Prescription drugs

12 Charged In "Operation Pill Hill"

October 31, 2007 -- PHILADELPHIA - A $2.6 million prescription drug distribution ring was broken-up today by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation (BNI) resulting in the arrest of five out of 12 suspected drug dealers operating in and around Philadelphia.

Attorney General Tom Corbett said the investigation, known as "Operation Pill Hill" focused on the illegal distribution and use of Oxycontin in Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware and Bucks Counties.Operation Pill Hill    » read more »

October 25, 2007 -- OLYMPIA – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today announced that Washington residents have saved nearly $1.2 million on their prescription drugs by using the free, state-sponsored prescription drug discount card.

“It's not every day I get to tell Washingtonians with no prescription coverage that, since March, we've saved them more than $1 million,” said Governor Gregoire. “Our efforts to make health care more affordable for Washington families are paying off and these are real savings that can make a difference to Washington families.”    » read more »

Company removes more than $610 million from healthcare system in first year of $4 program

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Sept. 27, 2007 – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) today announced phase two of its $4 prescription program with changes that will help even more Americans deal with the high-cost of healthcare. The program – which has already saved Americans more than $610 million in its first year – has been expanded in two key ways:    » read more »

September 25, 2007 -- Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff filed a lawsuit against ten pharmaceutical manufacturers for defrauding Utah’s Medicaid program in a scheme that cost state taxpayers approximately $114 million over the past decade. The suit alleges the companies wrongfully inflated prices for generic prescriptions for Medicaid patients.    » read more »

September 14, 2007 -- BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office has reached a settlement with Purdue Pharma, LP and its subsidiary The Purdue Frederick Company, Inc., whereby the companies have paid $7,981,715.93 to the Massachusetts Medicaid program (MassHealth) to settle claims that Purdue engaged in improper marketing of the highly addictive pain medication OxyContin, resulting in damages to the Commonwealth.    » read more »

September 14, 2007 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that a Miami-Dade County man was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to operating an internet pharmacy. Erich Ruiz was charged with dispensing controlled substances without a pharmacy license or prescription. He was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.    » read more »

September 13, 2007 -- "Today's report by Cephalon tragically confirms concerns raised by our aggressive investigation into Cephalon's off-label marketing of its drugs. News of confirmed deaths and other adverse reactions adds urgency and immediacy to our active and ongoing investigation. Our serious and significant concerns about this drug, already substantiated by evidence, are likely to support efforts for remedial action.    » read more »

Montreal, Quebec, September 04, 2007 - A new study published in The Milbank Quarterly finds a number of similarities between Canadian drug coverage and that of the United States, despite their publicized differences. Looking at Quebec’s Prescription Drug Insurance Program and the United States’ Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA), the study suggests that the older Canadian plan may provide valuable insights for American decision-makers.    » read more »

August 30, 2007 -- TRENTON - New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram and Division of Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that a Burlington County woman was sentenced today for stealing more than $48,000 by filing phony prescription drugs claims.    » read more »

August 17, 2007 -- HARRISBURG - A Carbon County, Pennsylvania man, who works as a substitute teacher in the Palmerton School District, has been charged with illegally selling prescription drugs.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett identified the defendant as Ronal F. Austin, 66, 285-12 Lower Nis Hollow Drive, Lehighton.    » read more »

August 15, 2007 -- BOSTON – Today, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office reached a settlement agreement with Missouri-based ETHEX Corporation, a seller of generic pharmaceuticals, to resolve litigation pending in the U.S District Court in Boston. In that litigation, ETHEX was one of thirteen generic drug manufacturers sued by the Commonwealth for allegedly inflating the drug prices that they reported to national price reporting services.    » read more »

August 14, 2007 -- New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte announced today that consumers should be aware of unsolicited telephone calls from individuals offering discount prescription medical products and services.

Recently, a NH consumer received an unsolicited phone call from an individual claiming to represent a company that offers discount prescriptions and medical services. Although the consumer rejected the services and products, the company withdrew the money from her bank account without her authorization. It is not clear how the company obtained her account information.    » read more »

Grant supports ER, urgent care centers, and extended-hour pharmacies

August 7, 2007 -- RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced a $400,000 federal grant award that will allow Virginia to expand its efforts to help health care professionals monitor a patient’s prescription drug use.

“This federal grant will enhance our efforts to identify and prevent illegal use of prescription drugs,” Governor Kaine said. “The Prescription Monitoring Program has been a valuable tool, and this expansion will improve its efficacy.”    » read more »

$4.4 Million in Assets Seized - Newark Narcotics Network Supplied OxyContin to Bronx, N.Y., Distribution Ring

August 2, 2007 -- TRENTON – New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that a state grand jury today returned an indictment charging 19 alleged members of a Newark-based narcotics ring, including its leader, with first-degree racketeering and other crimes in connection with the ring’s distribution of millions of dollars a year in illegal prescription painkillers such as OxyContin.    » read more »

August 1, 2007 -- TRENTON - New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that a state grand jury has indicted an East Orange pharmacist and two other men on racketeering charges for their roles in a stolen prescription drug scheme.    » read more »