Caremark to settle claims re switching patients prescriptions

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

caremark to settle claims

state to get $1.7 million over prescription drug deception

seattle post-intelligencer, february 15, 2008

pharmacy benefits manager caremark has agreed to pay washington nearly

$1.7 million as part of a $41 million multistate settlement of claims that it encouraged doctors to switch patients' prescriptions while representing that the switch would save patients money. in some cases, the patients or their health plans ended up paying more. and sometimes patients incurred more costs when they switched, because new drug therapies required additional tests or doctor's visits, according to the state's complaint. caremark got rebates and discounts from drug manufacturers for switching patients to different drugs and didn't clearly disclose how it would affect a patient's cost, the state alleged. caremark denied any wrongdoing but agreed to change its business practices.

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as a caremark user, i am so glad to see this change! being inundated with "educational flyers" touting another drugs cheper cost/benefit only served to line somone elses pockets and increase overall drug costs without any real pt benefit and overburdened doctors. my drug cost never went down unless generic drug chosen.

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Specializes in SNF.

Wow, I hadn't heard this, and I live here in Washington. (Course, I've been knee deep into my 6th quarter!)

My daughter receives her growth hormone from Caremark. I don't think they have a lot of maneuverability with that drug, but still, this was shocking!

Thanks for bringing this to my attention Karen!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Tele, PH, CM.

Caremark used to drive me crazy when I worked as a Practice Manager. Then I went to work for a Medicaid MCO and they were entirely different. Our contract with them specified that we would realize and maintain a certain level of savings. If they had tried to pull what they did in Washington, they would have been in default of a very lucrative contract. So they worked well for us.

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caremark denied any wrongdoing but agreed to change its business practices.

the settlement "will not result in significant changes to current business practices," caremark said (chicago tribune, 2/14)

um...

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