Other LanguagesOLYMPIA - June 16, 2003 - The Attorney General's Office has distributed $300,000 to health programs in Washington as part of the settlement of an anti-competitive drug pricing case.
| Settlement Awards |
The grants are part of the final distribution of Washington's share of the $100 million nationwide settlement reached with Mylan Laboratories, Inc. Attorney General Christine Gregoire said 18 grants totaling $313,290 were given out statewide.
"The drug pricing practices of Mylan Laboratories forced some of Washington's most vulnerable citizens to pay outrageous prices for medications," Gregoire said. "The grant recipients will provide health services that benefit these citizens and will help patients pay for prescription medication," she added.
The 18 grant recipients were selected by the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound, a public non-profit foundation that manages charitable funds. Recipients are required to provide direct services targeting the health care needs of consumers harmed by Mylan.
In the case against Mylan, the states alleged that the company, which manufactures two widely prescribed anxiety and hypertension drugs, engaged in a scheme that allowed the firm to hike the medications' prices by as much as 3,000 percent.
As a result, the cost of Clorazepate, a generic version of Tranxene rose from $11.36 to $377 for a 500-tablet supply. The cost of Lorazepam, a generic version of Ativan prescribed more than 17 million times a year, jumped from $7.30 to $191.50 for a 500-tablet supply.
Co-defendants in the lawsuit were Italian pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer Profarmaco, SST Corp., Cambrex Corp., and pharmaceutical distributor Gyma Laboratories.
In addition to the grant distribution, Washington consumers also received $562,046 in direct restitution from the settlement.
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State of Washington Office of the Attorney General
Mylan Antitrust Litigation Settlement Awards
|
Amount |
Organization Name |
Location |
Project Description |
|
$ 25,000.00 |
Behavioral Health Resources |
Olympia |
Four comprehensive 8-week programs of psychotherapy and group interaction. |
|
$ 16,980.00 |
Bridgeways |
Everett |
Services to adults with chronic mental illness through activities that focus on building a healthy lifestyle. |
|
$ 15,000.00 |
Catholic Community Services |
Olympia |
Enhancement for FAST and Wraparound programs for at-risk children and youth. |
|
$ 25,000.00 |
Catholic Family Child Service |
Yakima |
To increase mental health service to vulnerable elderly persons inYakimaCounty. |
|
$ 15,000.00 |
Community Psychiatric Clinic |
Seattle |
Establish an emergency medications fund for uninsured clients. |
|
$ 20,000.00 |
Compass Health |
Mount Vernon |
Implement a trauma-specific treatment program for up to 20 trauma survivors who have been high utilizers of inpatient care. |
|
$ 25,000.00 |
Country Doctor Community Health Centers |
Seattle |
Assistance for patients to receive needed medications when patients cannot afford to pay. |
|
$ 10,000.00 |
Epilepsy FoundationWashington |
Seattle |
Restricted fund to provide emergency financial assistance to help qualified individuals pay for their seizure medications. |
|
$ 5,000.00 |
Hospice of The Gorge |
Hood River,OR |
Funds forWashingtonStatepatients who have no insurance or financial means to pay for end of life care. |
|
$ 25,000.00 |
Kitsap Mental Health Services |
Bremerton |
Part-time Psychiatrist and part-time Mental Health Professional at Peninsula Community Health Service; part-time Psychiatrist at the Kitsap County Jail. |
|
$ 16,480.00 |
Kitsap SexualAssaultCenter |
Port Orchard |
24 therapy sessions each for 20 abused individuals and their non-offending family members. |
|
$ 25,000.00 |
Peninsula Community MentalHealthCenter |
Port Angeles |
Mental health services to 70 adolescents who are recovering from a severe psychiatric disorder or who are at risk for hospitalization. |
|
$ 5,000.00 |
Pope’sKids Place |
Centralia |
Provide treatment services to special needs children and their families |
|
$ 24,980.00 |
ProvidenceSt. PeterFoundation |
Olympia |
Direct client support to the Providence St. Peter Hospital’s Psychiatry Services for Partial Hospitalization and After Care programs. |
|
$ 25,000.00 |
SpokaneCountyMedical Society Foundation |
Spokane |
Purchase prescription medications for low-income uninsured. |
|
$ 5,000.00 |
United Communities AIDS Network |
Olympia |
Enhance and expand support services for clients. |
|
$ 9,850.00 |
Vashon Youth and Family Services |
Vashon |
Fund a psychiatric consultant for clinical staff for two hours monthly for one year for 80-90 clients. |
|
$ 20,000.00 |
Walla WallaCommunity Hospice |
Walla Walla |
Purchase prescription medications for hospice patients. |