we provide a navigation and advocacy service to assist in finding the right care, obtaining a medical second opinion, and dealing with confusing medical bills.

Safety and COVID-19

We are focused on the safety and wellbeing of our team members. In addition to utilizing a peer-to-peer safety program, we regularly convene our company leaders to review and evaluate safety data and issue operational excellence scorecards. Distribution center team members receive training on proper safety procedures and incentive opportunities, with safety performance tracked and shared across the organization.

In connection with prioritizing safety, we have also implemented numerous safety precautions in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, such as mandatory health and temperature monitoring, face coverings and social distancing requirements, supplying personal protective equipment, enhanced cleaning and access to sanitizing supplies, and remote work options where available. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we plan to continue to monitor and look for ways to enhance our safety protocols.

To further support our team members during the COVID-19 pandemic, we enhanced our benefit offerings (which are discussed above) to provide greater access to mental health telemedicine, additional paid time off for those needing to self-quarantine or care for a family member, and access to mindfulness videos and other wellness resources. Additionally, team members whose household income was impacted, such as by a spouse experiencing job loss, were offered financial support through the AmerisourceBergen Associate Assistance Fund.

Government Regulation

We are subject to extensive oversight by United States, United Kingdom and European Union governmental entities and we are subject to, and affected by, a variety of laws, regulations, and policies.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA"), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"), the U.S. Department of Justice, and various other federal and state authorities regulate the purchase, storage, and/or distribution of pharmaceutical products, including controlled substances. Wholesale distributors of controlled substances must hold valid DEA licenses, meet various security and operating standards, and comply with regulations governing the sale, marketing, packaging, holding, and distribution of controlled substances.

We and our customers are subject to fraud and abuse laws, including the federal anti-kickback statute and False Claims Act. The anti-kickback statute prohibits persons from soliciting, offering, receiving, or paying any remuneration in order to induce the purchasing, leasing, or ordering, induce a referral to purchase, lease, or order, or arrange for or recommend purchasing, leasing, or ordering items or services that are in any way paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal healthcare programs. The False Claims Act prohibits knowingly submitting, or causing the submission, of false or fraudulent claims for payment to the government and authorizes treble damages and substantial civil penalties in the case of violations. The fraud and abuse laws and regulations are broad in scope and are subject to frequent and varied interpretation.

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In recent years, some states have passed or proposed laws and regulations that are intended to protect the safety of the pharmaceutical supply channel. These laws and regulations are designed to prevent the introduction of counterfeit, diverted, adulterated, or mislabeled pharmaceuticals into the distribution system. At the federal level, the supply chain security legislation known as the Drug Quality and Security Act ("DQSA") became law in 2013. The DQSA establishes federal traceability standards requiring drugs to be labeled and tracked at the lot level, preempts state drug pedigree requirements, and requires all supply-chain stakeholders to participate in an electronic, interoperable prescription drug traceability system. The DQSA also establishes requirements for drug wholesale distributors and third-party logistics providers, including licensing requirements applicable in states that had not previously licensed third-party logistics providers. We expect that the FDA, and eventually all comparable state agencies, will promulgate implementing regulations governing wholesale distributor and third-party logistics providers. To date, many states have created third-party logistics licensing categories aligned with the DQSA. There can be no assurance that we are fully compliant with the DQSA requirements, or with additional related state regulatory and licensing requirements, and any failure to comply may result in suspension or delay of certain operations and additional costs to bring our operations into compliance. These and other requirements will continue to increase the cost of our operations.

The regulation of public and private health insurance and benefit programs can also affect our business and scrutiny of the healthcare delivery and reimbursement systems in the United States, including those related to the importation and reimportation of certain drugs from foreign markets, can be expected to continue at both the state and federal levels. This process may result in additional legislation and/or regulation governing the production, delivery, or pricing of pharmaceutical products and other healthcare services. In addition, changes in the interpretations of existing regulations may result in significant additional compliance costs or the discontinuation of our ability to continue to operate certain of our distribution centers, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Any future reductions in Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement rates could negatively impact our customers' businesses and their ability to continue to purchase drugs from us. We cannot predict what additional initiatives, if any, will be adopted, when they may be adopted, or what impact they may have on us.

We are subject to various federal, state, and local environmental laws, including with respect to the sale, transportation, storage, handling, and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances, as well as laws relating to safe working conditions and laboratory practices.

