#Middlebury #Veterans #OIG #DrugCompanies #OpioidCrisis
VETERANS POST
By Freddy Groves
You have to love it when a drug company gets nailed for their role in the opioid drug crisis. In this case, our favorite government department, Office of Inspector General for the VA, was involved in bringing down a huge drug manufacturer for distributing a misbranded opioid. The result: The drug company was hit with the second largest penalty ever against a pharmaceutical manufacturer: $1.536 billion (that’s billion, not million) in fines and forfeiture.
The manufacturer’s list of crimes and deceptive business practices is long. Among other things, they declared that the drug was tamper- and crush-resistant. Sales reps went so far as to hit pills (although not the drug in question) with hammers to prove they were crush-proof and therefore did not have an abuse potential. (Being crush-proof is key when prescribing opioids because there is a risk of misuse such as snorting crushed pills.)
They also hid the effects of their drug and the fact that it was highly addictive. Additionally, the label that went out with the drugs didn’t give correct directions for usage.
To make it even worse, the manufacturer targeted medical providers they knew were prescribing the drug off label (for non-medically accepted reasons), thereby adding to the opioid drug crisis, all in the name of greed. They even held sales contests so the sales reps would be sure to target for sales those who were prescribing the highest level of opioids.
Part of that $1.5 billion includes $450 million that will go to state, municipal and Tribal groups to fund drug programs. On top of that is a fine of $475.6 million for civil liabilities.
Now the VA will be able to recoup some of its expenses ($8.5 million) for all the drug interventions and treatment they had to do over the years because of that drug – and the OIG was right there in the middle of it.
© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
