4. Revenue Recognition

Generally, revenue is recognized at the time of product delivery to the Company’s customers. In some cases, revenue is recognized at the time of shipment when stipulated by the terms of the sale agreements. The Company also records profit-sharing revenue stemming from a distribution agreement with Allergan plc, or Allergan (see Note 16). Profit-sharing revenue is recognized at the time Allergan sells the products to its customers. Revenues derived from contract manufacturing services are recognized when third-party products are shipped to customers, after the customer has accepted test samples of the products to be shipped.

The Company does not recognize product revenue unless the following fundamental criteria are met: (i) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) transfer of title has occurred, (iii) the price to the customer is fixed or determinable, and (iv) collection is reasonably assured. Furthermore, the Company does not recognize revenue until all customer acceptance requirements have been met. The Company estimates and records reductions to revenue for discounts, product returns, and pricing adjustments, such as wholesaler chargebacks, in the same period that the related revenue is recorded.

The Company’s accounting policy is to review each agreement involving contract development and manufacturing services to determine if there are multiple revenue-generating activities that constitute more than one unit of accounting. Revenues are recognized for each unit of accounting based on revenue recognition criteria relevant to that unit. The Company does not have any revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables.

Provision for Wholesaler Chargebacks

The provision for chargebacks is a significant estimate used in the recognition of revenue. As part of its sales terms with wholesale customers, the Company agrees to reimburse wholesalers for differences between the gross sales prices at which the Company sells its products to wholesalers and the actual prices of such products at the time wholesalers resell them under the Company’s various contractual arrangements with third parties such as hospitals and group purchasing organizations. The Company estimates chargebacks at the time of sale to wholesalers based on wholesaler inventory stocking levels, historic chargeback rates, and current contract pricing.

The provision for chargebacks is reflected in net revenues and a reduction to accounts receivable. The following table is an analysis of the chargeback provision:


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2016		2015
	(in thousands)
Beginning balance	$	15,217	$	11,872
Provision related to sales made in the current period		32,548		42,372
Credits issued to third parties		(36,703)		(42,909)
Ending balance	$	11,062	$	11,335

Changes in chargeback provision from period to period are primarily dependent on the Company’s sales to its wholesalers, the level of inventory held by the wholesalers, and on the wholesaler’s customer mix. The approach that the Company uses to estimate chargebacks has been consistently applied for all periods presented. Variations in estimates have been historically small. The Company continually monitors the provision for chargebacks and makes adjustments when it believes that the actual chargebacks may differ from the estimates. The settlement of chargebacks generally occurs within 30 days after the sale to wholesalers.

Accrual for Product Returns

The Company offers most customers the right to return qualified excess or expired inventory for partial credit; however, products sold to Allergan are non-returnable. The Company’s product returns primarily consist of the returns of expired products from sales made in prior periods. Returned products cannot be resold. At the time product revenue is recognized, the Company records an accrual for estimated returns. The accrual is based, in part, upon the historical relationship of product returns to sales and customer contract terms. The Company also assesses other factors that could affect product returns including market conditions, product obsolescence, and the introduction of new competition. Although these factors do not normally give the Company’s customers the right to return products outside of the regular return policy, the Company realizes that such factors could ultimately lead to increased returns. The Company analyzes these situations on a case-by-case basis and makes adjustments to the product return reserve as appropriate.

The provision for product returns is reflected in net revenues. The following table is an analysis of product return liability:


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2016		2015
	(in thousands)
Beginning balance	$	2,621	$	2,408
Provision for product returns		(255)		803
Credits issued to third parties		(493)		(630)
Ending balance	$	1,873	$	2,581

For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company’s aggregate product return rate was 1.1% and 1.1% of qualified sales, respectively.