The U.S. Justice Department is looking into special pain creams that are allegedly part of a half-a-billion dollars in health care fraud.
A number of compounding creams, particularly for the treatment of pain, cramping and other debilitating ailments were included in a marketing blitz targeting veterans, athletes and the elderly.
Some of the marketing pitches even featured former NFL Green Bay Packers quarterback, Brett Favre, as spokesperson for the RX Pro cramp relief cream brand.
Investigators have claimed a number of the products have little to no medicinal value, the Wall Street Journal wrote, and specifically victimized Tricare, a military health insurance program that covers more than 9 million U.S. military veterans, service personnel and their families.
Other private insurers were also billed via Medicaid and Medicaire, further investigations revealed.
Federal prosecutors in four states are currently investigating what is described to be widespread fraud by pharmaceutical companies, who delivered more product compared than had been ordered, automatically refilled patient prescriptions without notice, and overbilled clients.
Some of the pharmacies charged over $10,000 for a single tube of the said creams, Fortune reported.
It is deemed illegal to bill government health programs for medicines and medical services that are unnecessary and not ordered, particularly if these medicines and services have not been provided.
With the number of variations of these compounding creams, the FDA is unable to screen all of them, and most don’t even require approval. According to the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacies, the creams benefit people and are non-addictive, MSN News said.
An Rx Remedies pharmacy manager further said the creams were legitimate medical products, not drugs being sold “out the back door.”
The investigation into the alleged fraud is still in its early stages, and as yet, no charges have been filed against the supposedly erring pharmaceuticals.
