A Pompano Beach, Fla.-based specialty pharmacy agreed to pay $1.31 million to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims to Medicare for prescriptions for an expensive treatment used for opioid overdoses.
Solera Specialty Pharmacy admitted to dispensing the pricey drug, Evzio, between 2017 and 2018. After a whistleblower from Evzio's manufacturer, Kaléo, brought forward claims, the U.S. Justice Department accused the Solera staff of signing prior authorization forms without the required authorization from physicians and lying on clinical forms to secure approval from Medicare.
"This is not a victimless crime — healthcare fraud is a crime against all of us who contribute hard earned income and taxes into the system," Joseph Bonavolonta, the FBI agent in charge of the investigation, said in a July 13 news release. "The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who willingly defraud the American people are held accountable."