North Carolina Settles With Five Pharmaceutical Firms

The AP (10/21) reports, "North Carolina's Medicaid office and public schools are receiving millions of dollars after a settlement with five pharmaceutical companies over allegations the firms offered gifts or encouraged the use of certain drugs." HHS "announced agreements Wednesday with the five companies totaling $17.5 million," with $6 million going to the state. "The largest settlement surrounded allegations AstraZeneca encouraged the use of a drug approved for schizophrenia and bipolar depression to be used for other conditions such as dementia." North Carolina "also alleged Alpharma paid for trips for healthcare providers to resorts to encourage them to prescribe a morphine pain medication."