Florida Sues Flu Vaccine Distributor

October 14, 2004
Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist is suing a Florida company for violations of the state's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act regarding pricing of flu vaccines. Fort Lauderdale-based ASAP Meds, Inc., doing business as Meds-Stat, was sued a few days earlier by Kansas.

Flu Vaccine • FDA: Plenty Of Flu Vaccine • Chiron Cleared To Ship Flu Vaccine • Flu Shots' Benefit to Elderly Questioned 2005-2005 Flu Season • Chiron To Resume Flu Vaccine Production • Meds-Stat Turns Over Vaccine to Florida • Enough Vaccine, Medicine, Thompson Says • Feds Join Florida in Flu Suit • Texas Sues Vaccine Distributors • Kansas Alleges Price Gouging • HHS Sets Flu Priorities • Flu Vaccine Shortage -- • U.S. Fears Devastating "Bird Flu" Pandemic • Who Needs a Flu Shot?

Meds-Stat allegedly sold vials of flu vaccines to a Kansas City pharmacy at a rate of $900 per vial (10 doses per vial). The vaccine is usually priced at $63 to $85 per vial, amounting to a markup exceeding 900%.

“This behavior is totally unacceptable raw exploitation,” said Crist. “While millions of Americans will be forced to do without vaccines this year, some businesses are attempting to take advantage of children, the elderly and the frail by unfair and unconscionable business acts. Preying on the fears of the consuming public is not a description of good corporate citizens.”

The Attorney General has asked the Broward County Circuit Court to enjoin Meds-Stat from selling flu vaccines at unconscionable prices.

The flu vaccine shortages developed after Chiron, which provided the majority of the nation’s flu vaccine, announced that it would be unable to provide vaccines this year.

Anyone with information on artificially high vaccine prices involving Meds-Stat, or any other distributor, should call the Florida Attorney General’s Fraud Hotline at 1-866-966-7226.

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