False Claims Act Insights - Bitter Pills: DOJ Targets Pharmacies for FCA Enforcement
Prescribing GLP-1 Medications: Be Aware of Legal Limitations
Understanding Pharmacy Benefit Managers: The PBM Landscape Explained
The DEA Is Knocking at Your Door . . . Are You Prepared? – Diagnosing Health Care
340B Drug Pricing Program Compliance
Podcast: Post-Dobbs Access to Reproductive Health Care and Abortion-Inducing Drugs - Diagnosing Health Care
Podcast: Impact of COVID-19 on Pharmacist Scope of Practice: Before and After the PREP Act - Diagnosing Health Care
Hooper, Kearney and Macklin on Cutting Edge Topics in the False Claims Act
Edible Bites Episode 3: Cannabis and Life Sciences Video Webinar Series
Health Care Continues to Drive False Claims Act Recoveries: Thought Leaders in Health Law Video Series
Drug Pricing Initiatives During the Trump Presidency
Bill on Bankruptcy: AMR Make-Whole Opinion Vulnerable on Appeal
Federal Court Imposes Nearly $1 Billion in FCA Damages and Penalties Against Omnicare and CVS - On July 7, Southern District of New York District Judge Colleen McMahon increased a False Claims Act (FCA) judgment from $136...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have jointly announced the launch of a reinvigorated DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group aimed at enhancing interagency...more
Host Jonathan Porter welcomes back to the show Husch Blackwell attorney Abe Souza to discuss False Claims Act (FCA) enforcement in the pharmacy context. Pharmacies face multiple pressures, from disruptive online enterprises...more
Many organizations evaluate antitrust risk by considering potential investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) or private action. However, firms should also consider that...more
Walgreens to Pay $300 Million to Settle DOJ Claims Over Invalid Opioid Prescriptions - Walgreens Boots Alliance has agreed to pay more than $300 million to resolve allegations brought by the US Department of Justice (DOJ)...more
A couple of recent large-scale enforcement actions suggest that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) may be placing increased emphasis on targeting black market prescription drug diversion. This is when pharmaceutical...more
On December 11, 2024, a bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that, if enacted, would have substantial implications for pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”) and pharmacies across the country. Titled the...more
DOJ Reports Nearly $3 Billion in FCA Settlements, Judgments for FY 2024 - On January 15, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that settlements and judgments under the False Claims Act (FCA) totaled more than $2.9...more
In past years we have discussed how opioid-related enforcement efforts have remained a top federal and state priority (here, here, and here). In 2024, opioid-related enforcement efforts continued across the entire opioid...more
Last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Rite Aid, ten subsidiaries, and affiliate pharmacies agreed to settle allegations that Rite Aid violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the False Claims Act...more
On July 10, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a nearly $410 million settlement with Rite Aid Corporation to resolve allegations that Rite Aid and its affiliates ignored red flags and knowingly dispensed unlawful...more
Despite the recent downward trend in DOJ healthcare industry settlements, the first quarter of 2024 saw many noteworthy False Claims Act (FCA) and civil healthcare fraud settlements related to alleged kickbacks, medically...more
This marks the second issue of WilmerHale’s The Interplay: Key Decisions at the Intersection of Antitrust & Life Sciences, a monthly bulletin that will highlight developments in the antitrust and life sciences space. We will...more
There have been several noteworthy False Claims Act (FCA) settlements in the second quarter of 2023. Four of these settlements have come in over $20 million. This post summarizes key settlements of interest....more
DOJ Files FCA Complaint Against Major Pharmacy Retailer Based on Alleged Violations of Controlled Substances Act - On March 13, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it filed a complaint in intervention...more
Health Care fraud is a growing national issue. The National Heath Care Anti-Fraud Association estimates that health care fraud costs the nation about $68 billion annually — about 3 percent of the nation's $2.26 trillion in...more
In the first week of 2023, the Biden administration announced two actions centered on expanding access to medication abortion. The first involves a policy change by the FDA regarding the ability of retail pharmacies to...more
On March 30, 2022, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Manual J. Bojorquez, the owner of a marketing company, was sentenced to 36 months’ probation and ordered to pay restitution of $3.3 million for...more
STATISTICAL TRENDS IN FALSE CLAIMS ACT LITIGATION - FCA case activity for 2021 reveals seemingly contrary trends. For the federal fiscal year (FY) that ended September 30, 2021, the DOJ annual report on FCA enforcement...more
On October 14, 2021, the Massachusetts Attorney General (MA AG) announced a $25 million settlement with South Bay Mental Health Center, Inc.’s (SBMHC) private equity owner and two former executives for allegedly causing false...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has created many new enforcement priorities for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). From selling ineffective personal protective equipment (PPE) to companies fraudulently seeking loan forgiveness under...more
The owner of Brooklyn Chemists in Gravesend, Brooklyn and Lucky Care Pharmacy in Flushing, Queens was recently indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States by paying...more
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced the nation’s largest settlement involving allegations of drug diversion at a health care system. The settlement, totaling $7,750,000, came after a years-long...more
The Justice Department handed Walmart a huge slap in the face last year with the filing of a comprehensive civil case alleging that Walmart knowingly distributed large quantities of opioids in disregard of the law that fueled...more
Compliance with prescription drug controlled substances prescribing and dispensing rules is essential for pharmacies and prescribers, as penalties for non-compliance are severe and can result in State Board of Pharmacy and...more