Pharmacy Groups To File Antitrust Suit Against PBMs Medco, AdvancePCS

Two groups representing pharmacy owners plan to file antitrust suits against pharmacy benefit managers Medco Health Solutions and AdvancePCS on Aug. 15, the Wall Street Journal reports. The groups, the Pharmacy Freedom Fund and the National Community Pharmacists Association, say the PBMs set artificially low payments to retail pharmacies; prevent them from competing with mail-order pharmacies by prohibiting the pharmacies from dispensing more than one-month supplies of medications; and fix prices paid to pharmacies for generic drugs. The groups are seeking class-action status for the case, which will be filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. A spokesperson for Medco said the lawsuit is "completely without merit" and that the company would "defend itself vigorously" against it. A spokesperson for AdvancePCS declined to comment until the lawsuit is filed (Lueck, Wall Street Journal, 8/15).