Nineteen California pharmacies filed a state lawsuit Thursday accusing the world's largest 【C1】______ companies of conspiring to 【C2】______ U. S. drug prices. The pharmacies accuse the 15 drug 【C3】______ of illegally conspiring to charge inflated prices in the United States while barring pharmacies from buying the makers' drugs at 【C4】______ prices outside the country. 'We are being charged higher prices than foreigners are being charged,' said Joseph Alioto, representing the pharmacies. 'If we are selling the same drug we want to pay the same prices as 【C5】______ else. ' The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County court in Oakland, 【C6】______ the pharmaceutical companies have 【C7】______ the pharmacies' bottom lines by 【C8】______ California's antitrust and unfair business practices laws. The lawsuit comes at a time when pharmaceutical companies are under increased 【C9】______ over drug costs and their marketing 【C10】______ . Many of the same drugs sold in the United States are available in Canada and elsewhere for 【C11】______ of the U.S. retail prices. The Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly 【C12】______ requests to import drugs from Canada, where the government controls prices. The state of Vermont has filed a lawsuit against the federal agency over the 【C13】______ . Many of the drug companies either declined 【C14】______ or didn't return telephone calls Thursday. The drug industry has in the past defended its U. S. prices as a way to 【C15】______ research and development costs. 【C1】______