According to a federal lawsuit recently unsealed, Teva payed local doctors thousands of dollars in kickbacks to prescribe Copaxone and the drug Azilect for Parkinson's Disease.
Company insiders say Teva was pushing Copaxone to offset the loss of its patent and a projected $550 million loss in sales. Greg Demske serves as the nation's chief attorney for the Inspector General at Health and Human Services in Washington D.C.
"If the physician is receiving money, that may influence the physician to choose to prescribe a drug; and a particular drug even if it may not be in the patient's best interest," Demske said, highlighting the threat to patient care.
The government attorney says the schemes are often hidden in what's called "speaker" or "educational" programs, which are not illegal
The problem comes when the program is used as a cover for kickbacks.
Hidden kickbacks
For example, "Doctor A" presents or educates "Doctor B" about a certain drug. Then "Doctor B" turns right around and educates "Doctor A" on the very same drug during the same meeting. It often happens over a pricey meal, paid for by the drug company.
In addition, both doctors get paid a fee, anywhere from $500-2,500 for sharing information the doctors already knew.
In some cases, Demske found, "People are paid even when no meeting actually ever took place."
http://www.wthr.com/story/29267597/w...-local-doctors
http://assets.fiercemarkets.net/publ...es/13-main.pdf
Company insiders say Teva was pushing Copaxone to offset the loss of its patent and a projected $550 million loss in sales. Greg Demske serves as the nation's chief attorney for the Inspector General at Health and Human Services in Washington D.C.
"If the physician is receiving money, that may influence the physician to choose to prescribe a drug; and a particular drug even if it may not be in the patient's best interest," Demske said, highlighting the threat to patient care.
The government attorney says the schemes are often hidden in what's called "speaker" or "educational" programs, which are not illegal
The problem comes when the program is used as a cover for kickbacks.
Hidden kickbacks
For example, "Doctor A" presents or educates "Doctor B" about a certain drug. Then "Doctor B" turns right around and educates "Doctor A" on the very same drug during the same meeting. It often happens over a pricey meal, paid for by the drug company.
In addition, both doctors get paid a fee, anywhere from $500-2,500 for sharing information the doctors already knew.
In some cases, Demske found, "People are paid even when no meeting actually ever took place."
http://www.wthr.com/story/29267597/w...-local-doctors
http://assets.fiercemarkets.net/publ...es/13-main.pdf
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