In a lift for pharmacy profit managers, the U.S. solicitor normal suggested the Supreme Courtroom to not overview an appeals court docket ruling that struck down key elements of an Oklahoma regulation regulating the retail networks created by these controversial middlemen within the pharmaceutical provide chain.
The regulation, which was enacted in 2019, was designed to make sure that pharmacy profit managers preserve entry to numerous pharmacies and don’t steer sufferers to favored retailers, amongst different issues. The transfer got here amid elevated concern that opaque enterprise practices had been elevating prescription drug prices for shoppers and well being plans, usually by squeezing independently owned pharmacies.
However the Pharmaceutical Care Administration Affiliation, a commerce group for pharmacy profit managers, sued to dam the regulation and objected to Oklahoma’s try to “intrude” with efforts to manage well being plans that promote “inexpensive decisions” for sufferers. Particularly, the group argued the regulation was preempted beneath the Worker Retirement Earnings Safety Act and the Medicare Half D program.
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