Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced a settlement of more than $5 million with CVS Caremark to resolve allegations that the Pharmacy Benefit Manager paid Oklahoma pharmacies less than the drugs cost to fill prescriptions.
Under the settlement, CVS Caremark will pay $5,081,520.69 to the Attorney General’s Office. The payments will reimburse pharmacies for 68,099 prescriptions filled between January 2024 and August 2025 where they were paid below cost.
“When your local pharmacy is paid pennies on the dollar, or even loses money filling your prescription, it can’t keep its doors open,” Drummond said. “This settlement puts millions of dollars back into Oklahoma pharmacies so they can continue serving their communities. We’re protecting your access to the prescriptions you need and the pharmacists you trust, especially in small towns where the local pharmacy is often the only option for healthcare.”
Deputy Attorney General Michael Leake, who oversees the PBM Compliance and Enforcement Unit, credited independent and community pharmacies that documented losses and brought complaints.
“This outcome would not have been possible without independent and community pharmacies willing to document their losses and stand up for their patients,” Leake said. “Their complaints gave us the evidence we needed to secure restitution, penalties, and meaningful reforms that will protect Oklahoma patients and pharmacies.”
The Attorney General’s Office will notify eligible pharmacies and provide instructions on how to receive payments. Pharmacies that believe they were paid below cost are encouraged to file complaints with the PBM Compliance and Enforcement Unit.
The settlement also includes fines and covers the state’s investigation costs. Seventy-five percent of the fines will go to affected pharmacies, while the remaining 25 percent will support the Attorney General’s continued oversight of PBMs.
In addition to financial relief, CVS Caremark has agreed to reforms including stronger reviews of payment disputes, allowing pharmacies to use documentation of actual costs when disputing payments, responding to disputes within 10 days as required by Oklahoma law, and working with the Attorney General’s Office during a 90-day window to resolve additional complaints.
