CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid Corp. plans a $1.8 billion bond offering to finance its pending acquisition of pharmacy benefit manager Envision Pharmaceutical Services (EnvisionRx).

Rite Aid said late Wednesday that it will offer $1.8 billion of senior unsecured notes due in 2023. Plans call for the offering’s net proceeds, together with other available cash, to fund the cash portion of the EnvisionRx acquisition.

Under the deal, announced last month, Rite Aid agreed to pay $1.8 billion in cash and $200 million in stock, or about 27.9 million shares.

The drug chain said the acquisition of EnvisionRx, currently part of private equity firm TPG, is expected to close by September, pending regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

In announcing the acquisition, Rite Aid had said that it planned to make a bond offering to finance the bulk of the deal.  The company said that in the event that the agreement isn’t completed, it can use the offering’s net proceeds to refinance debt or redeem the notes.

Late Thursday, Rite Aid announced the terms of the offering, $1.8 billion of 6.125% senior unsecured notes maturing in 2023. The offering is expected to close on April 2, subject to customary closing conditions.

The company also reported that the Federal Trade Commission has granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, effective as of March 9, for the EnvisionRx acquisition. The early termination meets one of the conditions for the completion of the transaction, the drug chain said.

*Editor’s Note: Article updated with more details of bond offering.