Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued a Civil Investigative Demand to CVS Health Corporation and its pharmacy benefit manager, Caremark, as part of an investigation into alleged anticompetitive practices affecting Florida patients and pharmacies.
The demand, announced Tuesday, seeks documents and sworn testimony related to reimbursement rates, pharmacy contracts, patient steering, audits, rebates and CVS/Caremark’s treatment of company-owned pharmacies compared with independent pharmacies. CVS Health owns Caremark and operates hundreds of CVS retail pharmacies in Florida.
Uthmeier’s office said the investigation will examine whether CVS/Caremark steered patients to its own stores, paid affiliated pharmacies more than independent pharmacies for the same prescriptions, imposed restrictive contracts or used audits to claw back payments from smaller competitors.
“Florida families and seniors deserve access to affordable medication and real pharmacy choices—not a system rigged by one giant corporation that may favor its own stores and squeeze out competitors,” Uthmeier said.
Pharmacy benefit managers help determine which drugs are covered, how much pharmacies are paid and where patients can fill prescriptions. The three largest PBMs, including Caremark, handle about 80 percent of U.S. prescriptions.
The Attorney General’s Office said the companies must comply by July 28.
