Elder Law

Drug Companies In Lawsuit For Illegally Deceiving Nursing Home Residents

By Levin & Perconti

Lawsuits and Settlements recently discussed troubling allegations levied at the mammoth drug-making company Johnson &Johnson. Specifically, the company is charged with going too far to push certain medications onto senior citizens.

The newly filed nursing home lawsuit alleges that the company worked with pharmaceutical giant Omnicare to push Johnson & Johnson drugs onto vulnerable nursing home residents. According to the lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson paid Omnicare to label its drugs ?preferred??a designation that was intended to indicate medications rated highly for clinical effectiveness in the geriatric community.

One of those drugs is Levaquin, an antibiotic treatment for certain bacterial infections. Other named medications involved in the operation include Floxin, Risperdal, Ultram, Duragesic, Procit, and Aciphex.

Consumer affairs reports that this type of conspiracy is strictly prohibited by Medicare laws. As a result of these activities, consumers were ultimately charged more for the medications than they otherwise would have been required. Specifically, many nursing home residents already had other medications being administered to them, only to have that switched unnecessarily to Johnson & Johnson products.

Omnicare is a company that has been reported on frequently on this blog. In the most recent case, the company was involved in highly questionable local dealings with Chicago nursing home owners charged with illegal medication contract commitments being tied into the purchase of several local nursing homes.

Our Chicago nursing home attorneys at Levin & Perconti understand that many nursing home residents are up against very large, influential organizations when they struggle to receive the care they deserve. Our attorneys continue to work every day to fight for the fair treatment for these vulnerable seniors against the influential businesses that too often place profits over care.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on September 29, 2010 (boomark / email).