Pharmacy Files Its Own Generic Drug Pricing Lawsuit

Patients often turn to generic prescription drug options, primarily in order to avoid paying the substantial price hike for brand name drugs. But several pharmaceutical companies have recently been accused of generic drug price fixing, deliberately raising their prices collectively in an effort to up the market standard across the board. In some cases, this price fixing may be quite dramatic.

A number of states have begun filing a generic drug pricing lawsuit against major pharmaceutical companies, alleging that these companies conspired to hike the prices of certain generic drugs. Many chose to file a generic drug pricing lawsuit after the situation gained attention from a Department of Justice investigation conducted from 2014-2017.

Even the pharmacy KPH Healthcare has begun fighting back against drug price fixing, filing its own generic drug pricing lawsuit on June 6, 2017. KPH Healthcare is a pharmacy based in New York state, and has pharmacy stores called Kinney Drugs.

The generic drug pricing lawsuit was filed against a number of major drug manufacturers, including Actavis, Teva, and Mylan. According to the generic drug pricing lawsuit, KPH purchased generic propranolol products from the pharmaceutical companies named in the suit, but was forced to pay exorbitant amounts due to the company’s hiked, non-competitive prices.

The Problem With Generic Drug Price Fixing

The U.S. Department of Justice conducted a major investigation surrounding generic drug price fixing in America between 2014 and 2017. The investigation has sparked a series of lawsuits against some major pharmaceutical companies across the country, brought by several states’ attorneys general and by other companies within the pharmaceutical industry. Plaintiffs allege that a number of these defendant pharmaceutical companies conspired to collectively hike the prices of some of their generic drugs, making the prices both exorbitant and non-competitive. This price-fixing scheme, lawsuits claim, may have been ongoing for years.

Since patients usually buy generic drugs because of their more affordable price tag, this deliberate price fixing is especially unfortunate. Generic drugs are often around 75 percent less expensive than their name brand alternatives.

The alleged generic drug price fixing conspiracy involves a number of generic drugs such as muscle relaxers, skin creams, antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs.

Some products’ prices were increased by several hundred percent, and still others by the thousands. Direct purchasers would then be forced to pay these high prices, and since there were multiple manufacturers of generic drugs involved in the alleged price fixing conspiracy, prices for these generic products were raised across the board, leaving no competitively priced options available.

Filing a Generic Drug Pricing Lawsuit

The generic drug pricing lawsuits are collected into a multidistrict litigation in Pennsylvania federal court, though they still function as separate lawsuits.

Individual patients affected by the alleged price fixing may be able to file similar claims of their own. A generic drug pricing class action investigation may benefit those who have purchased one of the following generic prescription drugs between Oct. 1, 2012 and the present:

• Albuterol
• Amitriptyline
• Baclofen
• Benazepril & Hydrochlorothiazide
• Clobetasol
• Digoxin
• Doxycycline Hyclate
• Divalproex
• Desonide
• Econazole
• Fluocinonide
• Glyburide
• Levothyroxine
• Lidocaine & Prilocaine
• Pravastatin
• Propranolol
• Ursodiol

If you believe you have suffered from generic drug price fixing and are a resident of one of the following states, you may be able to join a class action generic drug pricing lawsuit:

• Hawaii
• Massachusetts
• Missouri
• Montana
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• District of Columbia

The Generic Drug Pricing Lawsuit is KPH Healthcare v. Actavis, et al., Case No. 2:17-cv-02550-CMR, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Join a Free Generic Prescription Drugs Price-Fixing Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you live in the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Rhode Island or Vermont and purchased prescription generic drugs, you may qualify to participate in this price-fixing class action lawsuit investigation.

Get a Free Case Evaluation Now