The surrogate
It begins with a woman who yearns for a baby and another who is willing and able to give her one. You can imagine the motives of the prospective parents. But what about the woman willing to carry a baby, give birth and then walk away?
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
Florida will receive $21.5-million as its share of a global settlement with a pharmaceutical giant accused of illegal marketing and pricing of prescription drugs.
Among the allegations that led to the settlement was that Bristol-Myers Squibb illegally promoted the use of Abilify, one of a handful of new-generation antipsychotic drugs whose soaring use in children and nursing home residents has caused alarm among many mental health professionals.
Abilify and other atypical antipsychotics are FDA-approved to treat adult schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. But Abilify carries a black box warning concerning its use in the treatment of dementia. The government alleged Bristol-Myers Squibb created a specialized long-term care sales force that almost exclusively called on nursing homes, where dementia-related psychosis is far more common than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
And although Abilify was approved earlier this year for use in teens with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, it was not approved for use in children between 2002 and 2005. That's when, the government alleged, the company directed its sales force to call on child psychiatrists and other pediatric specialists to urge them to prescribe Abilify to their pediatric patients.
In September, the Justice Department announced that Bristol-Myers Squibb and former subsidiary Apothecon Inc. agreed to pay more than $515-million to resolve "a broad array of civil allegations involving their drug marketing and pricing practices."
Among the other government allegations was that the company paid illegal kickbacks to physicians and other health care providers in the form of consulting fees, and advisory board positions — some of which involved travel to luxury resorts — to induce them to prescribe their drugs. The government also claimed the company set inflated prices for a wide assortment of oncology and generic drugs, and misrepresented its best price for an anti-depression drug, driving up costs to Medicaid.
The company admitted no wrongdoing.
Although the settlement with 44 states and the federal government was reached in September, disbursements to the state were made this week.
[Last modified: Jul 20, 2008 07:58 AM]
Comments on this article
by Joanne Cali
Jul 20, 2008 7:58 AM
I am relieved to read that ethics are being imposed in this area of medicating somewhat helpless publics, such as children and the elderly. As a remedial teacher in FL, I know of multiple effective ways to help children other than drug dependency.
by honor
Jul 18, 2008 11:07 AM
Is the term "mental health professional" the supreme oxymoron?
by honor
Jul 18, 2008 10:57 AM
Wait, maybe this drug is intended for use for the generically diagnosed psychopaths now known as autistic. Don't blame the companies.
by David
Jul 17, 2008 8:10 AM
Crist should give the $$ to the Judiciary-3rd branch of the Gov. that he has ignored and cut their budget each year-that the courts mayu have to close their doors a few weeks per year. Shame- Fl will vote DEM in '08 nought of the GOP denial politics.
by Tom
Jul 17, 2008 8:10 AM
21 million? I bet they tipped the judge 21M on the way out. This is a green light to wholesale theft.
by Bobbert
Jul 17, 2008 8:03 AM
OK, so another megabucks sleezy company is caught with its pants around its ankles.
How much of the $ 21 mil will go to those who were actually damaged? None you say? You win the jackpot... a lifetime supply of Abilify!
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