The AAJ cited a recent NYT article today that Johnson & Johnson paid kickbacks to the largest nursing home pharmacy to increase the number of elderly patients that ingest its medications. The complaint was filed by the US attorney in Boston. “The complaint alleges that Omnicare received “tens of millions of dollars…to buy and recommend Risperdal [risperidone], ‘as well as “prescription pain relievers Duragesic and Ultram, and the antibiotic Levaquin’.” The kickbacks were to Omnicare were disguised as grants or educational funds to influence doctors to have prescriptions switched. Apparently “J&J paid Omnicare rebates for switching prescriptions. Under federal law, rebates are legal unless Medicaid does not receive the same benefit. The complaint alleges that J&J disguised its rebates to Omnicare as physician-prescriber-data payments in order to avoid reporting them.” The complaint alleges that J&J disguised its rebates to Omnicare as physician-prescriber-data payments to avoid reporting them. Once again the prescription drug companies are placing their concern for profits before the best interest of the patients.

Peg Pergo Recalls Dangerous Strollers
This is yet another case of improper research and product development that puts a child’s safety at risk. Such items should never reach the market at the expense of children. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced recently that in cooperation with Peg Pergo USA Inc., of Fort Wayne,