Caremark to settle claims

Pharmacy benefits manager Caremark has agreed to pay Washington nearly $1.7 million as part of a $41 million multistate settlement of claims that it encouraged doctors to switch patients' prescriptions while representing that the switch would save patients money. In some cases, the patients or their health plans ended up paying more. And sometimes patients incurred more costs when they switched, because new drug therapies required additional tests or doctor's visits, according to the state's complaint. Caremark got rebates and discounts from drug manufacturers for switching patients to different drugs and didn't clearly disclose how it would affect a patient's cost, the state alleged. Caremark denied any wrongdoing but agreed to change its business practices.