In The News | Independent pharmacies hit Prime Therapeutics with antitrust suit over alleged price fixing
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
Reporter: Paige Minemyer
A group representing thousands of pharmacies has filed an antitrust suit against Prime Therapeutics, alleging that the company colluded with rival Express Scripts to fix prices.
The lawsuit was filed July 2 in Washington federal court by Protecting Access to Retail Pharmacy, LLC, an organization that operates as TRUST, LLC. The group was formed in 2023 by the National Community Pharmacy Association to support pharmacies in investigations and potential litigation to recover controversial direct and indirect remuneration, or DIR, fees from pharmacy benefit managers.
Their complaint stems from a 2019 agreement between Express Scripts and Prime, under which Express Scripts would provide certain services related to retail pharmacy networks and contracts with pharmaceutical manufacturers. A group of independent pharmacies sued Express Scripts in 2023 over the agreement.
The relationship allows the two to collude to fix drug prices, as well as draw in greater revenue from pharmacies, the plaintiffs alleged in the complaint. TRUST, LLC said in the lawsuit that the case represents close to 5,000 pharmacies.
The pharmacies said that Express Scripts has lower reimbursement rates and imposes higher fees than Prime had established, but under the agreement, Prime adjusted its own rates to match Express Scripts' rates. As such, the PBM earned more revenue from pharmacies, and Express Scripts earned a cut themselves... Continue Reading
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