An antitrust lawsuit has been filed against Cigna-owned online pharmacy and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) Express Scripts by several independent pharmacies. The lawsuit alleges that Express Scripts teamed with rival PBMs to fix pharmaceutical reimbursement rates and fees, resulting in collecting a portion of the revenue. PBMs negotiate prescription prices, which can be substantially higher than market value, and act as “middlemen” in obtaining drugs for their clients. The suit, filed in the Western District of Washington, claims Express Scripts entered into anticompetitive agreements with rival PBMs to impose high reimbursement rates and fees on pharmacies and collect a share of revenue. The plaintiffs seek to represent pharmacies nationwide and recoup hundreds of millions of dollars in wrongful overcharges. Express Scripts has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
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Express Scripts sued for allegedly colluding with rival PBMs to fix prices
