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Brooks Pharmacy Ma

BROOKLINE, Mass. -- Brooks Pharmacy received some much anticipated news last month when Harvard Pilgrim Health Care agreed to include the chain's 107 Massachusetts-based stores in its pharmacy network.

Brooks and American Stores had sued Harvard when the carrier blocked the chains from participating in the network, alleging the carrier violated the state's any willing provider statute. Harvard's decision to add Brooks to the network--which, with 600,000 Massachusetts residents, is the largest in the state--settles Brooks' lawsuit against Harvard.

American Stores' Osco drug stores are still excluded from Harvard's network, but the companies are in settlement talks, according to American Stores' attorney, Richard Johnston. "We are hopeful Osco will be in the network soon," he said. A Harvard spokesman did not return calls from Drug Store News at press time.

American sued Harvard and Prudential Insurance last year when the two carriers blocked its Osco drug stores from participating in their Ma Massachusetts pharmacy network, After the suit was filed, Prudential sold its healthcare business to Tufts Health Plans, which consequently permitted Osco stores to participate in that pharmacy network.

This week, American settled its suit against Prudential, according to Johnson.

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