The costs, burdens, and/or impacts of complying with federal and state regulations could be significant and the failure to comply with any such legal requirements could have a significant impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

See "Risk Factors" beginning on page 11 for a discussion of additional legal and regulatory developments, as well as enforcement actions or other litigation that may arise out of our failure to adequately comply with applicable laws and regulations that may negatively affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Health Information and Privacy Practices

The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") and its implementing regulations set forth privacy and security standards designed to protect the privacy of and provide for the security of protected health information, as defined under the HIPAA regulations. Some of our businesses collect, maintain, and/or access protected health information and are subject to the HIPAA regulations. Our operations, depending on their location, may also be subject to state or foreign regulations affecting personal data protection and the manner in which information services or products are provided. Significant criminal and civil penalties may be imposed for violation of HIPAA standards and other such laws. We have a HIPAA compliance program to facilitate our ongoing efforts to comply with the HIPAA regulations.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act ("HITECH Act") strengthened federal privacy and security provisions governing protected health information. Among other things, the HITECH Act expanded certain aspects of the HIPAA privacy and security rules, imposed new notification requirements related to health data security breaches, broadened the rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") to enforce HIPAA, and directed HHS to publish more specific security standards. In January 2013, the Office for Civil Rights of HHS published the HIPAA omnibus final rule ("HIPAA Final Rule"), which amended certain aspects of the HIPAA privacy, security, and enforcement rules pursuant to the HITECH Act, extending certain HIPAA obligations to business associates and their subcontractors. Certain components of our business act as "business associates" within the meaning of HIPAA and are subject to these additional obligations under the HIPAA Final Rule.

Some of our businesses collect, maintain, and/or access other personal information (including sensitive personal information) that is subject to federal and state laws protecting such information, in addition to the requirements of HIPAA, the HITECH Act, and the implementing regulations. Personal information is also highly regulated in many other countries in which we operate and many of these law place restrictions on the transfer of personal information to other jurisdictions. As such regulations continue to evolve, we must comply with applicable privacy and security requirements of these countries, including

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but not limited to those in the European Union and the United Kingdom. Most notably certain aspects of our business are subject to the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") which became effective on May 25, 2018, the UK GDPR and the UK Data Protection Act of 2018, the California Consumer Protection Act ("CCPA"), which became effective on January 1, 2020, and Brazil's new General Data Protection Law (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais) – Law No. 13,709/208 ("LGPD") which became effective in August 2020. On November 3, 2020, the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, which builds on the CCPA, was enacted through a ballot initiative. Similarly, Virginia (the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, effective on January 1, 2023) and Colorado (the Colorado Privacy Act, with certain initial compliance required by July 1, 2023) have also enacted similarly situated data protection laws. Other states and countries continue to enact similar legislation. We have implemented a privacy and information security compliance program to facilitate our ongoing efforts to comply with the applicable privacy laws and regulations. There can be no assurances that compliance with these requirements will not impose new costs on our business.

Available Information

For more information about us, visit our website at www.amerisourcebergen.com. The contents of the website are not part of this Form 10-K. Our electronic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including all Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K, and any amendments to these reports) are available free of charge through our website at investor.amerisourcebergen.com immediately after we electronically file with or furnish them to the Securities and Exchange Commission and may also be viewed using their website at www.sec.gov.

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The following discussion describes certain risk factors that we believe could affect our business and prospects. These risk factors are in addition to those set forth elsewhere in this report. Our business operations could also be affected by additional factors that are not presently known to us or that we currently consider not to be material. The reader should not consider this list to be a complete statement of all risks and uncertainties.

Business and Operational Risks

Our revenue, results of operations, and cash flows may suffer upon the loss, or renewal at less favorable terms, of a significant customer or group purchasing organization.

WBA accounted for approximately 31% of our revenue in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. Express Scripts accounted for approximately 12% of our revenue in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. Our top ten customers, including governmental agencies, represented approximately 69% of revenue in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021. We have distributor relationships with GPOs in multiple distribution segments. We may lose a significant customer or GPO relationship if any existing contract with such customer or GPO expires without being extended, renewed, renegotiated or replaced or is terminated by the customer or GPO prior to expiration, to the extent such early termination is permitted by the contract. A number of our contracts with significant customers or GPOs are typically subject to expiration each year and we may lose any of these customers or GPO relationships if we are unable to extend, renew, renegotiate or replace the contracts. The loss of any significant customer or GPO relationship could adversely affect our revenue, results of operations, and cash flows. Additionally, from time to time, significant contracts may be renewed or modified prior to their expiration date in furtherance of our strategic objectives. If those contracts are renewed or modified at less favorable terms, they may also negatively impact our revenue, results of operations, and cash flows.

