Healthy Skepticism Library item: 9222

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Judgement day
National Association of Retail Druggists Journal 1994 Sep; 116:18-20, 23-24

Abstract:

Several discriminatory pricing lawsuits that have been filed in U.S. District Court by community pharmacists against drug manufacturers are described. The four suits, called the Brand Name Prescription Drugs Antitrust Litigation, charge violations of the Clayton and Robinson-Patman Acts (for discriminatory pricing) and the Sherman Act (for antitrust misdeeds). The suits were consolidated by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation and sent to United States District Court Judge Charles Kocoras in Chicago. In addition to the four major suits, 50 smaller suits, all alleging Sherman Act violations, have been consolidated into one class action case (Robinson-Patman lawsuits cannot be tried as class action cases).