PharMerica Agrees to Pay $31.5M Over False Claims Act Violations

On May 14, 2015, PharMerica Corp. agreed to pay $31.5 million to resolve a False Claims Act and Controlled Substances Act lawsuit alleging that the company had dispensed Schedule II controlled drugs without valid prescriptions and then billed Medicare for the improperly dispensed drugs.

PharMerica, a long-term care pharmacy that dispenses medications to residents of long-term care facilities, often fills prescriptions for controlled substances listed in Schedule II under the Controlled Substances Act. The lawsuit alleged that PharMercia pharmacies throughout the country routinely dispensed these Schedule II controlled drugs in non-emergency situations without first obtaining a written prescription. According to the complaint, PharMerica violated the Controlled Substances Act by enabling nursing home staff to order narcotics, and pharmacists to dispense them, without confirming that a physician had determined whether the narcotics were medically necessary. PharMerica agreed to pay $8 million to resolve those allegations.

The lawsuit also alleged that PharMerica violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing the submission of false claims to Medicare Part D for improperly dispensed Schedule II drugs, including oxycodone and fentanyl. PharMerica agreed to pay $23.5 million to resolve those allegations. The whistleblower who brought these allegations to the attention of the government, Jennifer Buth, will receive $4.3 million for her efforts. As part of the settlement, PharMerica also agreed to enter into a corporate integrity agreement with the HHS-OIG, which obligates the company to undertake substantial internal compliance reforms and to submit federal health care program claims for an independent review for the next five years.