The anticipated ongoing strategic and financial benefits of our relationship with WBA may not be realized.

In June 2021, we extended to 2029 our distribution agreement under which we distribute drugs to Walgreens pharmacies and our generics purchasing services arrangement under which Walgreens Boots Alliance Development GmbH ("WBAD") provides a variety of services, including negotiating acquisition pricing with generic manufacturers on our behalf. This reflected our continued expectation that partnering strategically with WBA will result in various benefits including continued cost savings and initiatives designed to create incremental growth and efficiencies in sourcing, logistics and distribution. We also entered into a distribution agreement pursuant to which we will supply branded and generic pharmaceutical products to WBA's Boots UK Ltd. subsidiary through 2031. The processes needed to achieve and maintain these initiatives and benefits are complex, costly, and time-consuming. Achieving the anticipated benefits from the arrangements on an ongoing basis is subject to a number of significant challenges and uncertainties, including: the potential inability to realize and/or delays in realizing potential benefits resulting from participation in our generics purchasing services arrangement with WBAD, including improved generic drug pricing and terms, improved service fees from generic manufacturers, cost savings, innovations, or other benefits due to its inability to negotiate successfully with generic manufacturers or otherwise to perform as expected; the potential disruption of our plans and operations as a result of the extension of the duration of our distribution agreement for Walgreens pharmacies and our generics purchasing services agreement with WBAD and the respective terms thereunder, including any disruption of our cash flow and ability to return value to our stockholders in accordance with our past practices and any reduction in our operational, strategic or financial flexibility; potential changes in supplier relationships and terms; unexpected or unforeseen costs, fees, expenses and charges incurred by us related to the transaction or the overall strategic relationship; changes in the economic terms under which we distribute pharmaceuticals to Walgreens pharmacies in the United States or to pharmacies operated by Boots UK Ltd. in the United Kingdom, including changes necessitated by changing market conditions or other unforeseen developments that may arise during the term of either distribution agreement, to the extent that any such changes are not offset by other financial benefits that we are able to obtain through collaboration in other aspects of our strategic relationship with WBA; and any potential issues that could impede our ability to continue to work collaboratively with WBA in an efficient and effective manner in furtherance of the anticipated strategic and financial benefits of the relationship.

In addition, WBA has the right, but not the obligation, under the transactions contemplated by the Framework Agreement dated March 18, 2013 and the Amended and Restated AmerisourceBergen Shareholders Agreement dated June 1, 2021 to make certain additional investments in our common stock. WBA also has the right to sell any of the shares of our common stock that it has acquired so long as WBA has held the shares beyond the requisite dates specified in the Shareholders Agreement, subject to certain restrictions on the number of shares that may be sold at any given time. Any sales in the public market of common stock currently held by WBA or acquired by WBA pursuant to open market purchases could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our common stock. We could also encounter unforeseen costs, circumstances, or issues with respect to the transactions and collaboration we anticipate pursuing with WBA. Many of these potential circumstances are outside of our control and any of them could result in increased costs, decreased revenue, decreased benefits and the diversion

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of management time and attention. If we are unable to achieve any of our objectives, the expected future benefits may not be realized fully or may take longer to realize than expected, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

A disruption in our distribution or generic purchasing services arrangements with WBA could adversely affect our business and financial results.

We are the primary distributor of pharmaceutical products for WBA in the United States and the United Kingdom. If our operations are seriously disrupted for any reason deemed within our control, we may have an obligation to pay or credit WBA for failure to supply products. In addition, upon the expiration or termination of our distribution agreement for Walgreens pharmacies, our distribution agreement with Boots UK Ltd or our generics purchasing services arrangement with WBAD, there can be no assurance that we or WBA will be willing to renew, on terms favorable to us or at all.

