Pharmacist Groups Unite Against CVS, Aetna Merger

Despite the completion of CVS Health’s purchase of Aetna in November, the company continues to be challenged over the merger’s potentially harmful effect on consumers and smaller competitors.

Even though the deal received Department of Justice (DOJ) clearance, several pharmacy associations, as well as the American Medical Association and patient groups, continue to urge for the merger to be blocked. On Friday, the Pharmacists United for Truth and Transparency (PUTT) and the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York (PSSNY) jointly filed a motion asking Judge Richard Leon of the US District Court for the District of Columbia to stop CVS and Aetna from further integration while the Court determines the merger’s harmful effects.

“We strongly believe the Department of Justice’s decision is shortsighted,” Teresa Dickinson, president of PUTT, said in a statement. “Past acquisitions have enabled CVS to restrict consumer access and force them to use more expensive drugs. That’s why the California Commissioner of Insurance, major consumer groups such as Consumers Union, the American Antitrust Institute, and the American Medical Association—the nation’s largest group of health care providers—all stated the merger should be blocked.”

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