Several PAL members are plaintiffs in class action lawsuits concerning alleged schemes by publishers of drug price data and a prescription drug wholesaler to inflate the Average Wholesales Prices of prescription drugs. Notices have been issued concerning settlements in these cases, New England Carpenters Health Benefits Fund, et al. v. First DataBank, Inc., et al. (U.S. District Court, Massachusetts, Case No. 1:05-CV-11148-PBS) and District Council 37 Health & Security Plan v. Medi-Span (U.S. District Court, Massachusetts, Case No. 07-cv-10988-PBS).

The settlements do not provide cash payments by First Databank or Medi-Span. The settlements call for First Databank and McKesson to roll back increases in the published Average Wholesale Prices of hundreds of drugs, and to cease publication of Average Wholesale Price data within 2 years of the settlement becoming final. These changes are expected to have a significant impact on drug prices which will benefit the members of the class.

The classes in the settlements includes consumers who paid for all or part of the cost of certain prescription drugs based on data published by FDB or Medi-Span. You must have made these purchases based on First Databank published prices between January 1, 2000 and the date of Final Court Approval of the FDB Settlement and/or purchases based on Medi-Span published prices between December 19, 2001 and the date of Final Court Approval of the Medi-Span Settlement. The classes also include third party payors. Pharmacy Benefit Managers and consumers who paid “flat” (i.e. fixed) copayments are excluded.

Deadlines related to these settlements are:

  • To exclude yourself from the class, you must mail a signed letter, postmarked no later than December 21, 2007, asking to be excluded to: FDB/Medi-Span Settlement Administrator, c/o Complete Claim Solutions, LLC, P.O. Box 24730, West Palm Beach, FL 33416. Include your name, the name of the person or entity seeking exclusion, an address and telephone number.
  • To object to the settlements, you must file a written statement with the Clerk of the Court, John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Way, Suite 2300, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, postmarked no later than December 21, 2007.
  • The Court will hold a fairness hearing on January 22, 2008 at 2 PM at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, to:
    1. determine whether the Settlements are fair, reasonable and adequate and in the best interests of the Class, whether it should be approved by the Court, and whether judgment should be entered;
    2. consider the application of Class Counsel for an award of attorneys’ fees and expenses; and
    3. consider any other issues the Court thinks necessary.

This is just a paraphrasing of the notice. The official note, with forms, instructions and copies of Court documents, can be found at fdbmedispansettlement.com.

McKesson Corporation, the other defendant in the New England Carpenters case, has not agreed to settle, and the case against them is proceeding.

More information about these lawsuits can also be found here.