Our generic pharmaceutical program has also benefited from the generics purchasing services arrangement with WBAD. If the operations of WBA are seriously disrupted for any reason, whether by the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disaster, labor disruption, regulatory or governmental action, or otherwise, it could adversely affect our business and our sales and profitability. Moreover, if the economic benefits we are able to obtain through the generics purchasing services arrangement with WBA decline due to changes in market conditions or other changes impacting the fees and rebates that generic manufacturers make available through the arrangement, our margins and results of operations could a

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None.

As of September 30, 2021, we conducted our business from office and operating facilities at owned and leased locations throughout the United States (including Puerto Rico) and select global markets. We lease a facility in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania for our corporate headquarters.

Pharmaceutical Distribution Services has a robust distribution facility network in the United States. Significant leased facilities are located in Puerto Rico plus the following states: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Utah, and Washington. Owned facilities are located in the following states: Alabama, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia.

As of September 30, 2021, Alliance Healthcare’s operations were conducted in the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Its headquarters is in Weybridge, England. Alliance Healthcare has leased and owned properties.

As of September 30, 2021, the Consulting Group's operations were conducted in leased locations. Its headquarters is located in South Carolina and internationally in Canada.

As of September 30, 2021, World Courier's office and operating facilities are located in over 50 countries. Its headquarters is located in London, England. Most of the facilities are leased.

As of September 30, 2021, MWI's operations were conducted in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Leased facilities are located in California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina,

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Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and internationally in the United Kingdom. Significant owned facilities are located in Alabama, Idaho, Texas, and Virginia and internationally in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters is located in Idaho.

We consider our operating and office properties to be in satisfactory condition.

Legal proceedings in which we are involved are discussed in Note 14 (Legal Matters and Contingencies) of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Not applicable.

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INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The following is a list of our executive officers and their ages and positions as of November 15, 2021.

Unless indicated to the contrary, the business experience summaries provided below for our executive officers describe positions held by the named individuals during the last five years.

Mr. Collis has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since July 2011 and Chairman since March 2016. From November 2010 to July 2011, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer. He served as Executive Vice President and President of AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation from September 2009 to November 2010. He was Executive Vice President and President of AmerisourceBergen Specialty Group from September 2007 to September 2009 and was Senior Vice President of the Company and President of AmerisourceBergen Specialty Group from August 2001 to September 2007. Mr. Collis has been employed by the Company or one of its predecessors for over 25 years.

Ms. Battaglia has been Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer since January 2019. Prior to joining the Company, she worked at Aramark as Senior Vice President of Global Compensation, Benefits, and Labor Relations from August 2017 to December 2018 and as Senior Vice President, Global Field Human Resources from May 2011 to August 2017. She also previously worked for Day & Zimmerman and Merck Corporation.

Ms. Campbell was named Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer in September 2021. She served as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel from June 2020 to August 2021. Prior to that, Ms. Campbell served in a variety of roles within the Company’s legal department with increased responsibility, including serving as Chief Litigator and Chief Compliance Counsel. Ms. Campbell has been employed by the Company for 11 years.

Mr. Chou has been Executive Vice President since August 2011. He was named Special Advisor to the Chairman & CEO in September 2021. He served as Chief Legal Officer from September 2019 to August 2021. He served as Chief Legal & Business Officer of the Company from May 2017 to September 2019. He served as General Counsel of the Company from January 2007 to June 2017. From January 2007 to August 2011, Mr. Chou was a Senior Vice President. He served as Secretary of the Company from February 2006 to May 2012 and from September 2019 to May 2020. He was Vice President and Deputy General Counsel from November 2004 to January 2007 and Associate General Counsel from July 2002 to November 2004. Mr. Chou has been employed by the Company for 19 years.

Ms. Clark has been Executive Vice President since November 2014 and became Chief Communication & Administration Officer in June 2017. She served as Chief Marketing Officer from November 2014 to June 2017. Ms. Clark was named Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer in June 2011. She previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for AmerisourceBergen Specialty Group from January 2007 to June 2011. Prior to joining the Company, she worked in executive leadership roles at Premier Inc. and HealthSouth, including Senior Vice President of Marketing and Alliance Relations, Group Vice President of Relationship Management, and Senior Vice President of Managed Care and National Contracting.

Mr. Cleary has been Executive Vice President since March 2015 and became Chief Financial Officer in November 2018. He served as Group President, Global Commercialization Services & Animal Health from June 2017 to November 2018. He previously served as President, MWI Animal Health from March 2015 to June 2017. Prior to joining the Company, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of MWI Veterinary Supply, Inc. from June 2002.

