Drugs

Pharmacy Owner Pleads Guilty in $100 Million Compounding Fraud

The president and owner of a Florida pharmacy has pleaded guilty for his role in a compounding pharmacy fraud scheme, which impacted private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE. Nicholas A. Borgesano Jr. (New Port Richey, FL), the president and owner of A to Z Pharmacy of New Port Richey, pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Florida federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property, according to a Justice Department release. Seven other individuals have previously pleaded guilty in connection to the scheme.

According to his plea agreement, Borgesano owned and operated numerous pharmacies and shell companies that he and his co-conspirators used to execute a fraud scheme involving prescription compounded medications, which generated over $100 million in fraud proceeds. He admitted using the pharmacies to cause the submission of false and fraudulent reimbursement claims for prescription compounded medications, such as pain creams and scar creams, to private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE. Borgesano also admitted that he and his co-conspirators manipulated billing codes in the reimbursement claims and submitted reimbursement claims for pharmaceutical ingredients they did not have. Additionally, he and his associates paid kickbacks and bribes in exchange for prescriptions and patient identifying information used to advance the scheme.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome