|
 Surescripts said in a statement that it was "disappointed" by the
lawsuit and had been cooperating with the agency.
The FTC accused Surescripts, which provides a range of electronic
records and prescribing services to doctors, pharmacists and
patients, of requiring long-term exclusivity from customers and
punishing them with high prices if they bought some prescriptions
from another company.
Surescripts provides a network that allows health care providers to
send prescriptions to pharmacies electronically. It also contacts
patients' insurance companies to determine benefit eligibility.
"Surescripts’ illegal contracts denied customers and, ultimately,
patients, the benefits of competition - including lower prices,
increased output, thriving innovation, higher quality, and more
customer choice," said Bruce Hoffman, the head of the FTC's Bureau
of Competition.
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The FTC also accused Surescripts of illegally pressuring a corporate
customer, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc, to prevent them from
taking their business to a competitor.
Surescripts Chief Executive Tom Skelton said in an email statement
that the company has reduced the cost of electronic prescribing by
70 percent since 2009.
"We are making an important change to our e-prescribing business
agreements with pharmacies by removing the loyalty provisions in
those contracts. This step addresses one of the FTC’s chief
concerns," Skelton added in his statement.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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