Ms. Donato has been Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer since July 2019. Prior to joining the Company, she held various leadership roles at Bayer from May 2009 to May 2019, including Vice President of Strategy, Pharmaceuticals Division, Vice President of Strategy, Bayer Healthcare US, and Vice President & General Manager of Neurology & Hematology. She also worked for McKinsey & Company where she was a Partner in the Healthcare Practice.

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Mr. Mauch has been Executive Vice President since February 2015 and became Group President in February 2019. He served as Group President, Pharmaceutical Distribution & Strategic Global Sourcing from June 2017 to February 2019. He served as President, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation from February 2015 to June 2017. Mr. Mauch previously served as Senior Vice President Chief Operating Officer, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation from March 2014 to February 2015. He was Senior Vice President, Operations, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation from April 2012 to March 2014. He was Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation from April 2011 to April 2012. He was Senior Vice President, Alternate Care Sales and Marketing, AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation from May 2010 to April 2011. Mr. Mauch has been employed by the Company or one of its predecessors for over 25 years.

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PART II

The Company's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "ABC." As of October 31, 2021, there were 2,315 record holders of the Company's common stock.

Our board of directors approved the following quarterly dividend increases:

Computershare is the Company's transfer agent. Computershare can be reached at (mail) AmerisourceBergen Corporation c/o Computershare, P.O. Box 50500, Louisville, KY 40233-500; (telephone): Domestic 1-800-522-6645, International 1-201-680-6578, and (internet) www.computershare.com/investor.

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ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

The following sets forth the total number of shares purchased, the average price paid per share, the total number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced programs, and the approximate dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the programs during each month during the quarter ended September 30, 2021.

(a)In October 2018, the Company's board of directors authorized a share repurchase program allowing the Company to purchase up to $1.0 billion of its outstanding shares of common stock, subject to market conditions. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, the Company purchased 0.6 million shares of its common stock for a total of $55.5 million to complete its authorization under this program.

(b)In May 2020, the Company's board of directors authorized a share repurchase program allowing the Company to purchase up to $500 million of its outstanding shares of common stock, subject to market conditions. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, the Company purchased 0.3 million shares of its common stock for $26.6 million. As of September 30, 2021, the Company had $473.4 million of availability remaining under this program.

(c)Employees surrendered 229,049 shares during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 to meet minimum tax-withholding obligations upon vesting of restricted stock.

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STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH

This graph depicts the Company's five-year cumulative total stockholder returns relative to the performance of the Standard and Poor's 500 Composite Stock Index, the S&P Health Care Index, and an index of peer companies selected by the Company from the market close on September 30, 2016 to September 30, 2021. The graph assumes $100 invested at the closing price of the common stock of the Company and of each of the other indices on the New York Stock Exchange on September 30, 2016. The points on the graph represent fiscal year-end index levels based upon the last trading day in each fiscal year. The Peer Group index (which is weighted on the basis of market capitalization) consists of the following companies engaged primarily in wholesale pharmaceutical distribution and related services: McKesson Corporation and Cardinal Health, Inc.

• $100 invested on September 30, 2016 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends.

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Overview

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto contained herein.

We are one of the largest global pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services companies, helping both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers improve patient access to products and enhance patient care. We deliver innovative programs and services designed to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the pharmaceutical supply chain in both human and animal health. We are organized based upon the products and services we provide to our customers. Our operations are comprised of the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment and other operating segments that are not significant enough to require separate reportable segment disclosure and, therefore, have been included in Other for the purpose of our reportable segment presentation.

Pharmaceutical Distribution Services Segment

The Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment distributes a comprehensive offering of brand-name, specialty brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to a wide variety of healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. Through a number of operating businesses, the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment provides pharmaceutical distribution (including plasma and other blood products, injectable pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and other specialty pharmaceutical products) and additional services to physicians who specialize in a variety of disease states, especially oncology, and to other healthcare providers, including hospitals and dialysis clinics. Additionally, the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment provides data analytics, outcomes research, and additional services for biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment also provides pharmacy management, staffing and additional consulting services, and supply management software to a variety of retail and institutional healthcare providers. Additionally, it delivers packaging solutions to institutional and retail healthcare providers.

