Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (D-NC) joined Representatives Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), and Cliff Bentz (R-OR) in sending a bipartisan letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the role pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) may have played in the opioid crisis. 

“Recent reports, including confidential files and information from CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx, suggests the three largest PBMs colluded and conspired to steer patients towards Oxycontin in exchange for $400 million… [and] at the expense of innocent American lives.” wrote the lawmakers.

They continued, “The lack of transparency surrounding PBM’s rebate agreements and formulary decisions has allowed them to operate with little to no oversight, posing a significant threat to America’s public health. That is why we strongly urge the Department of Justice to investigate the role PBMs may have played in the opioid crisis and hold them accountable.”

The letter was prompted by the findings of recent investigations:

• CVS Caremark’s agreement with Purdue Pharma: Internal documents revealed that CVS Caremark agreed to double rebates for health plans that authorized four or more OxyContin pills per day, incentivizing higher doses.
• Express Script’s 2017 practices: Confidential files showed that Express Scripts awarded Purdue Pharma favorable placement on formularies in exchange for a 40% rebate on OxyContin prescriptions. 
• The impact of these practices: These systems fostered a culture of excessive prescribing and dispensing of OxyContin, further fueling the devastating opioid epidemic. 

Full text of the letter is available here. 

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