Question of the Week — Is DOJ’s Blockbuster $1.4 Billion Opioid Settlement Just the Tip of the Iceberg?

On July 11, DOJ announced a record-breaking $1.4 billion settlement with Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (RB Group) over allegations that its former subsidiary Indivior Inc. inflated prescriptions of its opioid-withdrawal drug Suboxone through numerous unestablished representations about the drug’s safety and addictiveness. The settlement resolves RB Group’s potential civil and criminal liability, but Indivior still faces a criminal trial scheduled to begin on May 11, 2020. It is the largest...

Question of the Week — Should institutions return past donations from Big Pharma executives and their family members implicated in the opioid crisis?

The New York Times recently reported that the Metropolitan Museum of Art has decided to stop accepting gifts from members of the Sackler family linked to Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, one of the drugs at the center of the opioid epidemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans in the past two decades. The Met’s decision follows that of other museums and universities, including the Tate Modern, the...

Question of the Week — Should Big Pharma Be Publicly Shamed for Its Role in the Opioid Crisis?

Domenic Esposito, a sculptor from Massachusetts, has placed a 10-foot long sculpture of a burnt heroin spoon-the kind used by heroin addicts to melt heroin before injecting it-in front of the Rhode Island headquarters of Rhodes Pharmaceuticals. Today, Rhodes Pharmaceuticals is among the largest producers of generic opioids in the U.S. It is also a sister company of Purdue Pharma, which, along with other opioid makers, is being sued by...

Catch of the Week – Justice Department Sues Tennessee Pharmacies and Pharmacists Illegally Dispensing Opioids

On Friday, the Justice Department announced that it has sued several pharmacies and pharmacists in Tennessee to stop them from illegally dispensing opioids. According to the complaint, both defendants have “fueled and profited from” the opioid epidemic by “repeatedly dispensing opioids and other controlled substances prone to abuse without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional medical practice.” The complaint alleges violations of the Controlled Substances...

As Trump Announces New Plan on Opioids, DOJ is Already Hard at Work

RAC Monitor publishes article by partner Mary Inman and associate Max Voldman March 27, 2018).  Click here to read the article.

Former DEA Agent Alleges Opioid Crisis Fueled by Drug Companies

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team As reported in CBS News, the Washington Post and other news outlets A former employee of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said in an interview that efforts to stem the growing opioid epidemic in the U.S. were derailed by pressure from large pharmaceutical companies and Congress. Joe Rannazzisi told CBS that major distributors allowed drugs to be obtained by rogue pharmacies and pain clinics,...

Health Insurers May Be Contributing to the Opioid Crisis in the United States

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team An article in the New York Times describes the role health insurers may be playing in perpetuating the opioid crisis in the United States. The argument is that health insurers are limiting access to pain medications that have a lower risk of dependency. The reason is that opioid drugs are generally cheaper and less risky alternatives are more expensive. The New York State Attorney...

The Government’s Struggle to Hold Opioid Manufacturers Accountable

By the C|C Whistleblower Lawyer Team In 2011 the DEA was focused on fighting the growing opioid epidemic and targeted Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest manufacturers of oxycodone. The government alleged that Mallinckrodt had failed to properly report suspicious orders of painkillers that eventually made their way to the black market in Florida. The government contended that Mallinckrodt’s actions could lead to 44,000 federal violations and billions of dollars...

Takedown! DOJ Charges 455 Defendants in Connection With $6.5B+ in Alleged Healthcare Fraud

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On June 23, the DOJ announced the results of its “2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown,” bringing charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals. According to the DOJ, the defendants allegedly participated in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm.[1] Who Did the List of Alleged Fraudsters Include?...

AssuredPartners to Pay $107M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Affordable Care Act Enrollment Fraud

By the Constantine Cannon Whistleblower Team On April 7, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Florida-based AssuredPartners, Inc. (AP), a national partnership of insurance companies, agreed to pay $107 million to settle allegations of violating the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent applications for Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance.[1]  In a parallel criminal proceeding, AP’s insurance brokerage subsidiary, AP of South Florida (APSF), pleaded guilty for its role in...