RETAIL/WHOLESALE

Berlin  -  Because the US pharmacy chain CVS in the state of Indiana employed two pharmacists for years whose permits had long since expired, it is now paying 1.95 million dollars – around 1.4 million euros – in a settlement. Moreover, the chain has to prove that its pharmaceutical personnel have valid permits.

Investigators from the state aid programme Medicaid accused CVS of employing two pharmacists without valid permits in branches in Nashville and Marion between 1997 and 2007. According to the investigators, the permit of the employee in Nashville expired as early as 1990 – before the pharmacy was taken over by CVS. It appears that the employee repeatedly faked his permit renewal.

After the start of the investigations, CVS apparently informed the state about the second case themselves: The permit of an employee in Marion expired in 2002. The two employees together had supplied more than 60,000 prescriptions and had deducted too much at Medicaid.

According to company data, both pharmacists are no longer employed at CVS. CVS agreed to examine the permits of employees in Indiana every six months for three years. In addition, applicants of the chain have to reveal their pseudonyms.

With the settlement figure the Medicaid programme is to be supported and the settlement costs reimbursed. CVS operates around 7000 pharmacies in the USA as well as 560 in branches of integrated medical treatment centres.

PHARMA ADHOC, Fri, Februay 19, 2010 03:39pm CET