Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Inc.

A Virginia statute prohibited advertising prescription drug prices; the Virginia Citizens Consumer Council (VCCC) (plaintiffs) sued the Virginia State Board of Pharmacy (VSBP) (defendants) in federal court, arguing the ban violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The district court agreed with VCCC, and VSBP appealed to the Supreme Court, defending the ban as a permissible regulation of mere commercial speech and as necessary to maintain professionalism among pharmacists.