Editorial: Working Together

I read a story a short while ago about a preacher that went to visit one of his church members that had stopped attending worship services. On a cold day in January, he decided to visit this gentleman. When he arrived at the individual's home, he was invited in by the man and the two sat in chairs by the fireplace for awhile and didn't speak a word.

The preacher eventually picked up the fire poker and moved a brightly burning ember over to the side away from the rest of the burning wood in the fireplace. After a while, the ember began to lose its flame and brightness and became dull and gray. After a few minutes, the preacher took the poker and moved the ember back to the main part of the blazing fire; it re-ignited to a bright flame again. Again, no words were spoken.

After a few minutes more of silence, the gentleman said, "Preacher, I get the message. I'll be back in church this Sunday".

As pharmacists, we may not be very effective alone, just as that single ember where it sputtered for awhile and then began to die out. However, if we become a part of national pharmacy organizations, we can burn and glow and contribute to the profession. A healthy burning fire in a fireplace is comforting and encouraging�a dying ember and ashes, are cold and lonely not serving their full purpose.


Loyd V. Allen, Jr., PhD, RPh
Editor-in-Chief

Federal Suit Filed Against Johnson & Johnson for Kickbacks to Largest Nursing Home Pharmacy
The U.S. has filed a civil False Claims Act complaint against drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and two of its subsidiaries, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc. Alleged in the complaint is that these companies paid millions of dollars in kickbacks to Omnicare Inc., the nation's largest pharmacy that specializes in dispensing drugs to nursing home patients. The U.S., numerous states, and Omnicare entered into a $98 million settlement agreement that, among other things, resolved Omnicare's civil liability under the False Claims Act for taking kickbacks from J&J.

The complaint alleges that the company paid kickbacks to Omnicare to induce the nursing home pharmacy company to purchase and recommend J&J drugs, including the anti-psychotic drug Risperdal, for use in nursing homes. This occurred as pharmacists reviewed nursing home patients' charts at least monthly and made recommendations to physicians on what drugs should be prescribed for those patients.

The U.S. alleges the inducement for Omnicare and its pharmacists was that the company paid kickbacks to Omnicare in numerous ways. The Assistant Attorney General (Tony West) said "We will pursue those who break the law to take advantage of the elderly and the poor. Kickbacks such as those alleged here distort the judgments of healthcare professionals and put profits ahead of sound medical treatment."
http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=678912&categoryid=9&newsletter=1&premium=1

Physician Accused of Fraud by Faking Research
Federal prosecutors have filed a healthcare fraud charge against a doctor accused of faking research for a dozen years in published studies that suggested after-surgery benefits from painkillers including Vioxx and Celebrex. Dr. Scott Reuben, an anesthesiologist at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, has agreed to plead guilty in exchange for prosecutors recommending a more lenient sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and forfeiture of assets worth at least $50,000 that Reuben received for the research.

It was alleged that the physician sought and received research grants from pharmaceutical companies but never performed the studies. Also, he fabricated patient data and submitted information to anesthesiology journals that unwittingly published it. Investigators found 21 papers published in anesthesiology journals between 1996 and 2008 in which Reuben made up some or all of the data. The hospital asked the journals to retract the studies. The studies reported favorable results from painkillers including Pfizer Inc.'s Bextra, Celebrex, and Lyrica, and Merck & Co. Inc.'s Vioxx. Also claimed in his studies was that Wyeth's antidepressant Effexor could be used as a painkiller.
http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=678867&categoryid=9&newsletter=1&premium=1

�it is amazing how quickly things can change (earthquake in Haiti, election in Massachusetts, etc.). What is important is our response to changes in our lives as we encounter them. When APhA issued a call last Saturday, over 700 pharmacists volunteered to travel to the island of Hispaniola to provide care to Haitian refugees and earthquake victims. In addition, countless numbers contributed financially to help in the relief efforts.

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It's difficult to function if you don't know what is going on around you. This applies to our profession as well! Keep up to date on professional, economic, political, and social changes that impact our profession!