Corrupt Drug Deal Puts Seniors at Risk
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted October 19, 2017
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
I’ve been around long enough to see drug companies do some of the most corrupt… and unethical… things you can imagine.
They’ve falsified studies… paid off doctors… and even promoted their meds for unapproved and risky uses.
But this latest story might just take the cake.
Because a major drug supplier has been accused of fraud and racketeering to force a dangerous pain medication on countless Americans – including seniors.
It’s a scheme that even turned deadly – and you need to act fast to keep yourself and the people you love safe.
The scheme all started in 2012 when INSYS Therapeutics got approval from the FDA for an ultra-powerful opioid (called Subsys – a type of fentanyl) for use in cancer patients with pain.
Fentanyl, by the way, is a powerful drug that kills people all the time. It is 100 times stronger than morphine and more addictive than heroin.
But there was a problem with INSYS Therapeutics’ new drug – it came with a big price tag and insurance companies wouldn’t pay for treatment unless is was approved in advance.
Insurance companies demanded pre-authorization from the doctors’ office for expensive drugs and procedures.
So INSYS Therapeutics decided to make pre-authorization happen.
They allegedly set up a team of employees that pretended to be doctors’ offices to fool insurance companies into approving the drug.
They even reportedly crafted a script and blocked caller ID so the insurers wouldn’t know that they were calling from the drug company (and not the doctor’s office).
INSYS Therapeutics allegedly used old-fashioned techniques as well: they provided doctors with money and gifts for prescribing Subsys.
This ploy worked (and would have continued to work) until a woman named Sarah Fuller died from an overdose of Subsys.
What brought this to the attention of authorities was that Sarah Fuller did not have cancer – and Subsys was only approved for cancer patients.
Federal prosecutors in Boston have criminally charged six former INSYS executives, including its former CEO, with fraud and racketeering charges related to Subsys.
The lesson here is simple: if drug companies are comfortable falsifying medical records, misleading insurance companies, and providing kickbacks to doctors – then there is almost nothing that they won’t do to sell their drugs.
The reason is clear: there is a mountain of money to be made in health care.
Some drugs make more money than entire countries.
So be cautious when you hear any claim coming from a drug company.
And in the meantime, if you’re taking Subsys or any type of fentanyl, talk to your doctor right away about finding a replacement.
That one conversation may end up saving your life.
Health and Happiness,
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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