Suit claims Bristol-Myers bribed doctors to prescribe its drugs - USATODAY.com: "LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has joined a whistleblower lawsuit that claims Bristol-Myers Squibb bribed doctors to prescribe its drugs, costing insurers millions of dollars.
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says the state recently joined a 2007 suit filed by three current and former employees.
He says the suit contends salespeople for the pharmaceutical giant gave doctors speaking fees and expensive meals, gifts and trips in return for prescribing its products.
The suit further claims that prescription rates were tracked and doctors who were high prescribers were rewarded, while those with lower prescription rates threatened with the loss of perks.
Jones alleges that at least 15,000 kickbacks were made from 1999-2005 and he says the practice may be continuing.
A spokeswoman for the company had no immediate comment.
Update:
Two of the three whistleblowers in the case are former Lakers player Lucius Allen and his wife, Eve, who worked for the drug company as employees and provided access to the basketball team, whose players participated in "Lakers Dream Camps" set up by the drug company for doctors and their family members, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit was filed in 2007 but was sealed until the state joined the case recently.
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-fi-drug-kickbacks-20110319,0,6984665.story
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones says the state recently joined a 2007 suit filed by three current and former employees.
He says the suit contends salespeople for the pharmaceutical giant gave doctors speaking fees and expensive meals, gifts and trips in return for prescribing its products.
The suit further claims that prescription rates were tracked and doctors who were high prescribers were rewarded, while those with lower prescription rates threatened with the loss of perks.
Jones alleges that at least 15,000 kickbacks were made from 1999-2005 and he says the practice may be continuing.
A spokeswoman for the company had no immediate comment.
Update:
Two of the three whistleblowers in the case are former Lakers player Lucius Allen and his wife, Eve, who worked for the drug company as employees and provided access to the basketball team, whose players participated in "Lakers Dream Camps" set up by the drug company for doctors and their family members, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit was filed in 2007 but was sealed until the state joined the case recently.
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-fi-drug-kickbacks-20110319,0,6984665.story
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