Connecticut”™s attorney general sued McKesson Corp., alleging the pharmaceutical distributor artificially inflated drug prices as much as 25 percent.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal claims McKesson and First DataBank Inc. improperly inflated the average wholesale prices for the pharmaceuticals McKesson sells, creating a larger spread between the cost to the state and Medicare program and the actual charges to health care providers like physicians and pharmacies.
Because state agencies use the average prices in setting pharmaceutical reimbursement rates, that would allow dispensers to increase their profits by prescribing from McKesson.
McKesson is based in San Francisco, whose city attorney launched a similar lawsuit last month. San Bruno, Calif.-based First DataBank is a subsidiary of New York City-based Hearst Corp.
In a May 20 statement to the Associated Press, McKesson denied the accusations and said it planned to “vigorously defend” itself in the San Francisco suit.
The Connecticut lawsuit involves several top-brand drugs including Allegra, Azmacort, Celebrex, Flonase, Lipitor, Neurontin, Nexium, Prevacid and Valium.
Blumenthal did not immediately specify a dollar figure for damages he is seeking.
Â
