Monday, July 2nd saw the largest recorded fine for health care fraud in the United States.
In an article by ProPublica, it is reported that GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay a $3 billion fine for promoting some drugs for their “off label” uses. GSK is not the first company to be charged with off label fraud (see more in the original article) but this most recent fine is making headlines. A statement by the US Department of Justice reads as follows:
“Global health care giant GlaxoSmithKline LLC (GSK) agreed to plead guilty and to pay $3 billion to resolve its criminal and civil liability arising from the company’s unlawful promotion of certain prescription drugs, its failure to report certain safety data, and its civil liability for alleged false price reporting practices, the Justice Department announced today.”
The fine is a result of marketing the drugs Paxil, Wellbutrin, and Avandia for uses unapproved by the FDA.
Have you been prescribed or told about alternate uses for common medications?
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