[Bob Dawson]

This is an old story and not PD-specific, but I want people to remember the patient who was given 67 drugs:

http://www.bnet.com/blog/drug-busine...ent-drugs/3405

``…One patient cited by the government’s complaint received 67 — sixty-seven! – different drugs under Omnicare’s “care”`…`

`… just how vulnerable old people in nursing homes are to schemes in which drug companies allegedly induce pharmacies to prescribe drugs they otherwise wouldn’t. The DOJ said that “J&J’s kickbacks to Omnicare took multiple forms, including rebates… payments disguised as data purchase fees, educational grants, and fees to attend Omnicare meetings….”
`… Tony West, assistant attorney general for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, said:
….Illegal conduct like this can undermine the medical judgments of health care professionals, lead to patients being prescribed medications they do not need, and drive up the costs of health care…``

Just to remind myself that professionals sworn to human health gave 67 different drugs to a patient, for kick-backs on the drugs (too scary for me are rumours that it was also a drug experiment, and the patient had Alzheimers and could not protest)

[Conductor71]

Originally Posted by Bob Dawson

This is an old story and not PD-specific, but I want people to remember the patient who was given 67 drugs:

http://www.bnet.com/blog/drug-busine...ent-drugs/3405

``…One patient cited by the government’s complaint received 67 — sixty-seven! – different drugs under Omnicare’s “care”`…`

`… just how vulnerable old people in nursing homes are to schemes in which drug companies allegedly induce pharmacies to prescribe drugs they otherwise wouldn’t. The DOJ said that “J&J’s kickbacks to Omnicare took multiple forms, including rebates… payments disguised as data purchase fees, educational grants, and fees to attend Omnicare meetings….”
`… Tony West, assistant attorney general for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, said:
….Illegal conduct like this can undermine the medical judgments of health care professionals, lead to patients being prescribed medications they do not need, and drive up the costs of health care…``

Bob,

I have watched my grandparents go through this. It is frustrating because they were of an era that could trust their physicians to make the right decisions or choices for them, to be an advocate for their health. We have now what I consider lazy, passive medicine. It is the belief that all can be managed through chemicals. There is no quality discussion with the patient; really, is that why the person went to med school for was to dispense pills, cause the doctors are so hands off, I have had my pharmacist questioning my (ahem, former) neurologist. Whatever happened to that specialty role...the patient advocate. All seniors especially should have one.

Laura

[tulip girl]

Originally Posted by Bob Dawson

This is an old story and not PD-specific, but I want people to remember the patient who was given 67 drugs:

http://www.bnet.com/blog/drug-busine...ent-drugs/3405

``…One patient cited by the government’s complaint received 67 — sixty-seven! – different drugs under Omnicare’s “care”`…`

`… just how vulnerable old people in nursing homes are to schemes in which drug companies allegedly induce pharmacies to prescribe drugs they otherwise wouldn’t. The DOJ said that “J&J’s kickbacks to Omnicare took multiple forms, including rebates… payments disguised as data purchase fees, educational grants, and fees to attend Omnicare meetings….”
`… Tony West, assistant attorney general for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, said:
….Illegal conduct like this can undermine the medical judgments of health care professionals, lead to patients being prescribed medications they do not need, and drive up the costs of health care…``

Just to remind myself that professionals sworn to human health gave 67 different drugs to a patient, for kick-backs on the drugs (too scary for me are rumours that it was also a drug experiment, and the patient had Alzheimers and could not protest)

I do not believe that one person (?Alzheimers) could be made to swallow or be dispensed that many medications without detrimental consequences. Looking at the med list it would take one person doing nothing but administering the drugs; ALZ patients are not usually co operative and even if they were, they would be so zonked out that they would not be able to swallow. Pharmacies can not prescribe drugs, they can only dispense them and are liable for not questioning the prescribing doctors.

The more realistic scenerio would be that this one patient's account was used to "buy" drugs for other purposes. If you look at the list like narcotics, there was over 600 days worth of supplies available for that one patient. The story does not compute

Was there a crime- YES, was the patient medicaly abused - maybe. Was the government taken for a lot of money - YES BUT someone was a sleep on the job and should have picked up these glaring numbers. Was j & j in on this fraud - obviously. Dispicable - YES but medicare gets taken for millions..no make that billions every year. I check my medicare account monthly to watch out for fraudulent charges.

Sorry but you can't always believe every thing you read at face value.

TG