In Their Own Words -- McCormack

— “[Long term care facility] Administrators should be asking hard questions about any financial incentives the pharmacist or their employer may have to promote one drug over another,” McCormack told McKnight’s on Tuesday. “Depending on the long-term care facility’s financial and operational relationship with the outside pharmacy, there is some risk that the facility could be exposed to liability under the False Claims Act for violations of the Anti-kickback statute by the pharmacy or its pharmacists.”  Aside from the risk of False Claims Act violations, McCormack said kickbacks carry the potential for serious patient harm if consulting pharmacists make drug decisions based on financial incentive, rather than what is best for the patient.

Whistleblower attorney Tim McCormack commenting on pharmacy giant Omnicare’s decision to settle two False Claims Act suits accusing it of accepting bribes from Abbott Labs in exchange for promoting Abbott’s anti-convulsant drug Depakote to control behavioral disturbances by dementia patients in nursing homes.

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