Omnicare Pays Nearly $100 Million to Resolve Medicaid Fraud Charges: Second Omnicare Settlement With Chicago Whistleblower P...( Omnicare Inc...),Health

Omnicare, Inc., which calls itself "the nation's leading provider of pharmaceutical care for seniors," paid $98 million to settle Medicaid fraud charges involving various kickback schemes. Among other claims, the government alleged that Omnicare had committed Medicaid fraud by taking payments from pharmaceutical manufacturer Johnson & Johnson to induce pharmacies to switch patients to Risperdal® from other anti-psychotic medications. Omnicare's Risperdal® had originally been reported by a Chicago pharmacist whistleblower, who was fired by Omnicare after reporting the switching. This is the second Omnicare settlement resulting from a "qui tam" suit filed under the False Claims Act by pharmacist whistleblower Bernard Lisitza with Chicago qui tam lawyers Michael Behn and Linda Wyetzner of Behn & Wyetzner, Chartered.The False Claims Act allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud (called "relators") to help the government recover ill-gotten gains.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) November 2, 2009 -- Omnicare, Inc., which calls itself "the nation's leading provider of pharmaceutical care for seniors," paid $98 million to settle Medicaid fraud charges by the United States and multiple states. The government alleged that the pharmacy had committed Medicaid fraud through various kickback schemes, such as taking payments from pharmaceutical manufacturer Johnson & Johnson to increase sales of its anti-psychotic Risperdal®. (District of Massachusetts, No. 07-10026-RGS). The payments allegedly induced Omnicare pharmacies to switch patients to Risperdal® from other anti-psychotic medications.

Omnicare's Risperdal® scheme had been reported by a Chicago pharmacist whistleblower who
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