TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- State Attorney General Charlie Crist announced Wednesday that his office filed a lawsuit against a Florida flu vaccine company for alleged price gouging.

Crist charged the company with violations of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act regarding pricing of flu vaccines.

Fort Lauderdale-based ASAP Meds, Inc., doing business as Meds-Stat, is named in the suit.

Earlier in the month, pharmaceutical maker Chiron, which provided the majority of the nation's flu vaccine, announced that it would be unable to provide vaccines this year.

Following the announcement of a severe shortage, Meds-Stat sold vials of flu vaccines to a Kansas City pharmacy at a rate of $900 per vial (10 doses per vial). The vaccine is usually priced at $63 to $85 per vial, amounting to a markup exceeding 900 percent.

"This behavior is totally unacceptable, raw exploitation," said Crist. "While millions of Americans will be forced to do without vaccines this year, some businesses are attempting to take advantage of children, the elderly and the frail by unfair and unconscionable business acts. Preying on the fears of the consuming public is not a description of good corporate citizens."

On the Net:
See a copy of the Attorney General's complaint

Anyone with information on artificially high vaccine prices involving Meds-Stat or any other distributor is asked to call the Attorney General's Fraud Hotline at (866) 966-7226.