MEDIA

Top Prescribers – Minnesota

Pioneer Press U.S. senator raises questions about prescriptions written under Minnesota's Medicaid program By Christopher Snowbeck March 1, 2012 A prominent U.S. senator is raising concerns about the potential for doctors in Minnesota to abuse the Medicaid health-insurance program by prescribing large numbers of painkillers and other medicines. In a January letter to state officials, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote that he found several "shocking" examples of potential abuse in Minnesota from his review of the prescribing habits of certain physicians. In one case, the top Minnesota prescriber of the painkiller OxyContin wrote more than twice the number of prescriptions [...]

U.S. senator raises questions about prescriptions written under Minnesota’s Medicaid program

Pioneer Press By Christopher Snowbeck March 1, 2012 A prominent U.S. senator is raising concerns about the potential for doctors in Minnesota to abuse the Medicaid health-insurance program by prescribing large numbers of painkillers and other medicines. In a January letter to state officials, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote that he found several "shocking" examples of potential abuse in Minnesota from his review of the prescribing habits of certain physicians. In one case, the top Minnesota prescriber of the painkiller OxyContin wrote more than twice the number of prescriptions for the drug in 2009 as the state's No. [...]

Iowa senator’s letter to Oregon hits hot issue: rate psychiatrists prescribe drugs to children

The Oregonian March 02, 2012 By Nick Budnick Psychiatrist Curt Sturos tends to troubled kids in southern Oregon and considers himself part of a growing awareness that mental health drugs may be overused. So it was a surprise to find himself exhibit A in a recent letter from a powerful U.S. senator demanding to know what Oregon is doing to crack down on doctors who over-prescribe. State Medicaid records show Sturos authorized more of the mental health drug Abilify for the last three years than any other Oregon doctor. A letter to the Oregon Health Authority from Sen. Charles Grassley, [...]

South Carolina Top Prescribers Must Repay $1.9 million

Post and Courier Health providers to repay $1.9 million - Improper billing to Medicaid cited By Renee Dudley March 14, 2012 More than 30 South Carolina health care providers must repay nearly $1.9 million they inappropriately billed to the state Medicaid agency, according to state health officials and documents recently obtained by The Post and Courier. The repayment demand stems, in part, from an investigation of doctors' prescribing habits for painkillers and antipsychotics. Three of the providers must appear before the state Board of Medical Examiners, and their licenses could be revoked, according to documents prepared by the S.C. [...]

Hawaii – State Cuts High Prescribers from Medicaid

Star Advertiser (Honolulu, HI) State cuts doctors from Medicaid Three were pulled from the program because of prescription volumes By Rob Perez Mar 27, 2012 The state terminated three Medicaid physicians who were prescribing relatively high amounts of potent psychiatric and pain drugs, while two other providers are under investigation by federal agencies, according to information provided to a U.S. senator. The actions against the five physicians came to light in a Feb. 23 letter that Dr. Kenneth Fink of the state Department of Human Services sent to U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, who has been focusing on Medicaid abuses [...]

Top Prescribing Child Psychiatrist in Hot Water – Texas

Houston Chronicle Complaint alleges Houston-based doctor improperly gave drugs to child By Lise Olsen and Todd Ackerman March 28, 2012 A Houston-based psychiatrist and the state's leading prescriber of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax is the subject of a complaint to the Texas Medical Board alleging he improperly and simultaneously prescribed four drugs to an 8-year-old, placing the child "at undue risk." The complaint against Dr. G.K. Ravichandran comes as the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has begun releasing to U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley results of its investigations into doctors who prescribe large quantities of pain and psychiatric medications, [...]

TOP PRESCRIBERS – 7 Arizona doctors lose Medicaid contracts

Arizona Republic 7 Arizona doctors lose Medicaid contracts AHCCCS dismissals come amid prescription probe by Ken Alltucker Apr. 10, 2012 06:37 PM The state's Medicaid program said it has terminated the contracts of seven doctors who were top prescribers of powerful pain pills and mental-health prescription drugs. Their dismissals were made public as the result of an ongoing probe by U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, of drug-prescribing patterns in Medicaid programs across the country. Medicaid programs, which provide health care to the nation's poor, reimburse doctors and practitioners. Grassley's probe centers on health-care professionals who prescribe large amounts of pain [...]

A Possible Federal Solution to Psych Drugging Kids

Youth Today Rate at Which Psychiatric Meds Are Prescribed to Foster Youth Alarms GAO Administration could mull regulation of monitoring, prescribing practices December 01, 2011 by John Kelly The Obama Administration told states last week of its intention to find out more about their practices when it came to monitoring the use of psychotropic drugs with children in foster care. Today, the reason for the interest became apparent, and calls for federal regulation of use of the drugs on foster children could soon follow. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study released this morning recommended that the Department of Health and [...]

TennCare blocks 3 top drug prescribers in fight against fraud, abuse

Tennessean TennCare blocks 3 top drug prescribers in fight against fraud, abuse Written by Duane W. Gang and Brian Haas Apr. 21, 2012 Three of TennCare’s top 10 prescribers of commonly abused mental health and pain drugs have been blocked from filling prescriptions through the state’s health-care program for the poor and uninsured. In a 22-page letter and report to a U.S. senator investigating the over-prescribing of prescription drugs in the federal Medicaid program, TennCare Director Darin Gordon outlined the steps under way to cut down on fraud and abuse, including blocking the three prescribers. “We agree that inappropriate prescribing [...]