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Appleton, WI – A local family is suing Walgreens, Boots Alliance, and Optum Rx following the death of their 22-year-old son, Cole Schmidtknecht. They allege negligence after a dramatic price increase for his asthma inhaler.
Schmidtknecht, who relied on an Advair Diskus inhaler, reportedly saw the price jump from $66 to nearly $540 in January 2024. The lawsuit claims Optum Rx, his insurance provider, stopped covering the medication without notice.
When Schmidtknecht tried to fill his prescription, Walgreens allegedly informed him of the new price and did not offer generic alternatives. Unable to afford the inhaler, he left without it.
The family claims Schmidtknecht struggled to breathe for the next five days, relying on his rescue inhaler. On January 15th, his roommate drove him to the ER during a severe asthma attack. He became unresponsive en route.
Despite receiving CPR and intensive care, Schmidtknecht never regained consciousness and passed away on January 21st.
Optum Rx stated Schmidtknecht filled a generic Albuterol prescription with a $5 copay on January 10th, the same day he was allegedly denied his usual medication. They claim to offer alternative options when medications aren’t covered.
Walgreens declined to comment. Months after Schmidtknecht’s death, the manufacturer of Advair announced a $35 price cap on their inhalers, starting in 2025.