In a tragic turn of events, a family from Wisconsin has taken legal action against Walgreens and the pharmacy benefits management firm OptumRx, claiming that a steep increase in medication prices led to the untimely death of their son. Shanon and William Schmidtknecht from Poynette are in search of justice following the death of their 22-year-old son, Cole Schmidtknecht, who succumbed to a fatal asthma attack.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Milwaukee, points to a significant increase in the price of Cole's asthma medication, Advair Diskus, which purportedly leapt from $66 to $539 at a Walgreens pharmacy in Appleton. Facing an unmanageable cost, Cole left the pharmacy without his medicine on January 10, 2024, relying only on his emergency rescue inhaler—a decision that tragically proved fatal just days later.
From an early age, Cole was plagued by asthma, managing it effectively with daily doses of Advair Diskus. The Schmidtknechts allege in the suit that OptumRx, the pharmacy benefits management company, breached Wisconsin law by hiking medication prices without adequate justification or advance notice, contributing profoundly to the dire situation their son faced.
OptumRx functions as a crucial link between insurance companies, pharmacies, and drug manufacturers, serving millions across the United States. The lawsuit criticizes the company's actions, or lack thereof, asserting that Walgreens' staff failed to assist Cole with feasible solutions to obtain his medication. According to the court filing, neither cheaper alternatives nor generics were offered, and the staff did not pursue necessary exceptions with the prescriber or OptumRx on Cole's behalf.
Michael Trunk, one of the family's attorneys, denounced both OptumRx and Walgreens, accusing them of prioritizing profits over patient well-being. He declared, The evidence will show that corporate negligence played a decisive role in this heartbreaking event. Trunk contends that despite OptumRx's statement suggesting Cole purchased a different asthma medication, this pertained merely to his $5 rescue inhaler rather than the essential daily medication.
Neither Walgreens nor OptumRx has provided immediate comments regarding the allegations. However, OptumRx had previously expressed condolences to the Schmidtknecht family, asserting that Cole's medication purchases were handled in accordance with standard procedures and his insurance plan's design. They mentioned a different asthma medication, generic Albuterol, was purchased on Cole's behalf, but this did not mitigate the absence of his daily medication.
The outcome of this legal battle remains uncertain, but it underscores the critical issue of rising medication costs and their potentially devastating impacts on everyday citizens. This case could spark broader discussions about the roles and responsibilities of pharmacy benefit managers and pharmacies in ensuring patients have access to life-saving medications without undue financial burden.