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星期四, 10月 29, 2015

WARNER CHILCOTT AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY TO HEALTH CARE FRAUD SCHEME AND PAY $125 MILLION

WARNER CHILCOTT AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY TO HEALTH CARE
FRAUD SCHEME AND PAY $125 MILLION
Former President Arrested Today in Boston
 
BOSTON – Pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott has agreed to plead guilty to health care fraud and pay $125 million to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from the illegal promotion of the drugs Actonel®, Asacol®, Atelvia®, Doryx®, Enablex®, Estrace®, and Loestrin®, and various formulations of these drugs. 
 
In a related development, former Warner Chilcott President W. Carl Reichel was arrested this morning in Boston for conspiring to pay kickbacks to physicians.  Reichel will make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Boston today at 2:30 p.m. 
 
In addition, in recent weeks, three former Warner Chilcott district managers pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and criminal HIPAA violations, and a Springfield, Mass. physician was indicted for taking kickbacks, criminal HIPAA violations and obstruction of justice.
 
“Doctors’ medical judgment should be based on what is best for the patient, and not clouded by expensive meals and other pharmaceutical company kickbacks,” said United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz.  “Pharmaceutical company executives and employees should not be involved with treatment decisions or submissions to a patient’s insurance company.  Today’s enforcement actions demonstrate that the government will seek not only to hold companies accountable, but will identify and charge corporate officials responsible for the fraud.”
 
“The Justice Department is committed to protecting the integrity of physician prescribing decisions and ensuring that financial arrangements in the healthcare marketplace comply with the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.  “The Department will continue to hold companies and responsible individuals accountable when they use improper incentives, like those alleged here, to promote their products.”
“Pharmaceutical companies and their employees have a significant responsibility to sell and market drugs in an ethical and legal manner,” said Special Agent in Charge Harold H. Shaw of the FBI’s Boston Field Office.  “This settlement and the related indictments reflect the commitment of the FBI and our government partners to aggressively investigate companies and individuals who fail that responsibility and seek to profit from fraudulent activities.”
“Placing financial gain above the legitimate needs of patients is deplorable,” said Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Paying kickbacks and even providing instructions on how to defraud Medicare are practices that will not be tolerated.”
 
“These types of health care fraud investigations have great impact on VA operations because the settlement will return funds to VA for the continued care of our nation’s Veterans,” said Jeffrey G. Hughes, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.  “The VA OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners and the Boston U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat fraud in the health care arena.”

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