Other

Other consists of operating segments that focus on global commercialization services, animal health (MWI Animal Health or "MWI"), and international pharmaceutical wholesale and related service operations (Alliance Healthcare). The operating segments that focus on global commercialization services include AmerisourceBergen Consulting Services ("ABCS") and World Courier.

Alliance Healthcare supplies pharmaceuticals, other healthcare products, and related services to healthcare providers, including pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals in 10 countries, primarily in Europe. MWI is a leading animal health distribution company in the United States and in the United Kingdom. MWI sells pharmaceuticals, vaccines, parasiticides, diagnostics, micro feed ingredients, and various other products to customers in both the companion animal and production animal markets. Additionally, MWI offers demand-creating sales force services to manufacturers. ABCS, through a number of operating businesses, provides a full suite of integrated manufacturer services that range from clinical trial support to product post-approval and commercialization support. World Courier, which operates in over 50 countries, is a leading global specialty transportation and logistics provider for the biopharmaceutical industry.

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Recent Developments

Alliance Healthcare Acquisition

On June 1, 2021, we acquired a majority of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.'s ("WBA") Alliance Healthcare businesses ("Alliance Healthcare") for $6,602.0 million in cash, subject to certain purchase price adjustments, $229.1 million of our common stock (2 million shares at the Company's June 1, 2021 opening stock price of $114.54 per share), $96.9 million of estimated accrued consideration, and $6.1 million of other equity consideration. The net cash payment was $5,536.7 million, as we acquired $922.0 million of cash and cash equivalents and $143.3 million of restricted cash (see Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for the allocation of the purchase price). The shares issued were from our treasury stock on a first-in, first-out basis and were originally purchased for $149.1 million. We funded the cash purchase price through a combination of cash on hand and new debt financing (see Note 7 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements). The acquisition expands our reach and solutions in pharmaceutical distribution and adds to our depth and breadth of global manufacturer services.

Other Strategic Transactions with Walgreens

We agreed to a three-year extension of our existing pharmaceutical distribution agreement with WBA and the arrangement pursuant to which we have access to generic drugs and related pharmaceutical products through Walgreens Boots Alliance Development GmbH (both through 2029), as well as a distribution agreement pursuant to which we will supply branded and generic pharmaceutical products to WBA’s Boots UK Ltd. subsidiary (through 2031). In January 2021, we also entered into an agreement with WBA to pursue a series of strategic initiatives designed to create incremental growth and efficiencies in sourcing, logistics, and distribution.

See Item 1A. Risk Factors beginning on page 11 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional risk factors related to our strategic transactions with WBA.

Opioid Litigation

On July 21, 2021, it was announced that we and the two other national pharmaceutical distributors have negotiated a comprehensive proposed settlement agreement that, if all conditions are satisfied, would result in the resolution of a substantial majority of opioid lawsuits filed by state and local governmental entities (see Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements).

New Reporting Structure

Recently, we undertook a strategic evaluation of our reporting structure to reflect our expanded international presence as a result of the June 2021 acquisition of Alliance Healthcare. As a result of this review, beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, we have re-aligned our reporting structure under two reportable segments: U.S. Healthcare Solutions and International Healthcare Solutions. U.S. Healthcare Solutions will consist of the legacy Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment (excluding Profarma Distribuidora de Produtos Farmacêuticos S.A. ("Profarma")), MWI Animal Health, Xcenda, Lash Group, and ICS 3PL. International Healthcare Solutions will consist of Alliance Healthcare, World Courier, Innomar, Profarma, and Profarma Specialty. Profarma had previously been included in the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services reportable segment. Profarma Specialty had previously been reported in Other. Beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, we will report our results under this new structure.

Executive Summary

This executive summary provides highlights from the results of operations that follow:

• Revenue increased by 12.7% from the prior fiscal year, primarily due to the revenue growth in our Pharmaceutical Distribution Services segment and our June 2021 acquisition of Alliance Healthcare. The Pharmaceutical Distribution Services segment grew its revenue 8.6% from the prior fiscal year, primarily due to increased sales of specialty products (which generally have higher selling prices), including COVID-19 treatments and overall market growth pr

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The Company's most significant market risks are the effects of changing interest rates, foreign currency risk, and the changes in the price of the Company's common stock. See discussion on page 45 under the heading "Market Risk," which is incorporated by reference herein.

