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.
Dec. 12, 2010, Texas, Fort Worth Star Telegram
…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
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
December 6, 2010, California, The San Diego Union-Tribune
December 6, 2010, California, California Watch
December 5, 2010, Mississippi, The Clarion-Ledger
December 5, 2010, South Dakota, Rapid City Journal
December 2, 2010, Tennessee, Nashville Scene
December 1, 2010, South Dakota, Rapid City Journal
December 1st, 2010, Tennessee, The Kingsport Times-News
December 1, 2010, Tennessee, News Sentinel
December 1, 2010, Tennessee, The Tennessean
Nov. 30, 2010, Tennessee, Chattanooga Times Free Press
November 24, 2010, Nebraska, Lincoln Journal Star
Nov 23, 2010, South Carolina, From the NBC News Political Unit
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
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
November 17, 2010, Connecticut, Journal Inquirer
Nov 15, 2010, Indiana, Indianapolis Star
November 14, 2010 Oklahoma, The Oklahoman
November 5, 2010 Alabama, Tuscaloosa News
November 1, 2010 Connecticut, Hartford Courant
October 30, 2010 Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
October 30, 2010 Arizona, Arizona Daily Star
October 28, 2010 Arizona, Arizona Daily Star
October 28, 2010 West Virginia
October 23, 2010 Minnesota, Star Tribune
October 21, 2010 Florida, El Nuevo Herald
October 21, 2010 Florida, Miami Herald
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
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