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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Florida's attorney general is going after two of the country's biggest pharmacy benefit managers. AG James Uthmeier filed suit against Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics, alleging their 2019 partnership amounts to illegal price-fixing that has squeezed independent pharmacies — and ultimately patients. The lawsuit follows similar antitrust suits filed by independent pharmacy groups in 2023 and July 2026.
Florida's top lawyer takes aim at pharmacy benefit managers
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has sued Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics, alleging that a 2019 partnership between the two pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) constitutes illegal horizontal price-fixing. Under the deal, Express Scripts provides Prime with services related to retail pharmacy networks and drugmaker contracting — but critics say the arrangement has driven down pharmacy reimbursement rates to unsustainable levels.
The lawsuit claims Prime's reimbursement rates were roughly 20% higher before the partnership, forcing many pharmacies to fill prescriptions at a loss. Uthmeier argues the collaboration violates both the Florida Antitrust Act and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and is seeking injunctive relief, civil penalties, and damages. Both PBMs deny wrongdoing, with Prime arguing its approach has delivered lower drug costs for patients and payers.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: When pharmacies are reimbursed below cost, they risk closure — reducing access to care, especially for seniors and rural communities. This escalating legal battle signals growing regulatory and legal pressure on PBM business practices nationwide.
