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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Some Walgreens customers who bought prescription drugs from the pharmacy could be eligible to receive part of a proposed class action settlement.
Walgreens, which is accused of charging some customers more for generic drugs, agreed to a $100 million settlement deal last fall, according to a Nov. 1, 2024 court filing.
Despite agreeing to the settlement, which has not yet been finalized, Walgreens denies wrongdoing.
Some have received emails in early January stating, "If you purchased or paid for a prescription drug with insurance at Walgreens, a class action settlement could affect you,” according to fact-checking site Verify This.
The complaint accused the Deerfield, Illinois-based company of charging customers using their insurance higher prices for generic prescription drugs than members of the since-closed Walgreens Prescription Savings Club. According to Walgreens, the program ended on Aug. 31, 2024.
Members of the Prescription Savings Club paid an annual fee of $20 for access to "discounts on thousands of drugs," with available generics automatically taking the place of brand name drugs, if available, according to the website.
According to court records and a news release from the attorneys who represented the plaintiffs in the case, the official settlement website is savingsclubsettlement.com, and any related emails should come from info@savingsclubsettlement.com.
A spokesperson for Walgreens acknowledged the proposed settlement but said the claims had no merit in a statement to Nexstar's KNWA/KFTA:
“We admit no liability and believe these claims never had any merit. We launched the Prescription Savings Club (PSC) more than 15 years ago to provide equitable access to lower-cost medications for the uninsured and underinsured,” the spokesperson said. “This resolution allows us to focus on our turnaround strategy that will benefit our patients, customers, team members and shareholders.”
To be eligible for payment, the website says you had to have bought one or more prescription drugs from Walgreens between Jan. 1, 2007, and Nov. 18, 2024, and used insurance benefits to fill those prescriptions.
Payments for those eligible will vary, but the exact amount people will receive will depend on how much they and others paid for prescription drugs, the settlement notice says.
Claims can be submitted through April 17.
The website does not mention when people who are eligible for the settlement could receive their payments.
The next settlement hearing is scheduled for Sept. 10, 2025, so any payments issued would likely be sent after that date, as long as the settlement is officially finalized.
For more information, visit the settlement’s website.
