Pharmacy residents accuse US hospitals of wage-fixing in new lawsuit

By Mike Scarcella

March 3 (Reuters) - A new lawsuit has accused major U.S. hospital systems and a professional association for pharmacists of conspiring to restrict recruitment, hiring and compensation for resident pharmacists seeking advanced training.

The proposed class action was filed in Greenbelt, Maryland, federal court on Friday by two former resident pharmacists against Johns Hopkins Hospital, New York Presbyterian Hospital, University of Chicago Medical Center, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and several other hospital systems.

The lawsuit also named as a defendant the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, which sets the rules for a matching program that connects resident pharmacists to hospitals and other medical providers.

The plaintiffs said the defendants are violating antitrust law by using the match program to keep compensation low and restrict the ability of residents to move from one program to another.

“Generations of resident pharmacists have suffered from artificially suppressed wages and employment benefits and been unable to improve their working conditions,” the lawsuit said.

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and several hospital defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Attorneys for the plaintiffs also did not immediately respond to a similar request.

Eleven hospital systems were named as defendants in the lawsuit, which seeks a court order against the match process, in addition to unspecified monetary damages.

A residency is not required to practice as a pharmacist, but some pharmacists choose to undergo the one-year program to open additional career paths.

The lawsuit said the average salary for a pharmacy resident is $50,000 to $60,000 compared to more than $100,000 that a non-resident pharmacist can make in their first year of employment.

The plaintiffs estimated that there are tens of thousands of members in the potential class action.

The case is Alexis Albert and May Ann Hudgins v. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, U.S. District Court, District of Maryland, No. 8:25-cv-00673-LKG.

For plaintiffs: Frank Hedin and Tyler Somes of Hedin; Stuart Berman of Lerch, Early & Brewer

For defendants: no appearances yet

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