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of AmerisourceBergen Corporation

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of AmerisourceBergen Corporation and subsidiaries (the Company) as of September 30, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2021, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a) (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at September 30, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2021, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated November 23, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

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None.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are intended to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Company's reports submitted under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. These controls and procedures also are intended to ensure that information required to be disclosed in such reports is accumulated and communicated to management to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

The Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, with the participation of other members of the Company's management, have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a — 15(e) and 15d — 15(e) under the Exchange Act) and have concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures were effective for their intended purposes as of the end of the period covered by this report.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes during the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2021 in the Company's internal control over financial reporting that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, those controls.

MANAGEMENT'S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

The management of AmerisourceBergen Corporation ("AmerisourceBergen" or the "Company") is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. AmerisourceBergen's internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:

(i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company;

(ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and

(iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

AmerisourceBergen's management assessed the effectiveness of AmerisourceBergen's internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013). Based on management's assessment and those criteria, management has concluded that AmerisourceBergen's internal control over financial reporting was effective as of September 30, 2021.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company acquired Alliance Healthcare. As permitted by related SEC staff interpretive guidance for newly acquired businesses, Alliance Healthcare has been excluded from management's assessment of the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021. In the aggregate, Alliance Healthcare represented 22% of the total assets (of which 10% represented acquired goodwill and intangibles) and 3% of total revenue of the Company as of and for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021.

AmerisourceBergen's independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, has issued an attestation report on the effectiveness of AmerisourceBergen's internal control over financial reporting. This report is set forth below.

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of AmerisourceBergen Corporation

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited AmerisourceBergen Corporation and subsidiaries' internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, AmerisourceBergen Corporation and subsidiaries (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2021, based on the COSO criteria.

As indicated in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, management’s assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include the internal controls of Alliance Healthcare, which is included in the 2021 consolidated financial statements of the Company and constituted 22% of total assets as of September 30, 2021 and 3% of revenues for the year then ended. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of the Company also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of Alliance Healthcare.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the 2021 consolidated financial statements of the Company and our report dated November 23, 2021 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

The Company's management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

November 23, 2021

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None.

PART III

Information appearing in our Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "2022 Proxy Statement"), including information appearing under "Proxy Statement Highlights," "Corporate Governance and Related Matters," and "Audit Committee Matters" is incorporated herein by reference. We will file the 2022 Proxy Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after the close of the fiscal year.

Information with respect to Executive Officers of the Company appears in Part I of this report.

We adopted a Code of Ethics for Designated Senior Officers that applies to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Corporate Controller. A copy of this Code of Ethics is posted on our Internet website, which is investor.amerisourcebergen.com. Any amendment to, or waiver from, any provision of this Code of Ethics will be posted on our Internet website.

Information contained in the 2022 Proxy Statement, including information appearing under "Corporate Governance and Related Matters" and "Executive Compensation and Related Matters" in the 2022 Proxy Statement, is incorporated herein by reference.

Information contained in the 2022 Proxy Statement, including information appearing under "Beneficial Ownership of Common Stock" and "Equity Compensation Plan Information" in the 2022 Proxy Statement, is incorporated herein by reference.

Information contained in the 2022 Proxy Statement, including information appearing under "Corporate Governance and Related Matters" and "Related Person Transactions" in the 2022 Proxy Statement, is incorporated herein by reference.

Information contained in the 2022 Proxy Statement, including information appearing under "Audit Committee Matters" in the 2022 Proxy Statement, is incorporated herein by reference.

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PART IV

(a) (1) and (2) List of Financial Statements and Schedules.

Financial Statements: The following consolidated financial statements are submitted in response to Item 15(a)(1):

All other schedules for which provision is made in the applicable accounting regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission are not required under the related instructions or are inapplicable and, therefore, have been omitted.

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(a) (3) List of Exhibits.

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‡ Each marked exhibit is a management contract or a compensatory plan, contract or arrangement in which a director or executive officer of the Registrant participates or has participated.

Not applicable.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below as of November 23, 2021 by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities indicated.

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AMERISOURCEBERGEN CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

SCHEDULE II — VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(1)Represents the provision for returns and credit losses.

(2)Represents reductions to the returns allowance and accounts receivable written off during year, net of recoveries.

(3)Includes an allowance for credit losses for long-term accounts receivable within Other Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets of $981 thousand as of September 30, 2019.