Three independent pharmacies have filed separate lawsuits accusing GoodRx, which markets a prescription drug discount card, of conspiring with several pharmacy benefit managers to fix reimbursement fees, the latest skirmish over the opaque pharmaceutical supply chain to UNITED STATES.

The problem lies in the behind-the-scenes dealings surrounding generic drugs, which account for about 90 percent of prescriptions written in the United States and, therefore, represent a lucrative market. The lawsuits, however, claim that GoodRx and some of the largest PBMs coordinate their reimbursement policies in ways that deliberately reduce pharmacy costs.

The “anti-competitive” tactic has contributed to the deteriorating finances of a growing number of independent pharmacies, according to the lawsuits, which note that “thousands” of local pharmacies have closed their doors in recent years. The pharmacies argued that the dispute is just one of several over reimbursement fees that ultimately favor PBM-affiliated pharmacies themselves.

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