Posted by stan_the_man70 on September 1, 2014, at 7:20:34
In reply to Beware of troll posters, posted by stan_the_man70 on September 1, 2014, at 3:31:13
have to reference the original source - http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/government-lets-fraudulent-drug-companies-deal-with-medicare/Content?oid=2180234
Drug company reps can boost sales radically by bribing doctors to prescribe medicines for conditions for which the FDA has not approved them. Laws prohibit off-label marketing to prevent snake-oil salesmen from poisoning the public. For example, the FDA specifically did not approve Zonegran for use in children because of severe potential side effects of heat exhaustion and dehydration. Nonetheless, according to a federal indictment, one sales rep went so far as to instruct physicians to administer the drug to a child by emptying a capsule into applesauce.
According to Chartock's complaint, between 2001 and 2003 Zonegran's sales increased 87 percent to more than $80 million "due in large part to" bribes and off-label marketing.
Medicare rules banish companies convicted of felony fraud. But that rarely happens, even in cases of multibillion-dollar fraud.
The reason is simple: Like Bear Stearns and AIG, pharmaceutical giants seem too big to fail. Felony convictions would require banning big drug companies that defraud the government. That would make certain types of medicine unavailable to Medicare patients. And given pharmaceutical companies' reliance on Medicare sales, banishment would drive companies out of business, eliminating thousands of jobs.
poster:stan_the_man70
thread:1070603
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20140815/msgs/1070607.html