U.S. Joins Lawsuits Against Merck Unit
From Associated Press
Federal prosecutors have joined lawsuits accusing a pharmacy benefit company owned by Merck & Co. of pressuring doctors to switch patients to Merck’s products even if a patient was doing well on another drug that cost less.
U.S. Atty. Patrick Meehan in Philadelphia said Monday that his office had joined a pair of whistle-blower suits against Medco Health Solutions, accusing the firm of giving misleading information to the government regarding its contract to manage drug benefits for federal workers.
Medco spokesman Jeffrey Simek said the charges are “either absolutely untrue, or they reflect years-old isolated issues that were identified and corrected.” He denied the firm gave preferential treatment to Merck.
