The U.S. Federal Trade Commission recently settled a lawsuit accusing Surescripts of operating illegally to maintain monopolies over the electronic prescriptions market. The settlement will not require any monetary responsibilities on behalf of the firm, according to a July 27 Reuters report.
"The FTC’s proposed order has a 20-year term and would prohibit Surescripts from engaging in the types of exclusionary conduct alleged in the FTC’s case," the agency said, according to Reuters.
The settlement will forbid Surescripts "from engaging in exclusionary conduct and executing or enforcing non-compete agreements with current and former employees," Reuters reported.
"We're pleased that this agreement brings an end to the FTC’s litigation, formalizing changes to our business practices that we started several years ago, including the elimination of loyalty provisions in contracts," Surescripts said in a statement, according to the Reuters report.
The agency accused the firm of requiring long-term exclusivity from customers and imposing high costs if they bought from a different source. The lawsuit, filed in 2019 is supported by electronic records left by prescription services to doctors, pharmacists and patients, Reuters said.
“Surescripts is proud to have pioneered electronic prescribing that has brought enormous value to patients and care providers alike,” Surescripts Chief Executive Officer Frank Harvey said in a Business Wire release. “For more than two decades, Surescripts has delivered innovations that increase patient safety, lower costs and ensure quality care.”
The health information technology firm operates a network used by healthcare providers to digitally send prescriptions to pharmacies. The platform also contacts patients’ insurance companies to determine benefit eligibility, according to Reuters.
“As a trusted health information network, Surescripts helps doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare providers communicate with each other as a team, sharing information to increase patient safety, lower costs and ensure quality care,” Harvey said in the release. “We look forward to continuing to simplify health intelligence sharing and bring even greater innovation and experience to the healthcare industry.”
