The San Diego-based Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has sued Albertsons and its pharmacy operations, charging that the retailer is violating privacy agreements by sharing information from prescription drug customers with pharmaceutical companies.
The suit also names 18 drug companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Wyeth and AstraZeneca
Albertsons has denied the allegations, saying it has never sold or given away shopper information.
However, the consumer right group says that while Albertsons is technically correct in its denial, the company did provide pharmaceutical companies with access to information, which allowed them to create targeted marketing campaigns designed to get customers to refill prescriptions or even switch to other, more profitable drugs.
The suit also names 18 drug companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Wyeth and AstraZeneca
Albertsons has denied the allegations, saying it has never sold or given away shopper information.
However, the consumer right group says that while Albertsons is technically correct in its denial, the company did provide pharmaceutical companies with access to information, which allowed them to create targeted marketing campaigns designed to get customers to refill prescriptions or even switch to other, more profitable drugs.
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