Entries by Eric Hartkopf, PharmD

Compound Supplier Medisca Pays $21.75 Million Over Inflated AWPs

The Department of Justice recently announced that Medisca Inc. will pay $21.75 million to settle allegations of fraud involving inflated Average Wholesale Prices (AWPs) for two ingredients used in compound prescriptions – resveratrol and mometasone furoate. The government alleges that the scheme caused pharmacies to submit false claims to federal healthcare programs, including TRICARE and […]

NADAC Survey: What is It and Do I Need to Respond?

Pharmacies that receive a National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) Survey frequently contact PAAS National®® for information and guidance. While this survey remains voluntary, pharmacies may want to take a minute to understand what the survey is about.

U.S. Government Alleges Counterfeit HIV Drugs Hiding in Pharmacy-to-Pharmacy Purchases

PAAS National® previously alerted pharmacies to a large-scale counterfeit HIV medication scam in our April 2022 article Know Your Distributors: Gilead Confiscates Phony HIV Medication where criminal enterprises routed black market and counterfeit HIV medications through the secondary wholesaler market (the 2022 Gilead lawsuit is referred to as Gilead I). In a new lawsuit filed …

Audit Risks: Medication Home Delivery

Many independent pharmacies offer unique services to their patients, such as house charge accounts and medication delivery, to provide a better customer experience.

California Pharmacy Charged in $300 Million Medicaid Fraud Scheme

The US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California recently issued a press release outlining charges against a pharmacist for the submission of more than $300 million in fraudulent claims to the state Medicaid Program (Medi-Cal) for medications that were not medically necessary, where drugs were not dispensed to patients, and where prescriptions were obtained through illegal kickbacks.

Rethink Corrective Action Plans

PAAS National® analysts continue to see PBMs demand pharmacies complete formal Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) in response to negative audit outcomes; particularly from MedImpact, OptumRx, and Caremark.

2024 National Health Care Fraud Takedown

On June 27th the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a press release outlining a National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action that resulted in 193 defendants charged, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, and over $2.75 billion in false claims.