CVS Caremark Faces Lawsuit Over Fees Collected From Pharmacies

CVS Caremark implements performance criteria metrics that make ‘no sense for pharmacies,’ per the lawsuit.

CVS Caremark Corporation last week agreed to pay over $17.5 million to the federal government and 10 states in a settlement involving false prescription billing cases. Scott Olson/Getty Images

An Iowa pharmacy has sued CVS Caremark for violating antitrust regulations and unlawfully collecting fees from pharmacies filling Medicare prescriptions.

The lawsuit (pdf), from Maquoketa-based Osterhaus Pharmacy, was filed against CVS Caremark on Sept. 26 in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington. CVS Caremark is a subsidiary of CVS Health Corporation, one of the biggest healthcare firms in the world. CVS Caremark offers Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM) services to Medicare Part D beneficiaries.