TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Florida Capital Bureau) – The State of Florida will investigate one of the world’s largest pharmacies.
On Tuesday, Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a civil investigative demand against CVS Health Corporation to see if they are unfairly controlling the healthcare marketplace.
This includes the Caremark pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) that supplies pharmacies around Florida.
Uthmeier said the three largest PBM’s, including Caremark, control about 80% of all U.S prescriptions.
The state asked CVS to release documents to see if the company is reimbursing its own pharmacies more than local pharmacies for the same medicine.
Uthmeier said that this is to ensure fair play for customers and competitors.
“Here in Florida, it seems like prices for drugs and healthcare always go up. Healthcare costs are always going up. A lot of patients, a lot seniors, a lot of retirees, that’s tough on them,” he said. “Here in Florida, we’re always going to lead, and we’re always to fight back where you have big corporations choosing profit over public health and safety.”
A CVS rep says that the drugmakers set the price for their medication and that blaming their PBM is ill-placed.
“CVS Health works every day to put medicine within reach in Florida and across the United States. Drugmakers alone set the price of prescription drugs, and blaming a PBM for high drug prices is like blaming an umbrella for the rain,“ according to the spokesperson. ”We welcome the opportunity to work with regulators and policymakers to set the record straight around these market dynamics, and more importantly, to improve consumer experience and affordability.”
CVS is required to comply with this subpoena by July 28.
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