Top Prescribers – Nationwide Investigation – More stories

by | Dec 14, 2010

Medicaid – Government funded insurance for the poor.
 
A whistle-blower informed U.S. Senator Grassley’s office and the Miami Herald last year that a Miami psychiatrist wrote close to 100,000 prescriptions for Medicaid patients over 18 months, about 153 prescriptions a day. The prescriptions of psychiatrist Fernando Mendez-Villamil cost tax payers $43 Million from 2004-2009. 
 
A nationwide investigation ensued and newspapers around the country are now publishing stories on their own top prescribers.
 
Medicaid Pills
 
Dec. 11, 2010, Texas, Fort Worth Star Telegram
 
Some doctors handing out prescriptions to kids for potent medications
 
…a relative handful of Texas physicians wrote $47 million worth of Medicaid prescriptions for powerful antipsychotic and anti-anxiety drugs over the past two years, according to a Star-Telegram analysis.  The top five doctors alone wrote $18 million worth.
 
Most of the drugs have gone to children and adolescents, although prescribing the drugs to children, such as a toddler, is considered “off-label” — uses not approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
 
December 12, 2010, Nebraska, Omaha World Herald
 
Oversight urged on pill orders
 
A Lincoln psychiatrist, for example, submitted close to three times as many Abilify prescriptions last year for Medicaid patients as the second-leading prescriber of the drug in Nebraska. Grassley said federal and state departments of health and human services have failed to pay adequate attention to the issue.
 
A whistle-blower informed Grassley’s office and the Miami Herald last year that a Miami psychiatrist wrote close to 100,000 prescriptions for Medicaid patients over 18 months ending in early 2009. That’s an average of about 175 prescriptions a day if the doctor worked every day of the year.
 
Dec. 9, 2010, DC, Washington Examiner
Excerpts from recent South Dakota editorials
 
December 6, 2010, California, The San Diego Union-Tribune
3 local MDs are paid experts, also prescribe the drugs
 
December 6, 2010, California, California Watch
Top antipsychotic prescribers are also drug promoters
 
December 5, 2010, Mississippi, The Clarion-Ledger
Mental health drugs probed
 
December 5, 2010, South Dakota, Rapid City Journal
State snubs feds in doctor probe
 
December 2, 2010, Tennessee, Nashville Scene
TN Won’t Turn Over Names of Top Prescribers To Senate Committee
 
December 1, 2010, South Dakota, Rapid City Journal
State ignores Senate request for medical data
 
December 1st, 2010, Tennessee, The Kingsport Times-News
Tenn. won’t release names of doctors who write most prescriptions
 
December 1, 2010, Tennessee, News Sentinel
Tennessee won’t give doctors’ names to senator
 
December 1, 2010, Tennessee, The Tennessean
TN won’t release names of doctors who write most prescriptions
 
Nov. 30, 2010, Tennessee, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Scrutinizing scripts
 
November 24, 2010, Nebraska,  Lincoln Journal Star
The cost of mental health? Pricey
 
Nov 23, 2010, South Carolina, From the NBC News Political Unit
An influential U.S. senator is checking up on South Carolina doctors
 
November 22, 2010, South Carolina, Charleston Post & Courier
Some docs face fraud inquiry – Senator looking into S.C. Medicaid prescription billing
 
November 22, 2010, South Carolina, Charlotte Observer
S.C. doctors might be over-prescribing
 
November 22, 2010, South Carolina, The State 
Medicaid: Questions raised about S.C. prescriptions
 
Nov. 22, 2010 , South Carolina, The Herald
S.C. doctors might be over-prescribing
 
November 22, 2010, South Carolina, Sun News
Doctor inquiry ropes in S.C. – Medicaid fraud check under way
 
November 18th, 2010,  Montana, Alabama, Wisconsin and New Jersey, Pharmalot
States Refusing To Give Medicaid Data To Grassley
 
November 17, 2010, Connecticut, Journal Inquirer
Beleaguered doc was biggest Medicaid prescriber of pain ‘lollipop’
 

Nov 15, 2010, Indiana, Indianapolis Star

Inquiry eyes Ind. doctors who write prescriptions
 
November 14, 2010 Oklahoma, The Oklahoman
Senator scrutinizes top Oklahoma prescribers of pain, anti-psychotic medications
 
November 5, 2010 Alabama, Tuscaloosa News
EDITORIAL: Why are doctors writing so many prescriptions?
 
November 1, 2010 Connecticut, Hartford Courant
Senator Grassley Cites Connecticut Example Of Doctors Who Write Too Many Prescriptions
 
October 30, 2010 Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Feds eye doctors’ prescriptions for drug fraud
 
October 30, 2010 Arizona, Arizona Daily Star
State provides spending data on prescription drugs to senator
 
October 28, 2010 Arizona, Arizona Daily Star
Arizona provides prescription drug spending data to U.S. Senator
 
October 28, 2010 West Virginia
Editorial: Senator asks good questions about prescription drugs
 
October 23, 2010 Minnesota, Star Tribune
Top prescribers under Senate’s microscope
 
October 21, 2010 Florida, El Nuevo Herald
Psiquiatra de Miami en el centro de polémica por fraude con recetas al Medicare
 
October 21, 2010 Florida, Miami Herald
Another volley in Rx probe
 
October 21, 2010 Florida, AP
Senator: Feds should probe high prescribing docs
 
December 27, 2009 Florida, St. Petersburg Times
The high price of Medicare fraud
 
December 18, 2009 Florida, Miami Herald
Florida Medicare halts payments to Miami psychiatrist
 
December 17, 2009 Florida, AP
Feds Investigating High Prescribing Fla. Docs
 
December 16, 2009 Florida, Miami Herald
Miami psychiatrist cited in letter blasting health services monitoring

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