Prescription drugs

April 24, 2008 -- (ALBUQUERQUE) --- New Mexico Attorney General Gary King today announced a $4.4 million grant that will ultimately help consumers make the safest and most effective prescription drug choices. The money gives Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, the assistance needed to help give consumers free and unbiased information when sorting through the confusing prescription drug market.

Prescription drugs: Photo by Mr. T in DC (CC)    » read more »

Tainted Heparin Linked To 81 Deaths; Blood Thinner Originating From China Contained Deadly Contaminant

April 22, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC--U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) announced Tuesday he will introduce legislation this week establishing a modern track-and-trace system for all prescription drugs sold in the United States, a move he said would cut down on the contamination of popular patient medicines like the embattled blood thinner, heparin.

Heparin syringe: Photo by flaviab (CC)    » read more »

April 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today called on Linda Springer, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to respond to reports that certain health care plans are charging unnecessarily high copayments for prescription drugs. A recent report in the New York Times indicated that many health care plan participants, including federal government employees, are facing copayments as high as 20-33 percent of the cost of drugs.

Senator Barack Obama: Photo by Barack Obama campaign (CC)    » read more »

April 7, 2008 -- ALLENTOWN - Fifteen suspected drug dealers and users were charged today by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office with passing fraudulent prescriptions, illegally distributing Percocet and exchanging heroin for prescription drugs.

Pennsylvania prescription drug ring

Attorney General Tom Corbett said the investigation, known as "Operation Bad Scripts," began in January 2008 and focused on the illegal prescription distribution ring of Melinda Miller, 26, 318 Johnsonville Road, Bangor, Northampton County.

Opr Bad Scripts chartEvidence and testimony regarding the case was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges being filed today.    » read more »

April 2, 2008 -- "The full results of the study released today, showing that Vytorin had no effect on heart disease, put the lie to Merck and Schering-Plough’s $200 million advertising campaign urging Americans to take this drug.

While these corporations profited, Americans were left in the dark. The millions who take this drug, taxpayers who subsidize its use through the Medicaid and Medicare programs, and Merck and Schering-Plough’s investors deserve to know why it took so long for the results to be made public.

This new information underscores our concerns and advances our investigation, which we will pursue aggressively."

Source: New York Attorney General

March 28, 2008 -- Jefferson City, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon today distributed $153,344 in technology grants to 49 organizations throughout Missouri to help them link seniors and low-income residents with free or low-cost prescription drugs. The grants will help organizations obtain the necessary computer software, hardware and training to connect Missourians with almost 200 drug distribution programs offered by pharmaceutical companies.    » read more »

March 18, 2008 -- Jefferson City, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon was joined by 17 other states and the District of Columbia today in filing a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies Abbott Laboratories and Fournier. The lawsuit alleges that the companies conspired to violate antitrust laws in delaying the availability of a cheaper, generic version of the cholesterol drug TriCor. TriCor accounted for over one billion dollars in sales for Abbott one year ago.    » read more »

Massachusetts Leads Investigation Resulting in $36.7 Million Settlement with the U.S. Government, 23 States and the District of Columbia

March 18, 2008 -- BOSTON – Today, the Office of Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, along with federal authorities, 23 other states, and the District of Columbia, entered into a settlement agreement with CVS/Caremark Corporation to settle allegations of billing improprieties.    » read more »

BALTIMORE, MD (March 18, 2008) - Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today filed suit against Abbott Laboratories and French drug company Fournier Industrie et Sante alleging that the firms violated state and federal antitrust laws by delaying the availability of cheaper, generic versions of TriCor, a cholesterol drug which last year accounted for over one billion dollars of Abbott’s sales.    » read more »

CVS/Caremark to Pay More Than $800,000 to Maryland’s Medicaid Program

BALTIMORE, MD (March 18, 2008) – Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today announced a $36.7 million federal and multistate settlement with CVS/Caremark Corporation to resolve allegations of improper billing. The payment, of which Maryland’s Medicaid Program will receive $830,490, resolves claims that CVS violated state and federal statutes and regulations by switching dosage forms of ranitidine, an antacid medication commonly prescribed for Medicaid patients.    » read more »

March 18, 2008 -- Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway announced today that Kentucky will receive a $1.36 million settlement from CVS Caremark Corporation for defrauding the state Medicaid program.    » read more »

March 18, 2008 -- (INDIANAPOLIS, IN) - CVS/Caremark Corporation has agreed to pay $1,406,120 to the Indiana Medicaid Program to settle allegations of improper billing announced Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter today. The payment is part of a $36.7 million settlement with the United States, 23 states and the District of Columbia and resolves claims that CVS pharmacies systemically switched the dosage form of ranitidine from tablet-form to the capsule-form of the drug. The CVS will repay Indiana $513,962 for the state’s share of the Medicaid loss.    » read more »

Nationwide settlement addresses dosage switching of generic antacid

March 18, 2008 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced today that the Florida Medicaid program will receive more than $186,000 from a $36.7 million multistate settlement with CVS and Caremark Corporation. The settlement with the United States, 23 states and the District of Columbia resolves allegations that CVS violated various state and federal statutes and regulations by switching dosage forms of an antacid medication commonly prescribed for Medicaid patients.    » read more »

Abbott and French drug company face allegations they blocked generic versions of a cholesterol drug

March 18, 2008 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that Florida and 18 states have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories and French drug company Fournier Industrie et Sante and Laboratories Fournier, S.A., charging the companies with blocking a cheaper, generic version of prescription drug TriCor.    » read more »

March 18, 2008 -- LOS ANGELES -- California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today sued Abbott Laboratories and French drug company Fournier for devising “an elaborate scheme” to block less expensive generic versions of TriCor, a drug that controls cholesterol.    » read more »