MedCity News July 1, 2021
Despite mounting court and legislative scrutiny of pharmacy and prescription benefit manager practices, Amazon has chosen to throw its hat into the discount pharmacy ring. Could Amazon “disrupt” prescription drug delivery?
CVS Health recently won a reprieve from a federal jury clearing the pharmacy from claims that it systematically overcharged insured customers buying prescription drugs from its retail pharmacies by $121 million. However, the industry remains mired in litigation, with Walgreens, Kroger, Rite Aid and others facing similar charges.
Legislators, regulators and government watchdogs have also recently taken aim at not only pharmacies but also pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that negotiate discounts between drug suppliers and sellers, arguing that their opaque practices drive up pharmaceutical costs.
“This is a market...