In Brief: Walgreens To Pay Fine; Workers\' Comp Medical Payments Fall
Walgreens Pays Fine To Settle Pharmacy Litigation
Pharmacy retailing giant Walgreens has agreed to settle allegations that its pharmacists failed to heed state rules about consulting with patients who have received new pharmaceutical prescriptions.
Walgreens will pay $502,200 to settle the allegation without making an admission of liability. The payment includes a $423,000 fine and $79,200 in investigative costs.
An investigation into Walgreens by the California Board of Pharmacy that began in 2011 unearthed cases of patients who were filling new prescriptions or having the dosages of their existing prescriptions adjusted without being counseled by pharmacists. The board referred the incidents to district attorneys in Alameda, San Diego and Riverside counties. A civil complaint against Walgreens was filed in San Diego County Superior Court.
“The collaboration of the three D.A. Offices and the State Board of Pharmacy resulted in this settlement,” said Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley. “Pharmacist consultations are imperative to make certain that prescriptions have been filled according to a doctor’s order, as well as to advise the patient of proper and safe usage of the medication.”
Workers’ Compensation Medical Payments Fell
Payments for medical treatments related to workers’ compensation claims in California fell by 3.7% in 2014, according to new data released by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California.
Payments fells a total of $100 million, down to $2.5 billion.
The report linked the reduction in part to the resource based relative value scale-based provider fee schedule that was adopted early last year under the mandate created by SB 863 when it was signed into law in 2012. The new fee schedule covered about 41% of total costs. Monetary allocations for primary care increased, while specialty care dropped under the new system, although payments that were not covered under reform dropped as well.
CDPH Investigating Two Cases Of Plague
The California Department of Public Health is investigating two cases of bubonic plague presumably contracted during visits to Yosemite National Park and surrounding areas.
The cases, which were reported by the CDPH earlier this month, were connected to a child who lives in the Los Angeles area and an adult who lives in Georgia. Both have responded to treatment and recovered.
CDPH officials have said that the infections were likely linked to bites from fleas in the area. The plague is endemic in rodent populations in and around Yosemite and the surrounding national forest.
“Although this is a rare disease, people should protect themselves from infection by avoiding any contact with wild rodents. Protect your pets from fleas and keep them away from wild animals,” said CDPH Director Karen Smith, M.D.
