Prescription drugs

July 31, 2007 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today, in congressional testimony, demanded federal action on his three-year-old petition to require stronger label warnings on OxyContin and urged stronger criminal sanctions to prevent future tragedy.

More than 300 people have died from OxyContin overdoses, while Purdue Pharma has made hundreds of millions of dollars in profits, Blumenthal said.    » read more »

July 17, 2007 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today ceremonially signed 18 bills passed by the Legislature this session.

“These bills together go a long way to accomplishing our most important job – to protect the health and welfare of the people of Maine,” said Governor Baldacci.    » read more »

Consumers Can Find Retail Prices For Their Prescriptions At Vermont Pharmacies

July 10, 2007 - Vermont Attorney General William H. Sorrell announced today that he has created an interactive website for consumers to find retail prices of their prescription drugs at Vermont pharmacies. Attorney General Sorrell demonstrated the website at a press conference today, and will demonstrate it tomorrow for legislators at the State House.    » read more »

Dr. Peter Lurie Testifies Before Senate Committee About Mandating Public Disclosure of Physicians’ Potential Conflicts of Interest

June 27, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Current state laws that require the disclosure of pharmaceutical company payments to physicians are inadequate and a strong national disclosure law is needed, Public Citizen testified before Congress today. Dr. Peter Lurie, deputy director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen, addressed the Senate Special Committee on Aging during a hearing entitled “Paid to Prescribe?    » read more »

June 27, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing Wednesday, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill questioned medical and pharmaceutical industry leaders about the financial relationship between physicians and drug companies.    » read more »

June 26, 2007 -- WILKES-BARRE - A Luzerne County podiatrist was arrested today for fraudulently obtaining prescription narcotics for his own personal use.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett identified the defendant as Dr. Lawrence Kansky, D.P., 50, of 114 Timberwood Dr., Mt. Top. Dr. Kansky had two practices: the Northeast Foot and Ankle Center, 943 Church St., Hazelton, and 62 Mountain Blvd., Mt. Top.Dr. Lawrence Kransky    » read more »

June 25, 2007 -- WILKES-BARRE - Two former police officers were arrested today on unrelated charges of illegally obtaining Schedule II prescription narcotics for their own personal use.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett identified the defendants as Robert Greg Santarelli, 37, of 512 Church St. and 815 Blakely St., Jessup; and Angela Novack, 23, of 953 Lincoln Ave., Dickson City. Santarelli is a former Jessup Police Officer and Novack is a former part-time Dickson City Police Officer.Robert Santarelli    » read more »

June 25, 2007 -- HARRISBURG - A Cumberland County, Pennsylvania dermatologist and her husband were arrested today on charges of illegally prescribing and possessing prescription narcotics for their own consumption.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett identified the defendants as Dr. Jennifer C. Zampogna and her husband, Christopher Zampogna, both 34 years old and residents of 5 Saratoga Place, Camp Hill. Dr. Zampogna is the owner of Advanced Dermatology and Skin Surgery, 950 Woodland St., Mechanicsburg.    » read more »

Sandoz Mylan, Teva and subsidiaries accused of falsely pricing Medicaid-covered drugs

June 20, 2007 -- AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today charged three major pharmaceutical companies and their subsidiaries with defrauding the taxpayer-funded Medicaid system of tens of millions of dollars.

Defendants named in the Attorney General’s petition are:
• Mylan Laboratories Inc. of Pennsylvania (with national subsidiaries Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. and UDL Laboratories Inc.)    » read more »

June 20, 2007 -- SAYRE - A former podiatrist from Sayre was arrested yesterday by agents with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation (BNI) for obtaining and ordering excessive amounts of prescription medication for his personal use.

Attorney General Tom Corbett identified the defendant as Dr. Brian Halton, 48, of 1179 Pennsylvania Ave, Sayre. Dr. Halton is not currently practicing as a podiatrist.    » read more »

June 12, 2007 -- TRENTON - New Jersey First Assistant Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that a Burlington County woman was charged today in two separate state grand jury indictments with running a criminal prescription drug ring and filing fraudulent insurance claims. Two other county residents were indicted on related charges.    » read more »

Rite Aid Must Sell 26 Stores As Part Of Merger

NEW YORK, NY (June 4, 2007) – New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a settlement requiring Rite Aid Corp, Inc., the nation’s third largest retail drug store chain, to sell 26 stores to competitors, including eight stores in New York State.    » read more »

Bill provides 17 counties with option to participate in prescription drug card program

May 30, 2007 -- Carson City – Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons joined with Assemblyman Joe Hardy (R-Boulder City) today during a ceremonial signing of AB 6. This bill was officially signed into law Friday, May 25, 2007 at 10:15 a.m.    » read more »

Study finds Avandia increases risk of heart attack, death

WASHINGTON (May 25, 2007) - A coalition of scientific, public health and consumer organizations today issued a letter urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to exclude scientists with financial ties to GlaxoSmithKline from a panel reviewing the safety of the pharmaceutical giant's popular type 2 diabetes drug, Avandia.    » read more »

May 11, 2007 -- Washington, DC - Once again, Rudy Giuliani's business ties have called his credibility and truthfulness into question. Records show that Giuliani was hired by both the makers of Oxycontin, which pleaded guilty yesterday to misleading the public about the risks of the drug, and the federal government which was trying to crack down on the drug.    » read more »