On Monday, the Department of Justice announced via a press release that a California pain specialist paid to resolve allegations he violated the False Claims Act.
According to the press release, the allegations against Dr. Gerald M. Sacks, the pain specialist, concern the prescription of specific pain medications to Medicare beneficiaries in exchange for payment from those medication’s manufacturer, the now-notorious Purdue Pharma LP and Depomed Inc.
The Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael D. Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division stated, “Physicians are prohibited from accepting kickbacks designed to influence their decision making. Adherence to this prohibition is especially crucial with regard to dangerous drugs like opioids.”
The press release concludes that the cooperation of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General resulted in the resolution of this case.
