Express Scripts Launches Court Fight on Arkansas Pharmacy Law

A first-of-its kind Arkansas law prohibiting companies that manage prescription drug benefits from acquiring pharmacies unconstitutionally limits commercial activities and patient choice, Express Scripts argued in a lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday.

The pharmacy benefit manager owned by Cigna Group is asking the US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas to block the state board of pharmacy from enforcing Act 624.

The statute, signed into law last month by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), violates federal laws and provisions of the US Constitution, including the commerce clause, by discriminating against out-of-state pharmacies to benefit in-state economic ...