CleanSlate Centers, a provider of addiction treatment services, has reached a civil settlement of $750,000 with the United States Attorney's Office to resolve allegations of improperly prescribing buprenorphine and improperly billing Medicaid.
Buprenorphine, also known as Suboxone, can be used to treat pain and help curb opioid dependence. In July, Congress modified a law to allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction treatment if providers met state licensing and training requirements. In Massachusetts, where CleanSlate has 13 clinics, those requirements have yet to be established.
Allegations against CleanSlate suggest the company routinely contacted pharmacies from 2012 to 2014 to fill buprenorphine prescriptions — supposedly filled out by physicians — when only midlevel practitioners had assessed the patients. Secondly, the government alleged the company repeatedly billed Medicare for patient visits using physicians' identification numbers from 2010 to 2016.
"We are committed to investigating healthcare providers engaged in improper billing and prescribing," said Phillip Coyne the HHS Office of Inspector General. "Working closely with the [Drug Enforcement Agency], the Office of Inspector General will continue the fight against the deadly and destructive opiate epidemic to protect public safety as well as the federal healthcare programs intended to care for vulnerable Americans."
More articles on supply chain:
FDA approves Lanett's muscle relaxant drug: 3 things to know
Court orders contracted pilots for Amazon, DHL to return to work after strike
Medisafe and TimerCap launch Bluetooth-enabled pill bottle to track medication adherence