In a recent development, OptumRx, a major pharmacy benefit manager, has filed a lawsuit against the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy alleging a violation of its right to due process. The lawsuit comes after the Board released the findings of an audit indicating that OptumRx may have violated Mississippi law by paying independent pharmacies in the state lower rates than chains and affiliated pharmacies for the same prescription drugs.
The lawsuit, filed in December, seeks to have an independent hearing officer oversee the administrative hearing on the audit’s findings. OptumRx claims that a press release issued by the Board of Pharmacy, summarizing the audit’s findings, was one-sided and demonstrated bias against the company. The audit’s methodology has also been called into question by OptumRx.
The findings of the audit have already led to litigation against OptumRx, with a Water Valley pharmacy filing a class action federal lawsuit seeking damages for alleged violations of Mississippi’s prescription drug reimbursement regulation. OptumRx, owned by UnitedHealth Group, is the third-largest pharmacy benefit manager in the nation and is known to pay its affiliated pharmacies significantly more than independent pharmacies.
As the legal battle continues, OptumRx maintains that it has identified errors in the audit’s findings and methodology and disputes the allegations made by the Board of Pharmacy. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the pharmacy benefit management industry in Mississippi.
Source
Photo credit mississippitoday.org